Responding to requests for further review of recent issues, the Division III Championships Committee discussed an initiative to help institutions meet in-region competition requirements during its June 26-28 meeting in Indianapolis. Committee members also continued a study of current legislation requiring championship accommodations for religious reasons.

The committee, responding to an April request by the Division III Management Council, discussed details of a plan to permit teams to count any contest played during an institutional break -- such as a semester or spring break -- as in-region competition. The Council approved the plan that would count such games as in-region contests regardless of where they are played or whether the teams are from different regions, but asked the committee to discuss further such details as the appropriate length of the break.

In response, the committee preliminarily agreed that a break should be a minimum of four days and a maximum of seven days in length, and also discussed other criteria that chairs of Division III sports committees will be asked to comment on during the Championships Committee's September meeting.

The committee is continuing to work toward implementing the provision in 2006-07.

It also resumed its discussion of concerns about legislation that currently requires accommodation of institutions with written policies against competition on a particular day for religious reasons. The discussion has focused on the growing difficulty under the requirement of minimizing missed class time and selecting hosts for championships.

The committee reported those concerns in April to the Management Council, which responded by asking the committee to compile all information pertinent to the issue -- including data on missed class time, attendance for Friday-Saturday championships compared to Saturday-Sunday events, and difficulties encountered with staffing day contests on Fridays.

The committee is continuing to compile that information, and indicated that it wishes to submit its findings to the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for review before ultimately presenting a recommendation to the Management Council in October.

The committee also reviewed reports from the Division III Women's Golf and Women's Tennis Committees regarding the possibility of scheduling championships in those sports during the fall, rather than spring, and of adopting traditional and nontraditional segments. Those sports' committees, after a review of those questions, reported that they prefer to maintain spring championships and also maintain the current practice of permitting institutions to schedule competition through the entire academic year.

In response, the Championships Committee asked the Management Council for permission to survey the membership, and also agreed to request feedback from the Council and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

The proposed survey also would seek reaction to a proposal by the NCAA Women's Volleyball Rules Committee to require a minimum overhead clearance for volleyball courts of 25 feet. The Championships Committee, noting that the rule could prevent institutions that are unable to comply from hosting the Division III Women's Volleyball Championship, is seeking to determine how many institutions would be affected by the rule.

The committee also took steps toward preparing championships budget recommendations for the 2006-08 budget cycle. The committee will compile recommendations for that period during its September meeting.

Members reviewed and confirmed previously listed budget priorities, including (in no particular order) team per diem; officials' fees and per diem; increases in travel parties for baseball, men's and women's basketball, and women's rowing (to permit five nonstudent-athletes); increases in travel parties for individual/team sports in the number of nonstudent-athletes; and participant awards.

They also considered budget reallocations for 2005-06, agreeing to recommend providing per diem in selected individual/team championships for student-athletes on days when they are present at the event site but are not competing in the championship.

The change in per diem policy can be accommodated within existing championships budget allocations.

The committee also agreed in concept to change the process of how institutions will be reimbursed during 2005-06 for ground transportation, but will study details further before forwarding a recommendation to the Management Council.

The committee also approved modifications in the formats of the Division III Men's and Women's Soccer Championships and Division III Women's Basketball Championship that seek to reduce the number of midweek games in those events, thus reducing missed class time.

Modifications submitted by the Division III Men's and Women's Soccer Committees will accommodate bracket expansion at this fall's championships to 60 teams in the women's championship and to 56 teams in the men's championship.

The women's event will feature first- and second-round games at 16 sites, including three-team formats at four sites and four-team formats at the other 12 sites. Eight teams will play a Wednesday first-round game at the three-team sites, and the four winners will advance to Saturday second-round games at the same sites against teams that will receive a first-round bye. The 48 teams at the four-team sites will play first-round games on Friday and second-round games on Saturday. Sectionals and finals will be conducted on subsequent weekends.

The men's championship will employ a similar system, with three-team formats at eight sites and four-team formats at eight sites. Sixteen teams will play first-round games on Wednesday, with the eight winners advancing to Saturday games against bye teams. The 32 teams at the four-team sites will play first-round games on Friday and second-round games on Saturday.

Committee members also approved a similar modification in the Division III Women's Basketball Championship, which will expand to 63 teams in 2006.

Two teams will play a Wednesday first-round game in that championship, and the winner will advance to a second-round Saturday game against a team that receiving a first-round bye. The other 60 teams will play first-round Friday games, with winners advancing to second-round Saturday games. Sectionals and finals will be conducted on subsequent weekends.

In a related action, the Championships Committee asked the Division III Men's Basketball Committee to consider a similar format for the men's championship.

Other highlights

Division III Championships Committee
June 26-28/Indianapolis

• Agreed to involve Division III conference offices in selection of members of Division III sports committees' regional advisory committees. Nominations will be solicited from conferences for consideration by the national committee as vacancies occur on an advisory committee.

• Recommended to the Division III Management Council sites for the 2006 Division III Outdoor Men's and Women's Track and Field Championships, the 2006 Division III Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships, and the 2007 Division III Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships. The committee recommended Benedictine University and the Lisle (Illinois) Convention and Visitor's Bureau as host for the outdoor track and field championships, Wilmington College (Ohio) as host for the cross country championships, and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology as host for the indoor championships.

• Recommended that William Smith College host for the 2006 Division III Field Hockey Championship at McCooey Memorial Field in Geneva, New York.

• Recommended that Illinois Wesleyan University serve as host for the 2007 and 2008 Division III Women's Volleyball Championships.