The Division III Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Committee talked about the possibility of an expanded championship field during its annual meeting July 27-28 in Indianapolis.

The committee noted that the most recent available data regarding the participation ratio (2003-04) for women's swimming and diving was 1:19.2. Committee members also noted that in 1992, the Division III Championships Committee directed the group to move to a ratio of 1:16. Since then, 55 institutions have added the sport, and 1,352 additional participants are competing.

The current field sizes for the swimming championships are 225 participants for the men's championship and 232 for women. The swimming and diving committee supports increasing the cap size for the women's meet due to the increase in participation numbers.

Committee members also cited as a reason for growth situations in which swimmers who have met a "B" time standard in a particular event are left out of the meet because swimmers who have qualified in another event are filling those slots instead.

In Division III, participants who have qualified in one event may compete in up to three total events, regardless of whether they have met the time standard in the other events. That is not the case in other divisions. In Division I, for example, swimmers must have met at least a "B" time standard in each event they race.

The committee also decided at its meeting to survey the membership about a possible combined men's and women's championships beginning no earlier than 2008. The 2006 championships already are set at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (hosted by Carleton College), and the 2007 championships will be at Houston (hosted by the University of Houston and the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority).

The committee also is seeking membership input on whether to change how divers qualify for the championships. Members are considering whether to stipulate that for diving scores to be considered for qualifying standards, a total of three judges must score the meet rather than two. The common practice is for both coaches at a dual meet to judge the diving competition. Committee members believe that requiring a third, impartial judge would improve the integrity of the scoring process. The group has asked that the issue be included on the next survey of possible rules changes.

In addition, the committee discussed the current policy regarding deck passes, which requires coaches, official representatives, assistant coaches and managers to pay a fee to receive a deck pass. The committee believes that members of an institution's official travel party should not be required to pay a fee for deck passes, and an institution should be permitted to purchase additional deck passes for $5 based on the number of competitors from the institution.

Thus, the committee unanimously approved the following fee structure: An institution with one to eight competitors will receive one free deck pass and may purchase two additional passes. An institution with nine or more competitors will receive two free deck passes and may purchase four additional passes. If an institution qualifies at least one swimmer and also a diver, the institution will receive an additional deck pass for a second coach at no cost.

In other actions, the committee:

• Voted to require championships hosts beginning in 2006 to use electronic take-off pads (if available).

• Encouraged institutional personnel to consider the appropriateness of team slogans or other messages printed on banners displayed at and/or apparel worn during the championships.

• Determined that female divers could perform either 10- or 11-dive rotations on the one-meter board to qualify for the championships. Members also agreed that beginning with the 2006 championships, female divers would perform 11 dives on the one-meter board, rather than 10 as previosuly required.

• Formalized the time period during which challenges may be made to qualifying standards to 75 hours after the psyche sheet is posted.