National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

May 4, 1998

Division III presidents turn down 'bowl' plan

The Division III Presidents Council defeated a Management Council recommendation to expand the football postseason by adding bowl games.

The Management Council had recommended retaining the 16-team national-championship format while adding the opportunity for eight teams to play in four bowl games.

The Presidents Council voted during its April 21 meeting in Indianapolis to retain the current football championship structure for the 1998-99 season, while indicating that it would be open to other options in the future.

Several Presidents Council members indicated that they wanted those options to be presented with serious consideration given to two competing philosophical principles in Division III: increased access to postseason opportunities and emphasis on conference and in-season regional play.

The Presidents Council agreed that the bowl concept was not a suitable compromise since it did not adequately address these issues. The Council indicated that it would consider a future proposal for a 24-team championship once the relevant committees had had a chance to discuss the logistics of how such a championship might be accommodated in relationship to the rest of the season and once the membership had an opportunity for greater input.

The Presidents Council also expressed concern that the Division III Football and Championships Committees had forwarded recommendations prior to having access to comments received from chief executive officers regarding the 24-team, five-week option.

Championship selection principles

In another action, the Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's request that the Championships Committee provide additional data regarding championship selection principles for the membership to review.

The Presidents Council also approved a proposed process and timeline for revisions to Bylaw 31.

This timeline includes an article in The NCAA News and a mailing in May from the Presidents Council to all Division III chief executive officers, with copies to campus and conference administrators.

The letter will include an update of the automatic-qualification issue and emphasize the process related to resolving the issue, including the issue of membership vote. The letter will also encourage the discussion of the automatic-qualification issue during the spring and summer conference meetings.

In early July, the Championships Committee will review any additional feedback and finalize its recommendations related to automatic qualification, including identification of necessary legislative changes to Bylaw 31.

In late July, the Management Council will review the Championships Committee's final recommendations on the issue. In August, the President Council will review the Management Council's recommendations. The Presidents Council has the final authority to sponsor legislative amendments to Bylaw 31.

In the fall of 1998, it is likely that a survey related to the final automatic-qualification recommendations will be taken. This survey will focus on chief executive officer input prior to the convention.

The Division III membership will vote on the final recommendations at the 1999 Convention.

In another action, the Presidents Council approved a package of recommendations from the Division III Membership Committee and the Management Council regarding provisional members.

The Presidents Council approved a nonrefundable $2,500 application fee for new provisional members, and the Council also agreed to sponsor legislation that would preclude a provisional member from awarding athletically related financial aid to incoming students during the institution's second year of provisional membership.

The Presidents Council also approved the revised Institutional Self-Study Guide (ISSG) for use during the 1998-99 academic year, and it approved the educational plan designed to educate new provisional members during their four years of provisional membership.

In another action, the Presidents Council reviewed the Division III strategic plan and endorsed the concept of simplified and concise communication with chief executive officers with an emphasis on ways to decrease the amount of paper involved and increase the use of technology.

'Score card concept'

The Presidents Council also endorsed the "score card" concept recommended by the Management Council to track committee progress toward issues identified in the strategic plan. The Presidents Council will see the first score cards at its August meeting.

The Presidents Council also approved the Management Council's recommendation to create a planning reserve to address issues related to the plan that come up later in the budgetary cycle.

The Presidents Council directed the Division III Strategic Planning Subcommittee to review priority No. 5 (diversity) and recommend specific committees that should be charged with action related to that priority.

Other highlights

Division III Presidents Council

April 21/Indianapolis

Endorsed the Division III Management Council's recommendation to refer a statement by the NCAA Olympic Sports Liaison Committee regarding the dropping of men's sports back to the committee. The Presidents Council shared the Management Council's concerns regarding both the content of the statement and the proposed process for its release. The Presidents Council also agreed that the content of the statement should be reviewed by all governance groups and approved by the NCAA Executive Committee prior to its release.

Endorsed the Management Council's recommendation to obtain a detailed written opinion from legal counsel regarding a proposed modification of the nondiscrimination clause in the NCAA Constitution that was recommended by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics.

Agreed to sponsor legislation creating a Division III women's golf championship.

Approved a second mailing to Division III institutions who have not responded to the original request to submit procedures for awards of circumstance and nonathletics achievement awards.

Approved the Management Council's recommendation to create an ad hoc Convention planning committee composed of two representatives of the Presidents Council, three representatives of the Management Council, two representatives of the Membership Committee and two representatives selected at large.

Expressed opposition to certification of all-star games for all sports. The Presidents Council also is concerned about use of staff, facilities and equipment and the resulting legal liabilities. Members voted to indicate that they were philosophically opposed to the certification of all-star games for all sports and opposed to institutional involvement in such contests. The Presidents Council forwarded its concerns to the Division III Management Council.

Agreed to sponsor legislation to amend Bylaw 21.8.3 to establish a committee attendance policy for all Division III committees at the request of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Agreed to sponsor legislation that would require institutions reclassifying from Division III to Division II to give notice two years prior to reclassification. The legislation would also prevent those institutions from participating in Division III championships, and representatives of those institutions would not be permitted to serve on Division III committees during the reclassification period.

Endorsed the Management Council's recommendation to create and circulate a quarterly Division III newsletter to enhance communication with the membership.

Noted the NCAA Wrestling Committee's modifications to wrestling's rules and commended the work of that committee as well as the work of the Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports Committee on that issue.