Jul 20, 2010 10:04:59 AM

The Division III Management Council at its meeting on Monday approved reclassification requests from Centenary College (Louisiana) and the University of New Orleans, though New Orleans will have to satisfy a conditional year before continuing in the reclassification process.

Both Centenary and New Orleans are seeking to reclassify from Division I. Centenary's four-year membership process for Division III begins September 1.

New Orleans also begins its process September 1 but must complete a conditional year in 2010-11 before continuing the final years of the reclassification process. Conditions include an increase in sports sponsorship by 2011-12 to meet current Division III requirements.

New Orleans currently sponsors four women's sports and five men's sports under a waiver of Division I membership requirements through the 2011-12 academic year. That waiver was granted based on the effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the subsequent economic recession.

While the Management Council and the Membership Committee understand the economic challenges facing the university (especially with the recent oil spill in the Gulf compounding those challenges), members believe the institution should comply with the division's sports-sponsorship requirements before continuing in the reclassification process. The Management Council noted that New Orleans has already indicated a plan for meeting the Division III standards.

Both the Council and Membership Committee also recognized that the institution is in a region that lacks Division III members (Louisiana College is the only other Division III institution in the state). Accordingly, the Council believes the extreme and unique circumstances warrant conditional approval.

"The conditions and timetable were crafted to ensure that the institution is accountable and prepared for Division III membership, while also maintaining a commitment to the quality of the division and its member institutions," said Management Council chair Lynn Oberbillig, the director of athletics at Smith College.

New Orleans must satisfy the following conditions in 2010-11:

• Satisfy all educational programming affiliated with year one of the reclassification program.
• Adhere to the institution's sports-sponsorship plan (that is, sponsorship of six men's and six women's sports, effective 2011-12) and any other plan submitted as part of the school's reclassification application.
• Develop and modify all institutional communications documents, handbooks or manuals, and any other internal or external communications and materials (website, press releases) to demonstrate an understanding and comprehensive commitment to Division III. The institution must use the Division III philosophy statement and strategic-positioning platform when developing and revising its materials and communications.
• Communicate regularly with a Division III mentor institution, including implementation of relevant recommendations or best practices.

Additionally, the Division III Management Council is strongly recommending that New Orleans conduct a site visit to an "exemplary" Division III institution during the 2010-11 academic year with members of the athletics department (administrators, coaches, FAR) and individuals outside of athletics with rules compliance responsibilities (registrar, admissions, financial aid) to observe and learn best practices to facilitate its transition to Division III.

The Council also encouraged these same individuals to participate in 2011 NCAA Regional Rules Seminars.