The Division II Presidents Council, which four months ago initiated the division’s current discussion on playing and practice seasons, will get its first look at preliminary concepts for modifying legislation in that regard during its meeting this Wednesday and Thursday in Indianapolis.

The Presidents Council charged the Division II Legislation and Championships Committees in January to recommend ways in which the division’s playing and practice seasons legislation could be modified to better align with the Division II strategic-positioning platform. In essence, the presidents were asking the division’s governance structure for a gut-check on whether the division’s sports interests were skewing the academics/athletics balance stated in the platform.

The Division II Management Council reviewed ideas from the Legislation Committee at a meeting earlier this month and identified three plausible areas for which to seek membership comment. One was a later reporting date for fall-sports student-athletes, which would reduce the financial burden on institutions regarding housing and meals. Another was a proposal from the National Association of Basketball Coaches that would introduce a seven-day “dead period” during the winter break for practice and games. The third concept is to reduce the number of games in baseball and softball – in the latter perhaps by eliminating the tournament exception for counting maximum contest dates.

The Management Council also considered reductions in other sports’ playing and practice seasons (except for football).

The Presidents Council considers the review prudent in light of the division’s strategic positioning over the past five years. The exercise also coincides with the division’s attempt to seek better business practices to ease fiscal pressure during the current downward economic trend.

Council members also will hear a presentation on current trends for female participation in college sports and leadership opportunities for women in coaching and athletics administration. The presidents will discuss a financial system called “dashboard indicators” currently being used in Division I to give presidents and other athletics leaders clear, concise and comparable financial data upon which to make more informed decisions about athletics expenditures. The idea is for the Division II Presidents Council to discuss whether a similar approach would be effective for the Division II leadership.

The Presidents Council will meet from 3-8 p.m. Wednesday and then all day Thursday at the NCAA national office.