REPORT
OF THE
NCAA DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIPS COMMITTEE
1. ACTION
ITEMS.
a.
Sports Committee
Appointments.
(1)
Recommendation. That the
sports committee appointments be approved as follows:
Men’s Basketball –
Steve Larson, director of athletics/coach at Edgewood College, Midwest region,
and Mike Theulen, director of athletics at Western New England College,
Northeast region.
Women’s Basketball –
William Finney, director of athletics/coach at Marymount University (Virginia),
Atlantic region.
Field Hockey – Robin
Sheppard, senior woman administrator at Trinity College (Connecticut), West region.
Football – Daniel
MacNeill, coach at State University College at Cortland, East region, and
reappoint Robert Berzowitz, coach at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater,
West region.
Men’s Golf – Reappoint
Daniel Ruyle, coach at Southwestern University, District 6; Nancy Van Hoozier,
director of athletics from Olivet College, District 4; and Richard Mueller,
coach at New York University, District 1.
Women’s Golf – Darla
Kirby, coach at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, District 5.
Women’s Lacrosse –
Missy Foote, senior woman administrator/coach at Middlebury College, New
England region; Beth Bricker, senior woman administrator at the University of
Puget Sound, West region; and Laura Moan, coach at State University College at
Oneonta, New York region.
Men’s and Women’s
Rifle – Initially approved Michael McKaughan, coach at the United States Coast
Guard Academy, District 1, but due to Mr. McKaughan’s position change at his
institution, his reappointment was rescinded subsequent to the committee’s
meeting because he is no longer eligible.
Women’s Rowing –
Reappoint Michael Alton, coach at Vassar College, at large, and reappoint
Elizabeth Emery, coach at Wesleyan University, Northeast region.
Women’s Soccer – Mike
Stehlik, coach at Gustavus Adolphus College, Central region.
Women’s Softball –
Karen Baird, coach at Albion College, Central region, and reappoint Debra
Steward, senior woman administrator/coach at the University of Wisconsin, Eau
Claire, Great Lakes region.
Men’s and Women’s
Swimming and Diving – Charles Gordon, director of athletics at Emory
University, South region.
Men’s and Women’s
Tennis – Rich Meckfessel, commissioner at the St. Louis Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference, men’s Central region, and reappoint Julie Greenwood, coach
at Williams College, women’s Northeast region.
Men’s and Women’s
Track and Field – Linda Barley, director of athletics at York College
(Pennsylvania), Atlantic region.
Women’s Volleyball –
Lori Mazza, director of athletics at the University of Pittsburgh, Bradford,
Mid-Atlantic region.
Men’s Water Polo –
Reappoint Brian Streeter, director of athletics at Pennsylvania State
University Erie, the Behrend College, East region.
Wrestling – David
Kemmy, coach and assistant athletics director at Roger Williams University,
East region.
Men’s Basketball Rules
– Joe Baker, director of athletics at the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse,
Region 4; Kevin Van Streek, coach at Calvin College, Region 4; and Charlie
Brock, coach at Springfield College, Region 1.
Women’s Basketball
Rules – Kathy Hagerstrom, coach at Wellesley College, Region 1, and Julie
Soriero, assistant director of athletics at Colorado College, Region 4.
Football Rules –
Reappoint Michael Storey, associate director of athletics at Bridgewater State
College, Region 1.
Men’s and Women’s Ice
Hockey Rules – Val Belmonte, director of athletics at Union College, Division
III men’s representative.
Soccer Rules – Lee
Ellis, coach at Principia College, Region 3.
Volleyball Rules – Kristin
Russell, senior woman administrator/coach at the University of Wisconsin,
Whitewater, Region 4.
(2)
Rationale. The
committee ratified recommendations forwarded by the Nominating Committee.
(3)
Budget Impact. N/A.
b. Men’s and Women’s
Swimming Committee.
(1) Recommendation. Approve that the Men’s and Women’s
Swimming Committee be granted permission to meet outside Indianapolis in 2002.
(2) Rationale. The committee was scheduled to meet
outside Indianapolis in September 2001, but met by teleconference instead due
to events associated with September 11.
The committee approved the recommendation based on the fact that the
committee would meet back in Indianapolis in 2003.
(3) Budget Impact. N/A.
c. Softball Rules
Committee.
(1) Recommendation.
Deny the recommendation to institute a bat-challenge program in the sport of
softball to ensure that schools are using bats that meet specifications and
standards adopted by the rules committee.
