National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

back to 2010 | Back to NCAA News Archive Index

Apr 14, 2010 1:35:05 PM

The Division II Management Council began the important task of determining what Phase II of the division's Life in the Balance initiative will look like when it met Monday and Tuesday in Indianapolis.

"We're moving forward and we're keeping our options open," said Management Council chair Kathleen Brasfield, director of athletics at Angelo State. "I want to emphasize that just because we're looking at these issues doesn't mean we plan to recommend reductions. We want to act in the best interest of Division II student-athletes and in the competitive interest of Division II sports."

In fact, little (if any) of the Council's discussion at its spring meeting pointed toward reductions.

The Council divided its Phase II examination into several areas:

Annual and discretionary exemptions (for example, alumni meets, conference championships, scrimmages). 

Many Council members seemed to prefer no change in this area, although there was some sentiment for maintaining some annual exemptions (for example, conference championship, season-ending tournament, independents championship, contests against members schools in Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico),  but combining the remaining annual exemptions with the current discretionary list and increasing the number of discretionary exemptions from three to four.

Nonchampionship segment (24 practice or contest/dates of competition in a 45-day period). 

While Council members agreed that the overall 24/45 approach is sound, they did have different views on particular sports, especially on whether to add four permissible nonchampionship-segment dates of competition in baseball and softball (some members thought two dates of competition might be more appropriate).

Some believed that the addition of the dates would essentially, and prematurely, give back contests that were reduced in the Phase I legislation. Others, however, noted that no class time can be missed during nonchampionship-segment competition and practice. Overall, Council members believed further discussion was warranted on whether dates of competition should be added to the nonchampionship segment for baseball and softball since many fall sports are permitted a set number of contests in their nonchampionship segment.

 In this area, Council members also wanted to see further review of how seasons-of-competition rules are applied. Some sports (for example, men's lacrosse, baseball and softball) require that student-athletes participating in contests in the nonchampionship segment be charged a season of competition while other sports (for example, volleyball and soccer) do not. A review of this issue for all spring sports will be initiated.

For spring sports, the Council seemed to agree on a nonchampionship-segment start date of September 7 or the fourth day of classes (whichever comes first), but it agreed further review of the impact of this change is needed.

There was less agreement on a proposed start date for the nonchampionship segment for winter sports. Some preferred an absolute date of September 15 while others wanted September 7 or the  fourth day of classes, whichever is earlier. Others suggested September 15 or the first day of classes, whichever is later. Members noted that schedules for schools on the quarter system may need to be addressed separately.

20/8-hour rule, skill instruction and counting contests.

The Council strongly supported a concept to create a table of countable athletically related activities that would be included as a figure in the Division II Manual. The Council requested to see what would be included on either table (what is and what is not considered a countable athletically related activity) to determine whether any amendments are necessary.

Council members also discussed skill instruction at length. Initial discussions included permitting basketball to use two of the eight hours allowed per week in the out-of-season segment to be full practice or skill instruction (as determined by the institution) during the out-of-season segment between September 7 and October 15. The two of the eight hours in the out-of-the-season segment after the basketball championships would remain for skill instruction only.

For sports other than basketball, the Council appeared to prefer allowing two of the eight hours a week to be used for practice or skill instruction.

The Council also reviewed the winter-break "dead period" that was established in Phase I. The consensus appeared to be to leave the seven-day dead period as adopted at the 2010 Convention, which establishes December 20-26 as the dead period for all Division II schools, and to see how it works before proposing changes. However, the Council agreed to continue discussions that would permit some institutional discretion. The concept being considered would establish a dead period determined by the institution but would require a seven-consecutive-day period that includes December 24, 25 and 26. The Council's thoughts will be forwarded to the Division II Presidents Council, which will meet April 29.

No matter the outcomes of that discussion, Brasfield emphasized that the Phase II examination is still in the early stages.

"It's important for us to get feedback," she said. "Nothing has been decided, and everything is still on the table."

Individuals with ideas are encouraged to submit them through e-mail at lifeinthebalance@ncaa.org. E-mails to that address should be for ideas only and not for questions that request a response.

Other highlights

In other action at its spring meeting in Indianapolis, the Division II Management Council:

• Recommended that the Presidents Council sponsor legislation for the 2011 Convention that would give the Membership Committee authority to audit the results and action plans of an institution's completed Institutional Self-Study Guide and the information contained in an institution's minimum financial aid report and minimum sports-sponsorship report. Some reports could be audited for cause, such as late submission, although the legislation also would give the Membership Committee authority to audit up to 10 percent of all active member institutions in a given year. The Council also supported a proposal from the Membership Committee for consideration by the Presidents Council to exempt contests played by non-Canadian institutions in Canada. In addition, the Council agreed to recommend legislation that would give the Membership Committee authority to place an institution in restricted-membership status if it provided false information that would have affected its advancement in membership status.
• Agreed to recommend sponsorship of legislation from the Legislation Committee that would permit prospective student-athletes to take an unlimited number of official visits to Division II institutions, with no more than one official visit permitted to any single institution.
• Agreed to recommend sponsorship of legislation that would amend Bylaw 19.5.1 to provide an overview of the infractions penalty structure and that would explain how the Committee on Infractions should determine appropriate penalties.
• Approved a set guidelines from the Committee for Legislative Relief for relief of Bylaw 14.2.4.2 (participation in organized competition prior to initial collegiate enrollment).
• Expressed appreciation for the service of Karen Soto, who had to leave the Management Council because of a change in her role at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez.