PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island -- While the Division III Management Council touched on many familiar topics during its July 22-23 meeting, from playing and practice seasons to postponing the financial aid audit, it was championships and automatic qualification that dominated the agenda and will likely dominate membership discussions from now until Convention.

The Council agreed to ask the Division III Presidents Council to sponsor legislation for the 2003 NCAA Convention to adopt an enhanced version of Model D as outlined in the April 15 membership survey on automatic qualification and other championships issues. The new version of Model D provides for a 1:6.5 access ratio and automatic qualification in team sports. (The version of Model D circulated in April provided for an access ratio of 1:7.)

After discussion focusing on the need to balance fiscal responsibility and increased access to championships, the Council agreed to recommend an effective date of August 1, 2005. The Council discussed the role of the Division III reserve and concluded that it would recommend the funding of the bracket enhancements a year earlier than anticipated by tapping into the reserves for the 2005-06 year.

The Council noted that it would require an estimated $1.2 million to fund the enhancements, which would require altering the current Division III reserve to permit that balance to fall below 20 percent of the budget. Current policies call for no less than a 20 percent reserve, as measured by an average over two years.

The Council further noted, however, that this was an issue in which the Division III membership held a tremendous interest, as expressed in the recent survey. The Council also took into consideration a similar legislative proposal, sponsored by the University Athletic Association, with the 2005 effective date. The Council noted that it was committed to established automatic-qualification principles and that it wished to fund existing programs as part of the Division III Initiatives Task Force, avoiding potential conflict between the initiatives and potential championships enhancements.

In another matter, the Council remanded back to the Division III Championships Committee for further study a recommendation for sponsorship of legislation to create automatic qualification in the selected individual-team sports of cross country, golf and tennis. The Championships Committee had recommended the elimination of the individual portion of the championships in each sport, which concerned the Council. The Council also recommended that the committee consider each of the three sports individually, as there may be significant relevant differences among them.

In other championships matters, the Council:

Approved a change in the definition of a region as it pertains to in-region play. The proposed definition would include the current sport regions plus a 200-mile radius for each institution, effective with the 2003-04 academic year.

Approved soccer overtime procedures that provide for two 10-minute sudden-victory overtimes during the regular season. In all postseason games, penalty kicks would follow the overtimes if the game remains tied.

Recommended the creation of an Association-wide playing rules oversight panel, appointed by the Executive Committee, to resolve proposals involving player safety, financial impact or image of the game that do not have unanimous Division I, II or III support.

Recommended the sponsorship of legislation for the 2003 Convention to establish an eight-team (nine members each) National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship to begin with the 2003-04 year and also create a six-member National Collegiate Women's Bowling Committee.

Approved a recommendation to increase the brackets in men's and women's lacrosse and women's ice hockey by one each to accommodate a minimum of two berths access in Pool C, effective with the 2002-03 academic year. This increase is accompanied by a $40,000 budget allocation.

Approved a recommendation to require conference competition to be concluded by no later than 6 p.m. local time on the date on which participants are selected for the NCAA championship. The Council also inserted language into the executive regulation that would permit the national sports committee to extend the deadline up to midnight local time on selection day for extenuating circumstances, such as weather or equipment.

Approved a recommendation to maintain the 400- to 500-mile and hub airport travel policies for a complete two-year cycle for all championship seasons and review the policies and feedback received at the Division III Championships Committee's January 2004 meeting.

Playing and practice season issues

The Management Council reviewed a report of its playing and practice seasons subcommittee and agreed to ask the Presidents Council to sponsor legislation for the 2003 NCAA Convention to standardize playing and practice seasons, limiting the total playing season to 19 weeks (see accompanying chart).

The subcommittee indicated that it was committed to addressing inconsistencies in Bylaw 17 that had arisen over time. The Council noted that a prior version of the model included a playing season of about 18 weeks. That model was revised to reflect feedback from sports committees, coaches associations, and the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports.

The Council further noted that specific contest limitations would be expected by the September 1, 2002, deadline for governance-sponsored legislative proposals.