(2) Rationale. The committee denied the recommendation
in that (a) evidence and/or information was not provided that the use of
illegal bats has been an issue in Division III; and (b) the potential cost
impact of the program to Division III institutions could be significant.
(3) Budget Impact. N/A.
d. Men’s and Women’s
Water Polo Rules Committee.
(1)
Recommendation.
Approve Barbara Kalbus to serve as the secretary-rules editor of the
Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Rules Committee.
(2)
Rationale.
Ms. Kalbus, according to the rules committee, is recognized as one of
the foremost authorities of water polo rules, and has the support of the full
rules committee to serve in this capacity.
(3)
Budget
Impact. N/A.
e. Committee on
Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport.
(1)
Recommendation.
Approve the elimination of the drug-testing announcement at the
mandatory prechampionship administrator/coaches meeting as a deterrent to
ergogenic drug use.
(2)
Rationale.
The championships committee noted that the Management Council, during
its January meeting prior to the championships committee’s January meeting,
approved the recommendation. It
particularly noted that the current announcement policy would be replaced with
a prepared statement regarding drug testing and general guidelines that would
be presented at all prechampionship meetings. Further, if a student-athlete is significantly delayed due
to drug testing, current drug-testing protocol includes an administrative
procedure to accommodate the situation.
The accommodation appeared to address the championships committee’s
rationale for denying the recommendation when it was previously presented by
the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport.
(3)
Budget
Impact. N/A.
f.
Midwest
Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA) Waiver Request.
(1)
Recommendation.
Deny the MCHA’s request for a waiver of NCAA Bylaw 31.3.4.2-(d)
(single-sport conference and membership requirements).
(2)
Rationale.
While the conference has indicated it was in existence prior to February
1, 1998, (although technically not an NCAA member conference since the set
forth process and necessary paperwork were not completed), and has indicated
who its members were, the members have or would have changed substantively
since that time. Consequently, it
was the committee’s belief that the continuity of membership intent has not and
would not be satisfied. Therefore,
the MCHA would not be eligible to receive automatic-qualification privileges
per Bylaw 31.3.4.2 now or in the future.
This position is consistent with other action taken by the committee in
similar situations.
(3)
Budget
Impact. N/A.
g.
Football
Foreign Tours.
(1)
Recommendation.
Sponsor legislation to eliminate Bylaw 30.7.3 (football postseason
opportunity) prohibiting football foreign tours in years in which an
institution’s team participates in an NCAA championship.
(2)
Rationale.
A request was brought to the committee by a conference member that it
consider the elimination of Bylaw 30.7.3.
The bylaw was adopted in 1974 with no rationale provided prior to its
adoption. It appears to single out the sport of football with regard to foreign
tours and postseason competition.
The effect of the bylaw is that only those programs that are certain
they will not qualify for postseason play are able to plan and schedule a
foreign tour well enough in advance to make it a feasible option. The uncertainty of the postseason
selection process would create significant issues with institutional planning.
(3)
Budget
Impact. N/A.
2. INFORMATIONAL
ITEMS.
a.
Automatic-Qualification
Subcommittee Automatic-Qualification Survey. The timeline, memorandum, survey and supporting
documentation regarding the automatic-qualification principles were developed
for a mid-April membership mailing in response to the Presidents and Management
Councils’ and championships committee’s commitment outlined at the 2002 NCAA
Convention. Input from this
mailing will be collected in early May.
(Please see Attachment A. Attachment B
is provided to the Management Council as information only and will not be
included in the membership mailing.)
Since its January 2002 meeting, the
automatic-qualification subcommittee of the Division III Championships
Committee conducted numerous conference calls outlining the timeline,
memorandum, survey and supplemental information in preparation for membership
input. The championships committee
also conducted an additional one-day in-person meeting to finalize all aspects
of the initiative. The committee
believes that input from the survey will assist in presenting a proposal(s) for
consideration by the membership at the 2003 NCAA Convention. It will also assist in providing
direction to the committee as it considers future requests and the appropriate
allocation of resources. The
survey contains a question that addresses the issue of whether the
automatic-qualification principles should be applied to the individual-team
sports. In its review of the
individual-team sports, the committee believed that the sports to be included
for consideration would be those sports in which the following will occur: (a) teams are selected (cross country,
golf and tennis); and (b) those sports which do not have an objectively
measured standard (time, distance, etc.) by which selections are made. As a result, the sports of indoor and
outdoor track and field, swimming and diving, and wrestling have not been
included. While wrestling does not
have a selection standard similar to the sports it is grouped with,
individuals, not teams, are selected to the championships.
b.
Championship Experience Subcommittee.
