The NCAA Convention gets better every year -- and this time it also gets bigger.

When the membership gathers for its 102nd annual Convention in Nashville, more than 3,000 delegates are expected to be present to do the business of the Association. If pre-registration figures are an accurate predictor, it will be the best-attended Convention since the Association restructured in 1997.

As of January 4, a total of 3,021 individuals had registered, an increase of more than 10 percent from last year. Most of the registrants are from Division III, which will focus its attention on how to manage its growing and increasingly divergent membership.

Division III delegates will have at least three occasions to discuss membership issues – during an Association-wide gathering Saturday, a Division III issues forum Sunday and a breakout during Monday’s Division III business session.

Divisions I and II also will act on matters commanding widespread interest.

For the third consecutive year, Division I will vote on whether to override legislation previously approved through the governance structure. Most attention will focus on a modification to baseball financial aid proposals and a regulation that eliminates text messaging in recruiting. The override votes will take place Saturday.

Division II delegates will consider a proposal that would establish a pilot program to allow Canadian institutions as members. If approved at Monday’s business session, the legislation would make Division II the first NCAA membership division to accept members from outside the United States.