The Division II Women’s Basketball Committee wants to implement the division’s new regionalization plan in the 2007-08 season.

All Division II sports are expected to implement the plan by the 2008-09 academic year, but the Division II Championships Committee has indicated specific sports may request earlier implementation. The women’s basketball committee believes its sport is ready to move forward, and will seek approval from the Championships Committee at that group’s June 26-28 meeting in Boston.

"We looked at it from a broad perspective that it was going to increase opportunities for teams’ competition," said basketball committee Chair Sandy Michael, whose group met May 31 through June 2 in Indianapolis. "We believe this will enhance the schedules of all the teams. We’re looking at this as a positive throughout the country."

Under the plan, the nation will be divided into eight regions. All members of a conference will fall within the same region, and all in-state games will count as in-region, as would contests against opponents in contiguous states.

One of the main concepts of the plan is to eliminate situations that require some institutions to travel across out-of-region states to play a game against an in-region opponent.

Michael, the athletics director at Holy Family College, offered an example of how the plan will affect institutions throughout the country.

"Just speaking for the Northeast region, we had schools 20 miles away from us, and they weren’t considered regional games in the past," Michael said. "With this plan, we can play in our backyard. This will allow teams to play opponents closer to their institution because they are within the state."

Michael said the regionalization plan also should promote student-athlete well-being, reducing missed class time due to the shorter road trips.

"We really have to consider that factor," Michael said. "Student-athlete well-being is one aspect we try to emphasize in Division II."

In other action, the committee recommended another element to the strength-of-schedule formula. For the upcoming season, an institution’s opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage will be factored into the selection criteria, pending approval from the Championships Committee. In the past, the strength of schedule only included an institution’s opponents’ winning percentage.

"That will be used to look behind everyone’s schedule to see what their opponents are doing," Michael said. "If we really want to compare numbers (for championship selection purposes), it is really best to know who your opponents are playing. We feel this will give a clearer picture."