National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

March 3, 1997

II women's volleyball seeks changes in championships scheduling, format

The NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Committee made several recommendations regarding future championships during its annual meeting February 11-14 in Kansas City, Missouri.

The committee will recommend to the NCAA Executive Committee that for the 1997 championship, the finals be conducted Friday through Sunday, December 5-7, on the campus of a participating institution. Previously, the championship finals have been Saturday through Monday.

The committee also voted to maintain the third-place match for the 1997 championship but agreed to survey the membership regarding the possible elimination of the third-place match for the 1998 championship.

The committee also will recommend to the Executive Committee that the 1998 championship finals be held December 4-6 at the Kissimmee Civic Center in Orlando, Florida. The Orlando Sports Commission and the Sunshine State Conference would cohost the event.

In other actions, the committee discussed issues related to realignment resulting from the number of NAIA schools poised to enter Division II. The committee agreed to survey the membership this year regarding the possible movement of schools between regions in order to achieve a greater balance of regional strength and sponsorship.

The committee also addressed an issue regarding the length of the playing season in the years 1998, 1999 and 2000, when September 1 will not fall on a Saturday, Sunday or Monday. The American Volleyball Coaches Association had asked the committee to study the possibility of moving the championship back one week to accommodate the change in the calendar.

The committee, however, noted that the NCAA Division II Steering Committee had asked the national office staff to develop noncontroversial legislation that would eliminate "open dates" during the regular season due to a conflict with the calendar change and the established championship selection dates. Such legislation would apply to other fall sports in addition to volleyball.

Other highlights

Division II Women's Volleyball Committee
February 11-14/Kansas City, Missouri

Recommended an increase in officials' fees as follows: regionals -- $125 for referees and $50 each for alternate referee, official scorer and lines judges; finals -- $700 flat fee for referees and $50 each for official scorer and lines judges.

Recommended that the regional host videotape the regional final and send a copy of the tape via overnight delivery to the regional winner's quarterfinal opponent.

Required that all regional sites provide a guarantee of $2,000, which is comparable to 75 percent of the net receipts.

Stipulated that for site selection, if the minimum guarantee is met and all the selection criteria are equal, the higher seed may not necessarily host if there is a significant difference in revenue potential and attendance history.

Recommended that the NCAA Division II Championships Committee pay for new Division II volleyball committee members to attend the meeting as nonvoting members the year before their terms officially begin.