Our nation’s economic crisis is requiring college sports administrators to stretch resources without compromising the student-athlete experience.

This is a challenge for me, just as it is for the other 287 athletics directors in Division II. What encourages me, though, is that we in Division II are better positioned than most to deal with this complicated problem.

Certainly, nobody should have any illusions about the current financial climate in higher education and intercollegiate athletics. Enrollment is down at many institutions, which is reducing tuition revenue. At the same time, donations are declining, and endowment investments are in a free fall.

None of that is good news for anybody, but all of those circumstances are more problematic for financially overextended programs. Our Division II model, however, is the most fiscally conservative in all of college sports. Not only does our philosophy emphasize regional competition, but we also employ a partial-scholarship approach that controls expenses and generates institutional revenue.

Of course, the philosophy represents only an advantage. It is not a shield that provides absolute protection against the relentless economic challenges that we face at institutional, conference and national levels. In no way does it relieve us from making tough decisions as we attempt to deal with the faltering economy.

That brings me to my current role as chair of the Division II Championships Committee, the group that has been charged with maximizing resources for Division II postseason competition.

For fiscal year 2008-09, Division II has allocated about $15 million to conduct 25 championships. Last year, air travel expenses were up about 13 percent for the Division II men’s basketball tournament and about 19 percent for the women’s tournament. For the year, overall Division II championships expenses jumped about 10 percent.

To deal with this problem and to hedge against future financial uncertainties, Division II presidents in January asked the Championships Committee to examine our policies and determine where reasonable savings might be achieved. At the urging of the Division II Presidents Council, the committee agreed to a subregional contingency plan for the remainder of 2008-09 that will be triggered when all teams participating in a regional tournament would be required to fly to the host site, based on mileage tests. If the policy was implemented, it would mean that top-seeded teams would continue to host throughout the regionals; however, competition in the other half of the bracket would be hosted by the No. 2 seed.

As with many circumstances surrounding this financial crisis, this solution is not perfect. Some of a top seed’s hard-earned advantage could be taken away if this policy was employed. However, the advantage lost is rather small, and the savings in a single year could exceed $300,000 – money that could be used to maintain current bracket sizes (Division II’s are the most inclusive in all of the NCAA) and per diem allowances in future years.

This week’s Division II National Championships Festival also has been affected by the economy, although I hope in ways that will be invisible to participants and fans. One of the primary benefits of the festival is its economy of scale – turning what would have been three events into one – and we want to continue to use some of those savings to create a special experience for those taking part.

None of this decision-making comes with an instruction manual, and I can’t promise anybody that every decision will be popular. I can tell you, however, that our leadership is trying to find the best possible answers in unusually difficult circumstances.

These days, that’s one of the few things you can take to the bank.

David Riggins is athletics director at Mars Hill College and chair of the Division II Championships Committee.