The Management Council reviewed the report of the Division III Presidents Council/Management Council Joint Subcommittee on the Future of Division III and approved the oversight group's recommendations on the work of each subcommittee.

The subcommittees (championships, eligibility and recruiting, financial aid, membership, and playing and practice seasons) had met twice via conference call and had provided the oversight group with a summary of topics discussed.

The Council noted that it was important to understand that the report was a summary of discussion rather than an inclusive list of final recommendations. Several Council members expressed a desire to maintain the membership's interest in the discussions and not preclude additional ideas or potential changes in direction.

To that end, the Management Council recommended to the Presidents Council that it consider visits to the membership (by Association staff and Management Council members) during fall 2002 to more effectively communicate the work of the oversight group and seek additional membership comment.

Financial aid audit

The Council also heard a report from the Division III Financial Aid Audit Task Force and recommended to the Presidents Council a delayed submission of legislation regarding a financial aid audit until the 2004 NCAA Convention.

The task force had recommended that timeline in light of its work showing that an audit process would be greatly facilitated by the development of Web-based technology. That technology is seen as a way to make the process affordable and effective for the membership.

The task force proposed a timeline to the Council that calls for the development of an audit-reporting technology, perhaps incorporating the NCAA Compliance Assistant software, this fall. The task force would provide an update on its progress at the 2003 NCAA Convention in January, and it expects to report to the Management and Presidents Council next summer asking for the sponsorship of legislation for the 2004 Convention.

A preliminary test of the audit process and its accompanying technology then would be set for fall 2003, with a vote on the audit legislation at the 2004 Convention. The task force has suggested fall 2005 as the first official institutional audit and committee review of the results.

Division III SAAC

The Council declined to recommend sponsorship of legislation recommended by the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to permit two exempted preseason scrimmages in sports other than football. The Council preferred an in-depth look at the recommendation, particularly in light of the subcommittee's recent work to limit playing and practice seasons. To that end, it referred the matter to its subcommittee on playing and practice seasons.

On another matter, the Council agreed to refer the concept of potential time limits for athletically related activities, such as the 20-hour rule, to that subcommittee, as recommended by the Division III SAAC. The SAAC is concerned that some student-athletes' commitments in Division III exceed the 20 hours that is legislated in the other two divisions, but the SAAC also is concerned that simply adopting a 20-hour rule would increase practice time on some campuses. SAAC members remain divided over whether a rule would rein in abuses or simply encourage more coaches to practice up to the maximum that would be allowed.

The Council agreed that the issue was worth review and that the subcommittee would be the appropriate body to undertake such a study.

Other highlights

Division III Management Council
July 22-23/Providence, Rhode Island

Reviewed and approved the Division III strategic plan.

Reviewed and approved the biennial budget for 2002-03 and 2003-04.

Approved a proposed 2003 Convention schedule, noting the addition of a Division III CEO session Sunday, January 12, as recommended by the Division III Membership Committee. The Council also approved a recommendation by the Division III Convention-planning subcommittee that the Division III forum focus on the future of Division III, and it approved the Association-wide menu topics in concept.

Reviewed proposed legislation for the 2003 NCAA Convention sponsored by the Division III Presidents Council.

Reviewed membership-sponsored proposals for the 2003 NCAA Convention and took positions of support or opposition when appropriate.

Granted active membership status to the following institutions: Baptist Bible College; Bay Path College; Dominican University; D'Youville College; Husson College; LeTourneau University; Medialle College; Mt. Ida College; Peace College; Pennsylvania State University, Altoona; Philadelphia Biblical University; University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg; University of Texas at Dallas; Schreiner University; State University of New York at Farmingdale.

Granted active membership to the Allegheny Mountain Conference.

Granted active Division III membership to Texas Lutheran University and Westminster College (Pennsylvania), both of which reclassified from Division II.

Elected Suzanne Coffey, director of athletics at Bates College, as vice-chair for next year.

Reviewed a report of the NCAA Ad Hoc Review Committee and prioritized Association-wide issues for the NCAA Executive Committee.