REPORT OF THE
NCAA DIVISION III
CHAMPIONSHIPS COMMITTEE
1. ACTION
ITEMS.
a. Committee
Composition – Men’s Lacrosse.
(1) Recommendation. Amend NCAA Bylaw 21.8.7.14 to state that
the composition of the NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Committee be
designated as two members from the North Region and two members from the South Region. Two representatives serving on the
committee shall be administrators and two shall be coaches.
(2) Rationale. The amendment will ensure equal regional
representation for championship selections and the administration of the
championship.
(3)
Budget Impact.
None
b.
NCAA Bylaw 31.1.4.1 -
Institutional Policy – Religious Reasons.
(1)
Recommendation. Eliminate
NCAA Bylaw 31.1.4.1 that requires championship schedules to be adjusted to
accommodate institutions with written policies against competition on a
particular day for religious reasons.
(2)
Rationale. The
committee noted that with bracket expansion and an increased number of mid-week
preliminary-round contests, it is essential to identify opportunities to
eliminate missed class time. In
team sports that traditionally compete on Saturday/Sunday, institutions could
possibly have a competition schedule of Wednesday/Friday/Saturday; teams may be
required to travel on Tuesday for the Wednesday contest and then again on
Thursday for the Friday contest.
The
committee noted that NCAA Bylaw 31.1.4.4 [Noon Start Time] currently prohibits
championship competition from starting prior to
(3)
Budget Impact.
None.
c.
Student-Athlete
Championship Enhancements – 2005-06 Budget Reallocations.
(1)
Recommendation. Adjust
the 2005-06 championships program budget through reallocation to provide
$110,000 for student-athlete championship enhancements ($5,000 for each of 22
championship final sites).
(2) Rationale. The committee has identified enhancing
the student-athlete experience at championship finals sites as a priority and
has collaborated with the Corporate and Broadcast Alliances Group (CBA) and
sports committees to identify opportunities. The intent is to create a menu of
enhancement options that sports committees will be able to implement, based on
individual needs of specific championships.
(3) Budget
Impact. $110,000.
2. INFORMATIONAL
ITEMS.
a.
Future of
Division III – Phase II.
The committee forwarded recommendations to the Future of Division III
– Phase II Oversight Group based on results of the membership survey, as
well as feedback from the Forum at the 2005 NCAA Convention:
(1)
Provide an option for member conferences to opt
out of NCAA championships and participate in an alternative season-ending
opportunity.
(2)
Determine if 64 is the ideal maximum for any
championship bracket.
(3)
Adjust the current 1:6.5 team sport access
ratio.
(4)
Provide a limited time period for conference
realignment without loss of automatic qualification.
b.
Swimming
– 50-Meter Format. The committee
noted that student-athletes can qualify for the NCAA Division III Men’s
and Women’s Swimming
c.
Host
Institution Reimbursement.
The committee noted that the process for reimbursing host institutions
for championship expenses in a timely and efficient manner is being handled
internally by staff.
d.
Medical
Personnel Bench Passes. The committee determined that all sports committees must provide up to
two credentials for medical personnel that allows access to the bench area;
these credentials should not be included as part of the official travel party.
e.
Bench Party Size. Reviewed the current policies of sports committees related
to allowable bench party size and confirmed that this should remain under the
purview of sports committees.
f.
2006-08 Budget Initiatives. The committee reviewed initiatives identified in September 2003 and
confirmed the following budget priorities (not listed in priority order) to be
reviewed and finalized during the committee’s June 2005 and September
2005 meetings:
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