DIII Presidents Council
4/02
DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIPS
COMMITTEE
Summary of
Recommendations
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1. |
ISSUE: |
Sports
Committee Appointments. |
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Committee Recommendation: |
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Approve the sports committee appointments: 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was rescinded subsequent to the committee’s meeting because he is no longer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 (New York), 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. |
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Management Council Action: |
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Approved the sports committee nominations. |
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2. |
ISSUE: |
Men’s and Women’s Swimming Committee. |
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Committee Recommendation: |
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Grant the Men’s and Women’s Swimming Committee
permission to meet outside Indianapolis in 2002. |
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Management Council Action: |
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Approved the recommendation. |
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3. |
ISSUE: |
Softball Rules Committee. |
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Committee Recommendation: |
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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. |
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Management Council Action: |
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Approved the recommendation to deny the bat-challenge program. |
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4. |
ISSUE: |
Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Rules Committee. |
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Committee Recommendation: |
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Approve Barbara Kalbus to serve as the
secretary-rules editor of the Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Rules Committee. |
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Management Council Action: |
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Approved the recommendation. |
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5. |
ISSUE: |
Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of
Sport. |
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Committee Recommendation: |
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Approve the elimination of the drug-testing
announcement at the mandatory prechampionship administrator/coaches meeting
as a deterrent to ergogenic drug use. |
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Management Council Action: |
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Accepted the recommendation, noting that the Council previously approved it in January 2002. |
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6. |
ISSUE: |
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA) Waiver
Request. |
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Committee Recommendation: |
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Deny the MCHA’s request for a waiver of NCAA
Bylaw 31.3.4.2-(d) (single-sport conference and membership requirements). |
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Management Council Action: |
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Approved the recommendation to deny the MCHA waiver request. |
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7. |
ISSUE: |
Football Foreign Tours (Bylaw 30.7.3 – Football Postseason
Opportunity). |
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Committee Recommendation: |
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Sponsor legislation to eliminate Bylaw 30.7.3
prohibiting football foreign tours in years in which an institution’s team
participates in an NCAA championship. |
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Management Council Action: |
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Agreed to adopt noncontroversial legislation to eliminate Bylaw 30.7.3. |
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8. |
ISSUE: |
Championship Experience
Subcommittee. |
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Committee Action: |
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The subcommittee conducted an analysis of Division III championships expenditures from 1998 to 2001. The analysis resulted in the following summary: a. 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. b. That there was
an increase in the total number of flights in the championships program in
the 2000-01 academic year. c. Noted from information
provided to the committee in November 2001, that the estimated initial
savings with the air-travel policy change from 400 to 500 miles could be approximately
$150,000. d. Noted from
information provided to the committee in November 2001, that instituting the
hub-airport travel policy would likely result in significant savings. Also noted that selecting
predetermined sites at locations for 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: Clarification of Seeding,
Pairing and Nonpredetermined Site Selection Policies. (1) Once selected, all teams will be grouped into geographic clusters. (2) 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. (3) 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). (4) When first-round byes are part of a bracket, geographic proximity maintains priority over seeding. (5) To the extent possible, when placing teams into the bracket, geographic proximity should remain a priority into projected second-round contests. (6) 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. 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. 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 increased
from 400 to 500 miles and mandatory 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. 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. 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. |
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Management Council Action: |
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Endorsed the analysis of expenditures from 1998 to 2001 and the recommended policies to address budget issues. |
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9. |
ISSUE: |
Championships Base Budget Adjustments. |
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Committee Action: |
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The committee
approved base budget adjustments (up or down), per the Management Council’s
directive, in all sports effective with the 2002-04 budget cycle. The national office’s finance and
information group conducted a thorough review of the previous year’s actual
costs compared to projected budgeted costs. The budget impact is $420,000 as allocated. |
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Management Council Action: |
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Endorsed the information and recommended consideration for targeting “actual expenses” for individual sports as part of the per diem review. The Council requested a comprehensive review of travel parties for all sports. |
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10. |
ISSUE: |
Men’s Lacrosse – Separate Rules Committee. |
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Committee Recommendation: |
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Establish a separate
men’s lacrosse rules committee from the Divisions I, II and III Men’s Lacrosse
Committees, effective in 2003-04, with members from Division I, Division II
and Division III. Additionally,
that the respective women’s lacrosse committees consider whether a similar
recommendation is appropriate for women’s lacrosse. |
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Management Council Action: |
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Approved the recommendation. |
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1. |
ISSUE: |
Automatic-Qualification Subcommittee
Automatic-Qualification Survey. |
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Committee Action: |
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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. |
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Management Council Action: |
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Endorsed the distribution of the membership survey as amended. a. Memorandum – clarify significance of three areas of survey: AQ team sport models; AQ for individual/team sports and other championships related issues. b. Survey document (Attachment 2): (1) Question No. 1 – include a box “suggested alternative.” (2) Question No. 2 – note appropriate attachment reference (five not six). (3) Question No. 3 – note appropriate attachment reference (four not five). (a) Include box “N/A.” (b) Eliminate reference to cost. (4) Question No. 5: (a) Amend Division III Restructuring Task Force. (b) Include box “N/A.” c. Overview of AQ Applied to Individual-Team Sports (Attachment 4). · Expand supportive documentation for each sport to include current sports sponsorship numbers and access ratio data. The Council discussed the Web-based submission process, expressing concern regarding random submissions. |
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2. |
ISSUE: |
Contingency
Funding. |
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Committee Action: |
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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 2002-04 budget, it
intends to continue to study all aspects of the budget in the context of the
following championships initiatives:
a) predetermined
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.; b) actual costs to ensure that the
contingency fund is sufficient should actual costs fluctuate; c) a desire to accommodate additional
requests (e.g., selecting a predetermined site in a location that has not
typically hosted a championship) within the established budget and contingency
fund. |
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Management Council Action: |
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Accepted the information. |
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3. |
ISSUE: |
2001
Fall Championships Year-to-Date Financial Summary. |
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Committee Action: |
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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.
Particularly noteworthy was the significant reduction in
transportation expenses compared to 2000, which is likely associated with
reduced fuel prices, fewer total flights, specific teams selected in particular
brackets and how far the teams that require airline travel advanced in the
bracket. |
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Management Council Action: |
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Endorsed the information and commended the Championships Committee and staff for its work. The Council requested the committee discuss and recommend the most appropriate championships budget information for regular Management Council review. |
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4. |
ISSUE: |
Sports
Festival Concept. |
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Committee Action: |
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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 based on the following: a. Input from sports
committees regarding the sports festival concept. b. Concept received some
support; concerns were expressed about changing championships dates in order
to accommodate the festival. c. Specific concerns
included whether it should be conducted once in four years as opposed to more
often. d. Whether each sport in
the context of a sports festival would receive the recognition and exclusivity
it currently experiences. e. Whether there would
be sufficient adequate facilities and staff to accommodate sports with the
numbers of participants involved.
f. Further,
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. |
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Management Council Action: |
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Accepted the information. |
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5. |
ISSUE: |
Travel
Information/Guidelines from Worldtek Travel.
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Committee Action: |
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The committee has requested that Worldtek
Travel provide 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 also requested Worldtek
Travel and the finance and information services group to provide feedback and
budget |
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Management Council Action: |
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Endorsed the information. The Council requested notification to the membership regarding the ability to book air | |