The subcommittee conducted
an analysis of Division III championships expenditures from 1998 to 2001. The
exercise included a sport-by-sport analysis of travel expenses related to
numbers of flights for all rounds of championships play. The number of contests was compared
with the total number of teams traveling and the total number of flights, which
translates to the ratio of flights versus team travel and the number of flights
versus bracket size.
Additionally, the
subcommittee contextualized the analysis by reviewing championships changes
over time, such as expanded brackets and the implementation of additional
rounds of championships play. Figures and context data were viewed in relation
to the three-year average budget versus actual figures and individual-year
budget versus actual figures for each championship. (Attachment C is not available online.)
Finally, the subcommittee
reviewed the current seeding, pairing and nonpredetermined site selection
criteria process and criteria used in all team sport selections.
The analysis resulted in the
following summary:
(1)
That the language around the current seeding,
pairing and nonpredetermined site selection guidelines should be clarified to
ensure that all sports committees are applying the criteria in a consistent
way.
(2)
That there was an increase in the total number
of flights in the championships program in the 2000-01 academic year.
(3)
Noted from information provided to the committee
in November 2001, that the estimated initial savings with the travel policy
change from 400 to 500 miles for air travel could be approximately $150,000.
(4)
Noted from information provided to the committee
in November 2001, that instituting the hub-airport travel policy would likely
result in savings. Also noted that
selecting predetermined sites in locations in which hub-airport travel is
possible was also worth further study.
As a result, the committee drafted
policy recommendations for initial review by the Management
Council and sports committees. Draft
policy initiatives are as follows:
(1) Clarification of Seeding, Pairing and
Nonpredetermined Site Selection Policies.
(a) Once selected, all
teams will be grouped into geographic clusters.
(b) Initial pairings and
team placement in the bracket will be determined with geographic proximity as
the priority criterion. Geographic
proximity is defined as keeping air travel to the lowest level possible, using
a 500-mile radius as the standard by which teams are permitted to travel by
air.
(c) Teams may be moved from
their regions to an adjacent cluster for the purpose of balancing the bracket,
as long flights are not created (i.e., geographic proximity principle is
maintained).
(d) When first-round byes
are part of a bracket, geographic proximity maintains priority over seeding.
(e) To the extent possible,
when placing teams into the bracket, geographic proximity should remain a
priority into projected second-round contests.
(f) The following criteria
should be followed, but are secondary to the geographic proximity principle:
(i) Teams may be seeded on a regional basis and paired accordingly in the cluster.
Note: If the original seeding
cannot be maintained when teams are placed in the bracket due to the geographic
proximity policy, the seeding shall go unpublished, but shall be retained for
subsequent regional and sectional site selection needs.
(ii)
Pairing teams from the same conference in the
first round should be avoided.
(iii) The
highest seeded team will be selected as the host institution, assuming it meets
the standards for being selected as a host site.
Site selection for regional and sectional contests
will also use geographic proximity as the priority criterion. If geographic
proximity is equal, and assuming multiple institutions meet the minimum
requirements for hosting the regional and sectional round, the higher seeded
team shall be selected to host.
(2) Managing Costs. The committee recommends an annual review of championships expenditures.
Financial reports for all Division III championships will be compiled by the
NCAA finance and information services group and will be shared with the
championships committee and the Management Council. Expenses to be reviewed include committee expenses, game
expenses, transportation costs and per diem. This process has already begun.
(3) Mileage Requirement
for Air Travel from 400 to 500 Miles (Geographic Proximity Guideline) and
Hub-Airport Travel. The committee intends to continue
to study the travel policies for participants in Division III championships
(i.e., the mileage requirement for air travel from 400 to 500 miles and
hub-airport travel) in order to determine whether the policies should be
adopted on a more permanent basis.
The committee will request feedback from sports committees and the
finance and information services group before making a final recommendation.
As a reminder, the
championships committee was asked in the fall of 2001 to recommend to the Presidents
and Management Councils’ policies that could be implemented that would result
in immediate cost savings in order to rebound from the championships budget
deficit occurred in 2000-01.
(4)
Predetermined Sites and Predetermined
Site Selection. The committee supports the
concept of predetermined finals sites for all Division III championships.
Predetermined sites allow for better planning and budgeting, but require
careful consideration in the site-selection process. The committee supports
requesting Worldtek Travel to negotiate for advance tickets at reduced rates
when possible for participating teams traveling to predetermined sites. Equally
important is the selection of predetermined sites in terms of locale –
specifically, sites near major airport hubs or sites near numerous Division III
schools. While the committee recognizes the importance of rotating sites around
the country for championships, it also acknowledges the importance of selecting
sites that best serve the majority of the Division III membership for ease in
travel, minimizing missed class time and travel costs. Such a change could also
result in less air travel, which would result in cost savings.
