The Division III Presidents Council has agreed to wage an all-out campaign to engage presidents in the discussion about the future of Division III.

The Presidents Council, which met October 31 in Indianapolis, is concerned that far too few presidents have taken part in the talks to this point. And, considering that the discussion of the future could involve a myriad of possibilities, including perhaps a subdivision of Division III, the Council believes that the dialogue must include large numbers of chief executive officers.

The Council agreed that multiple efforts to engage the membership would be necessary to obtain as much feedback as possible from presidents, athletics administrators, faculty athletics representatives and student-athletes. The Council agreed that the process should be as inclusive as possible, and that the process should engage the membership in a meaningful discussion of what Division III means now and what it should mean in the future.

At this preliminary point, the range of possibilities for Division III is almost boundless. Should Division III have more restrictive rules or more permissive rules? This question is being asked on a variety of issues from playing and practice seasons to recruiting, financial aid and eligibility.

Should Division III have nontraditional seasons, should it have regional championships and no national titles, should student-athletes spend less time on the field and more time in class? Are the current rules taking the division in the direction the membership wants to go? All of those are questions that will be examined as a part of the futures discussion.

The Presidents Council noted that the futures discussion has not yet risen to the level of an urgent issue on many campuses, particularly for institutional presidents. The Council is concerned about that because the issue is central to both the mission of Division III and to the mission of each institution. Whatever the ultimate outcome of the futures discussion, it is likely to affect in some way the role athletics will play at each institution -- certainly a presidential-level issue.

To increase the awareness of Division III presidents on the futures discussion, the Presidents Council agreed to establish a direct CEO communications process that likely will involve each member of the Council personally calling each president in his or her conference and also calling presidents within additional conferences and from independent institutions in the region.

The Council also agreed to facilitate CEO discussions of the future of the division at various higher education meetings and at conference meetings this fall and spring.

The Council recommended a membership survey, which would likely be conducted in February, followed by focus groups of the membership, perhaps in conjunction with the Presidents Council's April meeting.

The first chance to engage the membership about the future of Division III will be 2003 Convention, where the Division III forum will focus on the topic. That forum will include a report from the Division III Presidents Council/Management Council Joint Subcommittee on the Future of Division III and an update on membership feedback so far in the subcommittee's five subgroups: championships, eligibility and recruiting, financial aid, membership and playing and practice seasons.

The Convention forum also will include roundtable discussions and a question-and-answer session on the process and timetable.

The subcommittee has indicated that it anticipates legislation to come forward -- to represent some type of changes in current rules or perhaps the organization of the division -- for a vote at the 2004 Convention. In order for that legislation to be considered on the floor of the 2004 Convention, it must be developed by June 2003 so it can be approved at the July meetings of the Management and Presidents Councils.

Other highlights

Division III Presidents Council
October 31/Indianapolis

Recommended that the Executive Committee endorse the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics' position for the NCAA to continue to support equal access and opportunity for men and women in intercollegiate athletics through Title IX. The Council also recommended that NCAA President Cedric W. Dempsey make an in-person presentation at the Secretary's Commission on Opportunity in Athletics hearing in November.

Heard a report from Bette Landman, president of Arcadia University and chair of the Presidents Council, on the NCAA presidential search, including a brief in-person introduction from Myles Brand, NCAA president-elect and current president of Indiana University, Bloomington.

Approved a series of reallocation recommendations from the Division III Initiatives Task Force, the establishment of a championships contingency fund and the establishment of a contingency fund regarding the future of Division III. The Council also reaffirmed a commitment to maintain a 15 percent reserve over any two-year budget from 2002 to 2006.

Approved preliminary financial results from fiscal-year 2001-02.

Requested that the Executive Committee endorse the establishment of an Association-wide Playing Rules Oversight Panel to resolve Association-wide playing rules issues.

Requested from the Executive Committee a Division III exemption to the men's basketball rules change to require institutions to purchase a rim-testing device to engage in basketball rim-testing due to financial impact on member institutions.

Reviewed 16 legislative proposals for the 2003 Convention, including the sponsorship of an amendment-to-amendment to the playing and practice seasons model to reduce and standardize the playing season for all sports.

Reviewed and approved proposed groupings of proposals for the 2003 NCAA Convention.

Reviewed speaker assignments for Division III legislation at the 2003 NCAA Convention.

Elected John McCardell, president of Middlebury College and current vice-chair of the Presidents Council, as chair of the Presidents Council, effective in January.