October 2004 Management Council Agenda Sup. No. 13

REPORT OF THE

NCAA DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIPS COMMITTEE

1. ACTION ITEMS.

a. Committee Chair.

(1) Recommendation. That John Cochrane, commissioner, Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, serve as chair, effective January 2005.

(2) Rationale. The current chair has completed a two-year term and the committee believes the experience and leadership qualities Mr. Cochrane possesses makes him an excellent choice for the chair position.

(3) Budget Impact. None.

b. Committee Composition – Men’s Ice Hockey.

(1) Recommendation. That the NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Committee composition be designated as two members from the East Region (one administrator and one coach) and two members from the West
Region (one administrator and one coach), effective September 2005.

(2) Rationale. The committee believes that each region should be equally
represented by one coach and one administrator. While it has been the practice in the past to assign committee members in this manner when there were adequate applicants, the committee recommends this as a
requirement.

(3) Budget Impact. None.

c. Committee Composition – Women’s Ice Hockey.

(1) Recommendation. That the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Committee composition be designated to include at least one coach and one administrator from both the East and West Regions, effective September 2005.

(2) Rationale. The committee believes it is important to have at least one coach and one administrator represented from each region to avoid the
potential of having one of the regions represented by either all coaches or all administrators.

(3) Budget Impact. None.

d. Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP) – Baseball Rules.

(1) Recommendation. To amend Rule 3-10, Tobacco, of the NCAA Baseball Rules Book, to include disqualification of the head coach in addition to the offending individual for tobacco use by any individual.

(2) Rationale. The committee firmly believes tobacco use must be eliminated in collegiate baseball. Efforts have been made to improve education and understanding of this rule, through the NCAA rules video, umpire education, and work with the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport. The committee feels adopting the additional penalty of ejection of the head coach will force coaches to be more responsible for tobacco use on their teams. The rules book currently uses this tool in the situation of a pitcher intentionally throwing at a batter, and that has been extremely successful in limiting the number of such incidents.

(3) Budget Impact. None.

e. NCAA Bylaw 31.1.3.2.3 – On-Campus Versus Off-Campus Sites.

(1) Recommendation. Amend NCAA Bylaw 31.1.3.2.3 to Permit Hosting at Off-Campus Facilities.

(2) Rationale. The current wording of the bylaw indicates that preference shall be given to conducting competition on the grounds or in the buildings of educational institutions unless there are compelling reasons to
conduct the competition in an off-campus facility. The committee
believes that institutions that have earned the right to host championships competition should be given the opportunity to do so in off-campus venues in their immediate locale if appropriate on-campus facilities are not available. The committee recommends amending the bylaw to give governing sports committees the authority to award nonpredetermined sites to institutions hosting in off-campus facilities. The Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) supported this proposal.

(3) Budget Impact. None.

f. NCAA Bylaw 31.1.6.2—NonNCAA Rules, Women Sports.

(1) Recommendation. Amend NCAA Bylaw 31.1.6.2 to include women’s bowling.

(2) Rationale. The sport of women’s bowling needs to be included as a women’s sport in which the Association does not publish rules. NCAA women’s bowling programs currently follow rules written by College Bowling USA with approved NCAA modifications.

(3) Budget Impact. None.

g. Participant Awards.

(1) Recommendation. Produce the molds for NCAA participant awards to provide institutions the opportunity to purchase such awards.

(2) Rationale. The committee supported providing awards to all participants as part of the overriding initiative to enhance student-athlete welfare and the student-athlete experience. This award will be available to participants in all rounds of championship competition.

(3) Budget Impact. $ 27,830. [Possible one-time cost, which may not be
necessary if the vendor absorbs production costs,]

h. DIII Committee Appointments.

· Recommendation. Approve the appointments to the following committees. All appointments will be effective immediately. [Attachment A]

(a) Division III Women’s Golf Committee. September 2004 vacancy – Region 4: Jan Travis, director of athletics, Buena Vista University.

(b) Division III Women’s Lacrosse Committee. September 2004 -
vacancy Metro region: Lynn Rothenhoefer, director of athletics/head lacrosse coach, Rosemont College.

