The Division III Men's and Women's Soccer Committees focused on future-site selection and formats to accommodate bracket expansion during their annual meetings February 8-11 in Tampa, Florida.

The committees recommended that Greensboro, North Carolina, again be the site for the 2005 men's and women's championships, with Greensboro College and the city of Greensboro serving as hosts. For 2006 and 2007, the committees recommended that Orlando, Florida, be designated as the championships site. Because there are no Division III institutions in Florida, the committees recommended that the Walt Disney World Resort and Division II's Sunshine State Conference host the finals.

The Division III Championships Committee approved those sites during its February meeting, though the Division III Management Council still must approve the recommendations before they become final.

The 2004 championships in Greensboro represented the first time in Division III soccer history that both finals had been conducted concurrently at a predetermined site. Committee members took time during their meetings to praise the championship hosts, particularly the athletics administrators at Greensboro College, for making the first combined championship a positive experience for the eight participating teams. The committees noted that field conditions were exemplary despite three days of rain before the first set of semifinals. Members also applauded the hosts' handling of logistics, from practice schedules to lodging accommodations.

Committee members also studied championship format proposals to accommodate future bracket expansion, as requested by the Championships Committee. Under the recent championship bracket philosophy adopted by Division III, the women's soccer bracket is projected to increase from 45 to 60 teams in 2005, while the men's bracket is projected to grow from 44 to 56 teams. In anticipation of that expansion, the committees developed formats to handle the larger number of games.

The women's committee proposed a first-round/second-round/sectionals/finals format calling for 28 games to be played the Wednesday after selections, followed by second-round games that weekend. Sectionals would be played the next weekend, followed by the semifinals and final the weekend after that in Greensboro. With a 60-team bracket, four teams would have first-round byes.

Though the women's committee approved that proposal, members also discussed the possibility of an alternative format that would decrease the number of first-round games conducted on Wednesday as a way to reduce the amount of missed class time. Such a scenario would call for four first-round games on Wednesday, with the remainder of first-round games played on the following Saturday. The four bye teams would play the winners of the four Wednesday games on Sunday, along with the remaining second-round matchups. Sectionals and finals would be conducted on subsequent weekends.

The men's committee discussed similar proposals, though the number of first-round bye teams would be eight in a 56-team bracket.

Committee members believe that with the steady growth of soccer programs in Division III, it won't be long before sponsorship levels reach a point at which a 64-team bracket will be standard for both men and women. In that situation, the committees would advocate for the three-consecutive-weekend approach for the championship format. Thus, the committees believe that the alternative format discussed above works toward the preferred model and is the least intrusive on class time for the current field size.

In addition to future sites and championship formats, the men's and women's soccer committees also discussed realignment issues with an eye toward making regions as similar in number as possible for both men and women. Committee members noted that the current regional alignment prompts cases in which schools' men's and women's teams are in different regions, and other cases in which one region is populated by as many as 20 or 25 more teams than another.

The committees appointed a subcommittee to study alternative models, seek membership feedback and prepare a final recommendation for the Division III Championships Committee's review, perhaps as early as June. Members noted, though, that the earliest a modified regional alignment could be implemented would be for the 2006 or 2007 season.

Other highlights

Division III Men's and Women's Soccer Committees
February 8-11/Tampa, Florida

• Agreed that in cases in which an institution's men's and women's teams were participating in any four-team first/second-round or sectional tournaments, that institution could not host both events.

• The men's committee voted to allow live scouting during all rounds of the championship (the women's committee already allows this practice).

• Agreed to retain game times for the semifinals and finals as follows: women's semifinals -- 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. November 25; men's semifinals -- 5 and 7:30 p.m. November 25; women's final -- 1 p.m. November 26; men's final -- 5 p.m. November 26.

• The women's committee voted to use the international style of player introductions for the championship game (the men's committee already uses this practice).

• Recommended a change in the allocation of bench credentials for Division III Championships Committee review. The proposal would allow for 32 bench credentials (two for medical personnel per recommendation from the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports). The proposal allows teams to have up to 29 players practice during pregame warm-ups, but only 22 of those players would be eligible to participate in games.

• Agreed to solicit bids for the 2008 and 2009 championship finals during the 2006 annual meeting.

• Approved automatic-qualifying conferences for the 2005 championships.