Division III delegates will have plenty of hot-button issues to discuss at the 2003 Convention in Anaheim, from proposed playing and practice seasons legislation to dueling championships expansion models.

First, however, they will be asked to look ahead when the January 12 Division III forum focuses on the future of Division III. Attendees will hear how the discussions on the subject have been going in the membership so far. They also will have a chance to hear their colleagues' views on potential changes, including the possibilities of subdivision or major reforms (see related story, page A5.)

The most controversial legislation this year likely will be Proposal Nos. 41 and 41-1, which together represent the efforts of the Management Council and Presidents Council to standardize playing and practice seasons to create a model that is consistent among sports.

The Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has already opposed the legislation (see the comment piece by SAAC member John Galgano in the December 23 issue of The NCAA News), and it appears that many delegates have strong feelings about the proposal one way or the other.

Two other proposals, one from the Division III Presidents Council and one from the University Athletic Association (UAA), will go head-to-head on how changes to Division III's automatic-qualification principles should be implemented. Both proposals seek to revise automatic-qualification principles and enhance championships brackets, though each would do so in a different way.

The Presidents Council-sponsored proposal calls for the establishment of a 1:6.5 access ratio and also provides for equal access in all three pools. (Pool A is for conference champions; Pool B is for independents; and Pool C is for at-large berths.)

The UAA proposal would require that at least 50 percent of the championship field be reserved for at-large berths. That would be a significant step away from the automatic-qualification principles that the division adopted a few years ago, so the discussion is likely to sound familiar and perhaps focus on the merits of automatic qualification.

The business session January 13 will follow the format that has met with success in the past. The morning will be devoted to discussing issues, with the afternoon reserved for votes on specific legislation.

The morning will include an update on the Division III initiatives and on the financial aid audit model. The playing and practice seasons legislation also will be on the agenda, with time set aside for discussion of its merits and possible effects. Championships issues, including an examination of the proposed legislation to expand automatic qualification also is on the agenda.

Speakers during the Division III Initiatives update will include: John Biddiscombe, director of athletics at Wesleyan University (Connecticut) and chair of the Division III Initiatives Task Force; Gary Karner, commissioner of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference; Carol Howe-Veenstra, director of athletics at the College of S. Benedict; T.J. Shelton, assistant athletics director at Washington University (Missouri); and Meg Stevens, Division III SAAC chair and a former student-athlete at State University College at Cortland. Many of the speakers are expected to detail their experiences writing initiatives grant applications and also the benefits of the grants.

Stevens, along with Dewayne Barnes, also a SAAC member and a former student-athlete at Whittier College, will talk about the launch of the Division III Student-Athlete Regional Leadership Conference and display video highlights of the event.

Speakers during the playing and practice seasons discussion will include: Steve Argo, commissioner of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and chair of the Management Council's Playing and Practice Seasons Subcommittee; Connee Zotos, director of athletics at Drew University; and Bob Malekoff, director of athletics at the College of Wooster.

Speakers during the championships issues discussion will include Brad Bankston, chair of the Division III Championships Committee and commissioner of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference; Jaime Fluker, a member of the Division III SAAC and a former student-athlete at Carthage College; and Steve Wallo, director of athletics at Lewis and Clark College.

During the financial aid audit discussion, Kevin LaGree, president of Simpson College and chair of the Division III Financial Aid Audit Task Force, will explain the work of the task force thus far. LaGree also is expected to explain how the audit will operate online via the NCAA Compliance Assistant for the Internet.

Other events of interest