After eventful years that have seen expansion to a 64-team field, introduction of super regionals and a new format for the College World Series, the Division I Baseball Committee is now focusing on further enhancement of the championship experience.

The committee held preliminary discussions during its July 26-29 meeting in San Francisco about possible expectations for hosts of future regional or super-regional competition.

Committee members noted improvements through the years that have enhanced the experience for participating teams and fans at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, site of the College World Series, and expressed interest in achieving a similar experience at other Division I Baseball Championship venues.

Among enhancements the committee may pursue in coming years are improved facility lighting and field maintenance, access to Internet communication, enhanced facilities for teams and fans (such as restrooms), and larger press boxes.

The committee agreed to draft a letter linking long-range plans for the championship with desirable facility enhancements for review at its November meeting. The proposed letter would be sent to personnel at Division I institutions that sponsor baseball, including athletics directors and tournament managers.

The committee, noting negotiations for renewal of the current contract with College World Series of Omaha, Inc., also continues to consider desired improvements at Rosenblatt Stadium.

In other actions potentially affecting the championships experience, the committee devoted significant time during its meeting to reviewing policies and procedures for conducting the Division I championship, including such aspects as procedures for postgame presentation of awards.

The committee will continue to consider any appropriate changes of policies and procedures and work toward implementing them for the 2005 championship.

The committee also:

• Recommended to the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet that terms of baseball committee members be lengthened from four to five years, and also recommended that a minimum of two Division I head baseball coaches serve on the committee.

• Noted that the Baseball Rules Committee is discussing uses of communication equipment that might give a team an unfair advantage in competition (see the rules committee story on page 7), and proposed possible penalties for violation of a rule prohibiting the use of such equipment, including suspension of a team's head coach and disqualification from postseason competition.

• Recommended to the Championships/Competition Cabinet that the NCAA discontinue certifying summer baseball leagues, noting that recent deregulation of amateurism legislation in Division I has eliminated the reason for certification.