The Division II Men’s and Women’s Tennis Committees spent most of their annual meeting July 10-13 in Indianapolis crafting a recommendation to modify the format of the postseason tournaments.

Currently, the men’s and women’s championships tournament structures distribute 64 teams among 16 sites. As part of the proposed change, 16 teams would compete at each of four super regional sites. While the change affects both the men’s and women’s tournaments, super regional sites may not necessarily host combined men’s and women’s competition. If approved by the NCAA Division II Championships Committee, the move will align the sport with the 2008-09 regionalization model.

Unlike the current championships structures in which higher-seeded teams earn the chance to host early rounds, each super regional site would be predetermined at least a year in advance. With about three to four conferences grouped in each region, the thought is that conferences could rotate hosting responsibilities to help offset expenses.

The committees believe that overall the change will be good for the sport and positively affect the student-athletes’ championships experience. With at least a year to plan, super regional hosts will have more time to generate excitement about the championships. It also gives the NCAA, which has committed resources to enhancing the championships atmosphere, additional time. Teams will benefit from having more time to plan for and anticipate possible championships-related expenses such as travel and lodging, which is key considering that schools are reimbursed only for per diem, not travel.

In other actions, the committees voted to require schools to submit scores online in an effort to encourage schools’ accountability. Institutions that fail to do so would be fined. Under the current system, committee members have taken the responsibility of gathering information from nonreporting institutions.

The committees also reviewed and made minor changes to selection criteria.