Jul 28, 2010 8:34:31 AM

The NCAA Division III Women's Golf Committee at its recent meeting recommended that the access ratio for the sport be modified from 1:7.5 to 1:7 beginning with the 2011 championship.

This proposal must be approved by the Division III Championships Committee before it can be implemented.

Women's golf committee members believe the change provides for a more competitive field, since it would facilitate 19 participating teams rather than the 18 currently participating under the 1:7.5 ratio.

"(Not changing the ratio) means that five fewer players would have access to the championship," said Mike Wagner, committee chair and associate athletics director at Illinois Wesleyan. "If possible, we definitely want to avoid that."

The committee is also recommending that three additional individuals be selected to play at the finals site. Currently, the committee selects only six individuals not associated with teams already chosen to compete in the Division III Women's Golf Championships.

Committee members believe that the three additional individuals would increase the competitiveness and integrity of the field.

"These changes wouldn't affect the budget, either," Wagner said. "We initially budgeted for 20 teams and 11 individuals. The individual number is not set in stone. The individuals are not affected by the access ratio at all. If we get those extra numbers, we give three more student-athletes the opportunity to compete for a championship."

Wagner said the committee struggled selecting the six individuals for the 2010 championship because of the high quality of players available.