Apr 15, 2010 8:26:26 AM

The Division III Management Council discussed uses for a couple of additional revenue lines in its review of the biennial budget for 2010-11 and 2011-12, one gained through reallocation and another through a shift in programming.

The $150,000 reallocation had been designated for ArbiterSports, an online officiating-management and education system for men's and women's basketball, football, baseball and softball. Division III's allocation was to help defray registration fees for officials (as a way to encourage participation), but the ArbiterSports board voted earlier this spring to discontinue the subsidy arrangement.

While the Division III Management Council identified several ongoing initiatives that could benefit from new-found dollars, members kept coming back to officiating improvement, since that drove the original allocation.

However, members weren't sure of the specific approach. Some suggested additional allocations through the conference grant program, but others thought those funds might be applied inconsistently.

In the end, the Council agreed to earmark the $150,000 for officiating improvement and decide on a more detailed allocation at its summer meeting, following feedback from the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee.

The Management Council also talked about an $80,000 allocation gained when the NCAA and Division III opted to change the format for regional leadership conferences. Beginning this year, the previous format of several divisional regional conferences is being replaced by one "super-regional" conference in which student-athletes from all three NCAA divisions participate.

Council members agreed to earmark the $80,000 for campus-based leadership programming allocated through grants.

Other budget items approved for 20This portlet is temporarily disabled.