(c) Softball Rules Committee (two vacancies). Interim vacancy
(replacing Diane Boettcher) --. September vacancy – Lynn Oberbilling, director of athletics, Smith College. [NOTE: The Softball Rules Committee requested a one-year term extension for Marjorie Willadsen, Buena Vista University, whose term expired September 1, 2004. The Nominating Committee is recommending to the Management Council that it grant the term extension. If the term extension is not granted, the Nominating Committee recommends that Tricia Hoffman, head softball coach, University of Texas at Dallas, be appointed.]

2. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.

a. Student-Athlete Experience Enhancements. The committee met with selected NCAA corporate and broadcast alliances (CBA) staff, NCAA promotions and events (P/E) staff, chairs of team sports committees and NCAA Division III championships staff liaisons and discussed potential options to enhance the
student-athlete experience at championships as it relates to goals identified within the Division III strategic plan. The committee has requested feedback from all sports committees for its January 2005 meeting with the intention of forwarding recommendations to both the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the NCAA Division III Management Council. The committee intends to meet with NCAA CBA and P/E staff on an annual basis to review progress related to the goals identified in the strategic plan.

b. Meeting with Chairs of Team Sports and Individual/Team Sports. The committee anticipates forwarding a request for an amendment to the 2005-06 budget in January 2005 to provide financial support for enhancements to all 22 championship finals sites. The committee determined that it would be beneficial to meet with chairs of all governing sports committees on an annual basis. The committee currently meets with the chairs of team’s sports and individual/team sports on an alternating yearly basis.

c. Team Sport Selection Criteria. The committee discussed the current team sport selection criteria with chairs of team sports committees and confirmed its two-year moratorium (2003-04 to 2004-05) on changes. The committee identified the following areas for further review:

· The concept of “once ranked, always ranked.”

· Adjusting the timeline of the four required rankings to start one week later and include the weekend of selections.

· The concept of publishing the fourth ranking if it is completed in conjunction with selections.

· Use of opponents’ opponents record as a variable within the current strength of schedule index.

· Use of a true Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).

· Adjustment of the current 200-mile radius for in-region games.

· Including out-of-region head-to-head competition in the primary criteria.

d. Team Sports Score Reporting – Fine System. Approved a consistent process for team sports committees to follow when assessing fines for failure to report scores as per NCAA Bylaw 31.1.9 [Failure to Adhere to Policies and Procedures].

(1) Five weeks prior to selections (one week prior to the first official ranking): Committee members may contact coaches on an informal basis regarding failure to update schedules and/or scores.

(2) Four weeks prior to selections (week of first official ranking): A formal warning letter to all institutions failing to report scores. The letter must be addressed to the director of athletics; the head coach with a copy to conference commissioner.

(3) Each of the three weeks prior to the week of selections: Committees will assess fines in the amount of $50 per violation.

(4) Postseason: Committees to send a letter to the chief executive officer (CEO) of each institution that has not submitted payment for all fines assessed; the director of athletics should be copied.

The committee will address potential penalties to institutions failing to pay fines following implementation of the process. This will allow the committee to determine if formal inclusion of the director of athletics and
institutional CEO in the process will increase the number of institutions reporting scores and/or paying fines. The committee also noted the importance of collecting data to aid in the determination of future penalties.

e. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Graduation Rates Data. Accepted the information that approximately 70 institutions have not met the required deadline to submit graduation data to the NCAA and delegated legislative authority to NCAA championships staff to address individual waiver requests and follow up as necessary. It was noted that failure to submit this information will result in institutions becoming ineligible for NCAA championships.

f. Men’s and Women’s Golf and Tennis Championship Season. The committee reviewed and amended a membership survey designed to collect information related to the implementation of automatic-qualification principles into the men’s and women’s golf and tennis championships. The survey will be distributed later this fall and the committee will review results during its January 2005 meeting.

g. Artificial Noisemakers at NCAA Championships. The committee discussed the concept of using artificial noisemakers at championships and indicated initial support for use at championship sites only. The committee did not support a change in any existing playing rules that would permit noisemakers at regular-season competition.

h. In-Game Television Interviews. The committee supported the concept of
interviewing coaches during competition, but did not support permitting student-athletes to be interviewed during the course of competition.

