The NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Committees continue to consider the option of a joint championship, similar to the men’s lacrosse championships, which involve all three divisions at the same location on the same weekend. Currently, the women’s championships are on three different weekends in three different locations.

The topic was among agenda items when the committees met jointly in Indianapolis June 19-22.

Though no immediate changes were made, the Division III committee plans to survey coaches about the current date formula for the finals. The committee specifically wants feedback on moving the first-round games (typically conducted on Wednesday) to the weekend before, or moving those first-round games to the next weekend and consequently pushing the championship one week later to the Memorial Day weekend.

Both the Divisions I and II committees also agreed to keep the idea of a joint championship on the table.

The three committees also conducted separate meetings to address division-specific items.

Division I

The Division I committee is recommending slight selection-criteria adjustments to the Championships/Competition Cabinet. Among the rec- ommendations are a requirement that teams have a .500 or better record to receive an at-large bid. Also, when comparing two teams, the committee no longer wants the winning-percentage variable to have to be greater than 5 percent for that factor to be considered.

Also at the championship, host institutions will be asked to provide both halftime and final statistics to the coaching staffs of both teams, preferably through a computerized program.

The committee also approved the following conferences to receive automatic bids for the 2007 championship: America East Conference, American Lacrosse Conference, Atlantic 10 Conference, Big East Conference, Colonial Athletic Association, Ivy Group and Patriot League. The play-in game will pair a Northeast Conference team against a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference team.

In addition, the committee adopted the 10-goal differential for use throughout the championship. The differential already is used during regular-season competition.

The committee also wants to hire a national coordinator of officials. Members hope that the person selected will be involved in an officials’ improvement program and help identify points of emphasis.

Committee members also intend to begin surveying the Division I membership annually about future discussion topics.

The committee elected Sue Groff, associate director for internal affairs and senior woman administrator at the University of Delaware, as the new chair.

Division II

Division II committee members discussed the move to regionalization in 2008-09. Regionalization brings few changes to women’s lacrosse, the most visible being the incorporation of several regions to make up the North and South regions. The change would have institutions from the Central, Midwest, Southeast and Atlantic in the South region and East teams in the North.

Committee members also encouraged the Division II Championships Committee to consider bracket expansion. The event currently provides for a four-team field, and committee members would like to see a larger proportion of teams have an opportunity to participate. Women’s lacrosse has the highest ratio of sport sponsorship to championship bracket size of any Division II team sport. The women’s lacrosse ratio is 7:75, while the average for all women’s sports is 4:77.

The committee also wants to align its championship dates with those of the other divisions. Members believe the change would reduce the conflict that often occurs with graduation ceremonies and would facilitate participation in the Division II spring sports festivals. Women’s lacrosse will be among the sports included in the 2008 festival in Houston. The Division II Championships Committee must approve the request.

In other action, the lacrosse committee noted that bid information for the 2009 championship will be available this fall.

Division III

The Division III committee supported a recent Division III Championships Committee decision to add opponents’ winning percentage and the winning percentage of opponents’ opponents to the selection criteria in 2007-08.

The committee also agreed to relax the deadline for online score reporting from noon to 3 p.m. on Mondays to give schools more time to enter their results.

The Division III committee reviewed the championship structure and will make no changes for the 2007 championship. Pool allocations for the 24-bracket championship will be determined in September.

The committee agreed to approve the following 15 conferences for automatic qualification: Capital Athletic Conference; Centennial Conference; Commonwealth Coast Conference; Empire 8; Little East Conference; Middle Atlantic States Conference; New England Small College Athletic Conference; New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference; New England Women’s Lacrosse Alliance; North Coast Athletic Conference; Old Dominion Athletic Conference; Pennsylvania Athletic Conference; State University of New York Athletic Conference; Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association/Liberty League; USA South Athletic Conference.

The committee also will solicit bids for the 2008 championship this fall.

In other highlights, the committee adopted the 10-goal differential for use throughout the championship.