DENVER, Colorado -- Championships issues remained on the front burner for the Division III Management Council April 8-9 as it previewed what the Division III membership likely will be discussing for many months to come.

The Management Council looked at issues ranging from potential automatic-qualification models to championships budgets and proposed models for playing and practice seasons.

It also reviewed a survey, timeline and memorandum that will be sent to the membership later this month in an effort to solicit feedback on automatic qualification, including proposed models for team sports and the concept of applying automatic qualification to individual-team sports.

In response to its commitment outlined at the 2002 NCAA Convention, the Division III Championships Committee has moved on an aggressive timetable to develop a survey and related materials.

The committee hopes that the survey results will provide it with direction as it prepares legislative proposals for the 2003 NCAA Convention. The committee also plans to look to the survey results for direction as the committee and the Management and Presidents Councils consider future championship expansion requests and the allocation of resources.

The survey instrument contains four proposed models for automatic qualification in team sports:

Model A, which represents the current access principles, along with an enhanced access ratio;

Model B, which is based on more of a regional-qualification element;

Model C, which is based on the model proposed at the last Convention by the University Athletic Association; and

Model D, which is a consistent ratio model in which there is an equal ratio of qualifiers in each pool.

The Management Council asked that members also be asked to provide a "Model E," if they were so inclined, so that those who wished to suggest yet a different model could do so on the survey document itself.

The survey also will seek feedback regarding the possible establishment of AQ in three individual-team sports in which teams are selected for championships participation: cross country, golf and tennis.

The Management Council noted that the survey and accompanying materials would play an important role in getting the membership to think critically about the issues and prepare for productive discussions on automatic qualification.

In other championships business, the Management Council reviewed extensive materials prepared by the NCAA finance and championships staffs and reviewed by the Division III Championships Committee as it analyzed the championships budgeting and expense process on a sport-by-sport basis. The committee -- which had taken a three-year view of the Division III championships expenditures, comparing budget forecasts to actual expenses and further analyzing those expenses by categories, such as travel, number of airline flights and per diem -- presented the Council with exhaustive data showing just how and when each championship was under or over budget.

Management Council members noted that the materials were in direct response to the Council's request for additional data about the championships budget and expense information. Council members commended the committee for such a thorough review of the data and also for the presentation of the data to the governance structure.

While the Management Council has not yet decided how often it wishes to review such data, Council members expressed hope that the data can be used to make informed future decisions on matters such as site selection and championships travel policies.

The Council reviewed a draft of such policies that currently are being considered by the Championships Committee. The Council expects to see the policies in the form of recommendations at its July meeting.

The Council also noted that this in-depth review represented a new chapter for Division III, with the Championships Committee and Manage-
ment Council taking on full responsibility for the oversight and financial review of all costs associated with championships in the division.

"I'd like to send a strong message commending the Championships Committee and NCAA championships and finance staffs for their work in this area," said Christopher Walker, Management Council chair and faculty athletics representative at the University of Redlands. "This represents an outstanding amount of work, but it also represents incredibly useful data that we can all use as we move forward to make decisions."

On a related issue, the Management Council noted that the Championships Committee had, per the Council's directive, approved base-budget and inflationary adjustments in all Division III sports, effective with the 2002-03 budget cycle. The Council reviewed those adjustments, noting that the total 2002-03 increase was $928,425.

Playing and practice seasons

The Council also agreed to seek specific member input on playing and practice seasons, another issue that is likely to command the attention of the Division III membership. The Management and Presidents Councils had directed the Management Council's Playing and Practice Seasons Subcommittee to review all playing and practice seasons legislation found in Bylaw 17 and consider the establishment of more uniform start dates; a consistent number of competition weeks in all sports; and the appropriate number of contests/dates of competition for each sport in relation to the total number of playing weeks.

In response, the subcommittee worked to create a playing and practice seasons model that was consistent for all sports and would provide opportunities for students to pursue excellence in athletics and academics. With that in mind, the subcommittee has developed what it calls "Model Option 1," which the subcommittee believes meets those goals (see the above chart).

The Management Council agreed to ask all Division III sports committees and applicable coaches associations for feedback on Model Option 1. That request will include a chart indicating the impact of the model on a sport-by-sport basis, along with additional details.

The subcommittee also is developing other models that would curtail or eliminate competitive opportunities during the nontraditional segment.

The governance structure will review those models as part of the work of the new Presidents Council/Management Council Joint Subcommittee on the Future of Division III.

Women's rugby

On the matter of women's rugby, the Council changed course and agreed to recommend to the Division III Presidents Council that it sponsor legislation identifying rugby as an emerging sport for women in Division III. In previous discussions of rugby as a potential emerging sport, Council members had expressed a variety of concerns relative to rugby and had declined to forward it on to the Presidents Council for possible legislation designating it as an emerging sport in the division.

At this meeting, Council members were persuaded by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics that benefits would be gained by placing it under the NCAA "umbrella" as an emerging sport.

Council members remain concerned about the lack of injury data available for the sport, as well as the number of qualified coaches to lead potential varsity programs. However, Council members were persuaded that establishing rugby as an emerging sport might assist in the gathering of additional data and also encourage rugby coaches to seek certification or other training while providing an option for institutions that wish to sponsor the sport on the varsity level.

The Management Council also noted that it would, as part of its Council responsibilities, review proposed playing and practice seasons and other relevant sport legislation for rugby as it would for any emerging sport as it made its way through the process. The Council noted that it would be possible, should the Council deem it necessary for whatever reason, to revoke the sport's emerging status in Division III, much as Division III did with equestrian a few years ago.

Other highlights

Division III Management Council
April 8-9/ Denver

Adopted noncontroversial legislation, which must be ratified by the Division III Presidents Council, to remove the membership moratorium, effective immediately.

Heard a report from the Division III Financial Aid Audit Task Force, including a report of its February 20 in-person meeting. (See the article titled "Financial aid audit takes one step back, two ahead," in the April 1, 2002, issue of The NCAA News, which details the meeting and early conclusions of the task force.)

Reviewed the charge, timetable and roster of the Division III Presidents Council/Management Council Joint Subcommittee on the Future of Division III.

Approved a draft of the 2003 NCAA Convention schedule that recommends a later start time and a more limited number of topics for both Association-wide and divisional menu sessions on Saturday; a later start time for the Division II and Division III joint CEO sessions to accommodate presidential attendance at conference meetings; and an earlier start time for the Division III joint Management Council/Presidents Council meeting to accommodate members' attendance at Association-wide menu sessions.

Heard reports from Cedric W. Dempsey, NCAA president, and Elsa Cole, NCAA general counsel, and also met with Baker-Parker and Associates, a search firm that is assisting the NCAA with the identification of potential candidates for the Association presidency.

Reviewed proposed legislation for the 2003 NCAA Convention, including noncontroversial legislation and modification-based-on-intent proposals.