i. Commemorative Patches. The committee reviewed the proposed Association-wide plan to provide commemorative patches for participants in team sport championships. The committee discussed the importance of promoting NCAA
championships and the value of the commemorative patch; however, did not
support the initiative as it excluded student-athletes participating in individual/team sports.

j. Championships Committee Travel to Championships. The committee noted the importance of providing opportunities for committee members to travel to
assigned championships during their tenure on the committee.

k. Bracket Format for 2005-06 Expansion. [Attachment B]

a. Baseball. Approved retaining the current regional format, recognizing that an additional day of competition will be required for the five sites with seven teams. The committee approved the recommendation to start the
regionals with seven teams on Wednesday, but denied the recommendation to change the start day to Wednesday from Thursday for the regionals with six teams. The committee noted that with the format as approved, all regionals are scheduled to be completed on Sunday.

b. Men’s and Women’s Basketball. Approved retaining the current bracket format and increasing the number of first-round games in the women’s championship to 30 from 18 and increasing the number of first-round games in the men’s championship to 26 from 16.

c. Men’s Ice Hockey. Approved retaining the current bracket format and increasing the number of first-round games to two from one.

d. Softball. Approved retaining the current regional format, recognizing that an additional day of competition will be required for the three sites with eight teams. The committee amended the proposed seven-team bracket
related to seeding.

l. Sports Committee Recommendations.

(1) Baseball.

(a) Automatic Qualification. Approved automatic qualification for the 2005 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship for the following conferences: Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, American Southwest Conference, Centennial Conference, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, Commonwealth Conference, Commonwealth Coast Conference, Freedom Conference, Great Northeast Athletic Conference, Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Lake Michigan Conference, Liberty League, Little East Conference, Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Midwest Conference, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, New England Small College Athletic Conference, New England Women’s and Men’s Athletics Conference, New Jersey Athletic Conference, North Coast Athletic Conference, Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference, Northwest Conference, Ohio Athletic Conference, Old Dominion Athletic Conference, Pennsylvania Athletic Conference, Skyline Conference, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, State University of New York Athletic Conference, USA South
Athletic Conference and Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

(b) Pool Allocation. Approved the following pool allocations for the 2005 championship: Pool A – 33; Pool B – 5; and Pool C – 4.

(c) Future Hosts – 2006 and 2007. Approved the city of Appleton, Wisconsin, Lawrence University and the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, to serve as hosts for the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Division III Baseball Championships.

(d) Championship Tournament Format. Approved the elimination of the “throw-away game” effective with the 2005 championship.

(e) Definition of Countable Games. Reviewed the current definition of countable games as defined in the NCAA Baseball Rules Book, specifically the concept of counting seven-inning games only when part of a true double-header versus the same opponent in both games. The committee referred this issue to the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee and requested clarification regarding the difference between a traditional doubleheader and playing two seven-inning games versus two opponents. The committee
requested that the baseball rules committee review this as it relates to the Division III philosophy regarding missed class time.

(f) Per Diem and Mandatory Coaches’ Meeting. In response to Management Council request, the committee confirmed that additional per diem would not be provided to accommodate coaches’ meetings held prior to start of the baseball championships. The
committee requested that the baseball committee switch its coaches’ meeting to the day prior to competition when per diem is provided.

(2.) Men’s Basketball.

(a) Regional Realignment. Approved the realignment of Thomas More College to the South region from the Midwest region, effective 2004-05.

(b) Automatic Qualification. Approved automatic qualification for the 2005 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship for the following conferences: Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, American Southwest Conference, Capital Athletic
Conference, Centennial Conference, City University of New York
Athletic Conference, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, Commonwealth Conference, Commonwealth Coast
Conference, Empire 8, Freedom Conference, Great Northeast
Athletic Conference, Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Lake Michigan Conference, Liberty League, Little East Conference, Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Midwest Conference, Minnesota Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference, New England Small College Athletic Conference, New England Women’s and Men’s Athletics Conference, New Jersey Athletic Conference, North Atlantic Conference, North Coast Athletic Conference, Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference, Northwest Conference, Ohio Athletic Conference, Old Dominion Athletic Conference, Pennsylvania Athletic Conference, Skyline Conference, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, State University of New York Athletic Conference, University Athletic Association, USA South Athletic Conference and Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.