The National Collegiate and Division III Women's Lacrosse Committees spent much of their June 6-9 meetings in Indianapolis discussing changes that may be necessary in future championship weekend formats now that the Division II championship has been added for next year.

In the past, the weekend has included the semifinals and final for both the National Collegiate and Division III championships. There has been no Division II championship -- Division II teams instead have been eligible for the National Collegiate championship. With the addition of the four-team Division II tournament in 2001, the National Collegiate championship will become a Division I championship.

With the addition of the Division II championship, the committees discussed if it would be advantageous to recommend a format similar to that of men's lacrosse to the division championship governing bodies. Such a recommendation would alter the weekend to continue to include the Division I semifinals and final, but only the championship games for Divisions II and III. Earlier rounds for those championships would be played at on-campus sites, as would the early round Division I games. The committees noted that having all division semifinals at the same site would force the addition of another day to the current three-day event.

Rather than make a recommendation with the input of the one Division II representative on the current National Collegiate committee, the committees decided to defer any decision until after a full Division II committee is formed, which will happen later this summer.

The committees also took the following actions listed below. The Division I recommendations will be forwarded to the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet; the Division III recommendations will go to the Division III Championships Committee. Recommendations involving all committees will be forwarded to those two bodies and to the Division II Championships Committee.

Divisions I and III

In other actions relating to Division I, the committee:

* Recommended that Johns Hopkins University serve as host for the 2001 championships.

* Recommended, based on the Division I conferences' ratings percentage index (RPI) that the Ivy Group, Big East Conference, Colonial Athletic Association, America East Conference, Atlantic 10 Conference and the Northeast Conference receive the six automatic-qualification slots for the 2001 championship. In 2002, the number of slots will increase to eight. If the number of conferences that meet the criteria that year exceeds eight, play-in games between conference champions for those eight spots will need to take place by no later than the Saturday before selection Sunday.

* Recommended that "records against teams under consideration" be withdrawn from the selection criteria and be replaced by strength of schedule, which would be based on a point system.

* Recommended that the squad size be increased from 24 to 28 and that the official traveling party be increased from 30 to 36.

In other actions relating to Division III, the committee:

* Recommended that the Centennial Conference, Middle Atlantic Conference, Pennsylvania Conference, New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance, New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference, New England Small College Athletic Conference, State University of New York Athletic Conference, Upstate Collegiate Athletic Conference, Old Dominion Athletic Conference and the North Coast Athletic Conference receive automatic qualification for 2001.

* Recommended that Division III modify its strength-of-schedule criteria, whereby the committee would review teams over and under .500 won/lost percentage, over and under .500 won/lost composite and the overall composite (total wins divided by total games played).

* Noted that all Division III schools that sponsor the sport would be receiving facility and operations forms to complete and return if they were interested in hosting a round of the championship, should they make the tournament field. The responses will give the committee a head start in making arrangements for the early rounds of the championship.

All divisions

* Both committees recommended that a position for a national officiating assignor be created and that the position be funded in a manner similar to that of the person who holds a similar position in men's lacrosse.

* Viewed a presentation by representatives of the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports regarding eye injuries and eye protection in the sport. The committees requested that additional data be collected for further review.