The NCAA Women’s Water Polo Committee will work with the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches to survey college women’s water polo coaches and their administrators about the possibility of moving the National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship to the first weekend in May.

That decision was one of several the committee made at its annual meeting July 10-12 in Savannah, Georgia.

Currently, the championship is held the second weekend in May, which conflicts with Mothers’ Day. The schedule already has a "buffer week" built in between conference championships, traditionally the final weekend in April, and the championship weekend.

Committee members believe that moving the championship earlier could both improve attendance and reduce missed class time for the student-athletes participating in the event.

Committee Chair Dan Smith, associate athletics director for compliance at Loyola Marymount University, said moving the championship away from Mothers’ Day had been discussed informally before the decision to gauge coaches’ preferences.

"We felt it would be responsible on our part to survey the coaches and administrators to get a good sense of what they are feeling," Smith said. "By potentially moving the championship, could we attract more fans? We’re always interested in trying to expand the attendance numbers."

If coaches respond favorably, the idea will be presented to the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet in September. The earliest implementation would be the 2008 championship.

Committee members also reviewed the first year of having a national officiating coordinator. Bret Bernard, a former official, served as the coordinator for both men’s and women’s water polo. He evaluated all officials who were nominated for championships assignments and conducted and attended several workshops and clinics.

"It has turned out to be absolutely wonderful," Smith said of the new position. "Bret has done a lot for the sport in just his first year. He’s helped us centralize and provide consistency in how we interpret our playing rules. What that does is trickle down to coaches and how they’re instructing water polo to be played. For me that was one of the paramount things we were looking for in creating the position."

Smith commended Bernard for his work in evaluating officials for championship assignments.

"I hope that in the future we’re able to expand that position and allow him to do more," he said.

This year, Bernard plans to conduct more clinics and workshops for officials as well as produce an instructional video and manual for all water polo coaches and officials. He also plans to better define his role as an NCAA liaison to the officials and coaches.

The committee will open the bid process for the 2010 championship this fall. Members also approved the following five conferences to receive automatic bids to the 2007 championship: the Collegiate Water Polo Association, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Western Water Polo Association.