The Division I Men's Ice Hockey and Wrestling Committees are seeking the Championships/Competition Cabinet's permission to conduct site visits before they entertain presentations from local organizing committees. Currently, the Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Committees are the only two groups that have such latitude.

The ice hockey and wrestling committees already request bids for hosting the championships and then narrow the field based on submitted materials. Finalists conduct presentations during the committees' annual meetings.

If the committees' recommendations for site visits are approved during the cabinet's September meeting in Indianapolis, committee members and NCAA staff liaisons would be able to visit finalists to obtain a clearer picture of what the city will be able to provide before the presentations are made.

"The wrestling committee feels it is imperative to make a site visit to the prospective final sites," said Randy L. Buhr, NCAA staff liaison to the wrestling committee. "Wrestling has a lot of intricate details that make it unique to the other sports. In the past, sites have been selected with poor sight lines for the fans, and some sites had limited space on the arena floor to accommodate the eight mats, head table, et cetera. The committee believes that with an advance site visit it can prevent those problems from happening in the future."

The Division I men's ice hockey and wrestling championships traditionally sell out every year and are among the highest revenue-producing tournaments.

"With so much at stake financially -- bids are now in excess of $2 million -- the ice hockey committee feels it is imperative to conduct a site visit," said Tom Jacobs, staff liaison to the men's ice hockey committee. "Often times, neither the staff nor the committee has seen the site first-hand before making a decision."

-- Mark Bedics