The Division I Women's Golf Committee focused on two primary issues during its recent annual meeting: growth of and access to the championship.

Committee members want to grow the postseason in part just to keep up with increased sponsorship, and they also want to make sure that access is as equitable as possible. In the last five years, 35 Division I institutions have added women's golf teams, for a total sponsorship of 228 schools. Though a sports committee can't advocate for bracket growth until it is invited to do so by the Championships/Competition Cabinet, the women's golf committee thinks the sport's sponsorship spurt warrants consideration.

Currently, 21 teams compete at three regionals, from which a total of 24 teams and three individuals advance to the championship tournament. Committee members believe there's room for growth at the regional level, since logistically, the 24-team format at nationals works so well.

The pairings for the 21-team regional field in fact leave enough open tee times for the committee to accommodate an additional three teams and three individuals.

Regardless of whether the committee can expand the bracket, though, the growth has caused the group to study how it manages competitive equity among regions. The committee was beginning its focus on such realignment issues even before the Championships/
Competition Cabinet asked all sports committees to consider the matter because of the many conference realignments in the past three years.

Some committee members believe the infusion of new teams in women's golf has exacerbated an already overloaded East region. While no decisions were made at the committee's June 6-9 meeting in Boston, the group scheduled two conference calls later this summer to reach a conclusion before the Championships/Competition Cabinet's September meeting. That is a budget-review meeting for the cabinet, and the golf committee wants to be prepared in case its recommendations carry a financial impact.

Among alternatives would be to significantly realign the current regions, or possibly establish a fourth. The latter option, though, would require either a fourth regional to be funded or to change the way teams qualify under the current three-regional format. Retaining the status quo also would be an option, though because the group is committed to studying the realignment issue in a big-picture context, some changes likely are forthcoming.

In other action at the committee's annual meeting, members praised the increased television coverage for the 2005 championship at Sunriver, Oregon. The Golf Channel broadcast the final three rounds live, which prompted plenty of positive feedback from coaches, administrators and athletes alike.

Committee members also were pleased with the way tournament host Oregon State University administered the event.

The 2006 championships will be at Ohio State University's Scarlet Course.