The Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Committees are considering a one-day delay in the start of both the men’s and women’s championships.

At their meeting last month in Indianapolis, the committees noted an increase in the number of conference tournaments decided on Sunday and agreed that the championships might be better served by starting them on Thursday during the second week of November (rather than on Wednesday). In turn, second-round games would be played Sunday instead of Saturday.

Currently, the committees begin the tournament selection process the afternoon of the first Sunday in November. Pushing back the tournament would allow the committees to make their selections over a two-day period instead of working into the early morning hours on Monday. Additionally, tournament selections would then been announced on Monday instead of through an early morning posting on NCAASports.com.

In other discussion, both soccer committees raised concerns about the budgetary process for preliminary-round sites. As it presently stands, early round hosts are reimbursed for incurred expenses and the NCAA collects ticket revenues to offset its costs. Instead of reimbursement, stipends would be provided to institutions before the tournament and would make hosts more financially responsible. If stipends are used, host institutions would be permitted to keep revenue generated from ticket sales. 

Committee liaisons will spend the next few months researching data on the budgetary process and will report back to committee members, who will then decide whether to make a formal recommendation to the Division III Championships Committee.

The committees also want to employ a more effective evaluation process for preliminary-round sites. Both groups proposed having the committees’ regional representatives host conference calls before and after the games to discuss issues that arise. Presently, preliminary-round feedback isn’t addressed until the committees’ February meetings.

Other discussion centered on a streamlined process for selection of officials for tournament games. The committees would work in conjunction with the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association to help minimize familiarity between officials and tournament teams. The process would also allow the most skilled and experienced officials to work the games.

Both the men’s and women’s championships will be conducted at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando for a second straight year next fall. To provide student-athletes with extra rest, both championship games will begin one hour later. The women’s final will be at 2 p.m. on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and the men will play at 6 p.m.

While the 2007 venue will stay the same, both committees elected to change lodging for the teams. Instead of staying at the Walt Disney World Port Orleans French Quarter, teams will move to the Walt Disney World Coronado Springs resort because of its proximity to the fields.

At last year’s championship, about 40 student-athletes from the eight teams participated in a community-service initiative with the Salvation Army. The committees agreed to explore greater community-service opportunities for this year’s championships to provide more student-athletes with a chance to participate.

Heather Somers (Randolph-Macon Woman’s College) finished her term of service to the women’s committee, while Adam Hertz (Swarthmore College) and Horst Richardson (Colorado College) rotated off the men’s committee.