(5)
Hosting Manual. The subcommittee and
staff are also in the process of designing a publication intended to encourage
institutions to bid for predetermined championships sites. Additionally, when possible, the
committee continues to encourage institutions to bid on and sports committees
to select sites further in advance (minimally two years) to allow better fiscal
management in the decision-making process for awarding championships.
c. Championships
Base Budget Adjustments. The
committee approved base budget adjustments (up or down), per the Management
Council’s directive, in all sports effective with the 2002-03 budget
cycle. (Attachment
D) A thorough review of
previous year’s actual costs compared to projected budgeted costs was conducted
by the national office’s finance and information group. The adjustments are based on that
assessment. The budget impact is
$420,000 as allocated.
d. Contingency
Funding. The
committee continues to study the most appropriate allocation for the Division
III championships contingency fund.
While the
committee recognizes that approximately $113,000 has been earmarked as a
championships contingency fund in the 2002-03 budget, it intends to continue to
study all aspects of the budget in the context of championships initiatives
(whether it be pre-determined sites, rotation of preliminary-round sites to
parts of the country that do not ordinarily host due to geographic proximity
restrictions in site selections, etc.,) and actual costs to ensure that the
contingency fund is sufficient should actual costs fluctuate, or with sufficient
planning, additional requests (e.g., selecting a predetermined site in a
location that has not typically hosted a championship) could be accommodated
within the established budget and contingency fund.
e. 2001 Fall
Championships Year-to-Date Financial Summary. The championships committee reviewed
the 2001 fall championships’ year-to-date financial summary, prepared by the
finance and information services group, in an effort to monitor expenses on an
ongoing and regular basis to enhance regulation of the budget. Particularly noteworthy was the
significant reduction in transportation expenses compared to 2000 expenses,
which is likely associated with reduced fuel prices, fewer total flights, which
teams were selected in particular brackets and how far the teams that require
airline travel advance in the bracket.
(Attachment E)
f. Sports
Festival Concept. The committee has determined that it is appropriate that the sports
festival concept remain an option for Division III, but that it be placed on a
slower track for possible future implementation.
The committee
received input from sports committees regarding the sports festival
concept. While the concept
received some support, concerns were expressed about changing championships
dates in order to accommodate the festival. Specific concerns included whether it should be conducted
once in four years as opposed to more often, whether each sport in the context
of a sports festival would receive the recognition and exclusivity it currently
experiences, and whether there would be sufficient adequate facilities and
staff to accommodate sports adequately with the numbers of participants
involved, etc. Further, the
committee noted that Division II intends to conduct its first festival in the
spring of 2004 and that it should provide a good opportunity for evaluation of
the concept.
g. Travel
Information/Guidelines from Worldtek Travel. The committee has requested that Worldtek
Travel provide it with guidelines on the elements that increase the cost of
airline tickets. The information
could potentially be shared with the membership as an educational tool, and as
a result, potentially reduce airline ticket costs when applying those
guidelines. The committee has also
requested Worldtek Travel and the finance and information services group to
provide it with feedback and budget information relative to the implementation
of the travel policy changes (increase from 400 to 500 miles for air travel and
hub-airport policy) implemented for the 2001-02 academic year. Finally, it has requested information
relative to when and under what circumstances charters are used in Division III
(how are prices determined and how is the pricing determined concerning
available seats).
h. Bylaws
31.1.4.1 and 31.1.4.5. The committee continues to monitor the impact of Bylaws 31.1.4.1
(institutional policy prohibiting competition on a particular day for religious
reasons) and 31.1.4.5 (rescheduling NCAA championships competition to
accommodate commencement exercises) on participating institutions and hosts,
and has been asked by selected sports committees to provide further guidance
regarding the implementation of the policies. Sports committees will be asked to provide feedback on the
impact of the policies and to provide suggestions on how to best accommodate
the policies, administer the championships program and minimize impact on all
participants.
i. Late
Submission of Request-for-Reimbursement Forms. The committee intends to
implement a penalty structure for institutions that fail to return reimbursement
request forms as a result of participating in NCAA championships. Doing so will assist in closing
year-to-date accounts. A formal
recommendation will be forwarded to the Management Council for approval in the
future.
The
National Collegiate Athletic Association
March
25, 2002
CMP:lmg