Apr 14, 2010 8:45:09 AM

The Division III Management Council approved noncontroversial legislation on Monday that clarifies how 2010 Convention Proposal No. 5 applies to the nontraditional segment, especially for golf, tennis and rowing.

The proposal, approved by about 80 percent of Division III delegates at the Convention, requires that all practice and competition in the nontraditional segment – whether that is in the fall or the spring – be completed five weekdays before the first day of the final exam period.

Convention delegates in January tried to divide the proposal to exclude golf, tennis and rowing because some schools (especially in climate-challenged regions) conduct many of their competitions for selection purposes in the fall – and the competitions they do conduct in the spring are closer to the end of the semester.

While the proposal to divide failed, the Division III Management Council asked its playing and practice seasons subcommittee to study issues raised by delegates who sought to do so.

The Council reviewed and approved those recommendations on Monday.

Members first approved noncontroversial legislation that eliminates the designation of traditional and nontraditional segments in golf, rowing and tennis in favor of a defined season as follows:

• The fall start date is set as the date that permits a maximum of 16 units in the preseason practice formula before the first scheduled intercollegiate competition. The fall end date is five weekdays before the first day of the fall final exam period.
• The spring start date is January 15, and the end date is the conclusion of the NCAA championship.

The Council also clarified that the five weekday limit applies to any regular exam period (for example, fall semester, winter quarter, spring quarter). That fixes current legislation that allows a quarter-based institution to begin its nontraditional segment during the winter quarter and continue to practice and compete before and during the winter quarter final examination period – which is contrary to the intent of Proposal No. 2010-5.

Finally, members also approved a waiver process for schools that have nontraditional academic calendars. Such waivers could not extend the playing season, however.

The Council agreed that while the original intent and discussion of the proposal at the Convention did not address the effect on final exam periods that do not end the institution's playing season, it is consistent with the proposal's intent to extend its application to any regular final exam period that falls during an institution's nontraditional segment in order to provide student-athletes sufficient time to prepare for final exams for all regular terms.

Other legislative highlights

Also at its April 12-13 meeting, the Division III Management Council:

• Agreed to recommend that the Presidents Council sponsor legislation for the 2011 Convention that would permit student-athletes in individual sports to accept prize money based on place finish or performance in an open athletics event (an event that is not invitation only), provided (1) the competition occurs outside the institution's playing season during the institution's summer vacation period; (2) the prize money does not exceed actual and necessary expenses; and (3) is provided only by the sponsor of the open event.
• Approved in concept noncontroversial legislation that ensures institutions placed on restricted membership status are not subject to revocation of catastrophic-injury insurance. The Council agreed with the Division III Membership Committee's assessment that the financial impact on institutions and student-athletes if the catastrophic-injury insurance were unavailable was significant and overly punitive.