REPORT OF THE
NCAA
DIVISION III MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
PLAYING
AND PRACTICE SEASONS SUBCOMMITTEE
1. ACTION
ITEMS.
(a) Celebrity
Sports Activity Exemption.
(1)
Recommendation.
Adopt noncontroversial legislation to remove celebrity sports activity
legislation and combine it with limitations applicable to permissible
fund-raising activities.
(2)
Rationale.
Permissible celebrity sports activities for student-athletes encompass
the same principles as the more general fund-raising activity exemption in
Bylaw 17. Celebrity sports
activities do not need a separate exemption, as they can be exempted as a
fund-raising activity.
(3)
Budget Impact.
None.
(b)
Definition of
Athletically Related Activities - Administrative Activities.
(1)
Recommendation.
Adopt noncontroversial legislation to expressly state that
administrative and academic activities do not count as athletically related
activities.
(2)
Rationale.
This proposal will expressly clarify that certain non-athletic
activities (e.g., academic meetings, compliance meetings, etc) do not need to
be included in the declared playing and practice season.
(3)
Budget Impact.
None.
(c)
Novice Rowing Exception
to Nontraditional Segment.
(1)
Recommendation. Do
not recommend that the Presidents Council sponsor legislation to establish a
separate nontraditional segment for novice rowers that would extend the
permissible time period for the nontraditional segment by 15 days, but also
reduce the number of permissible practice opportunities per week.
(2)
Rationale.
The subcommittee believes it is inappropriate to extend the playing
season of any sport beyond 19 weeks.
Despite the rowing committee’s assertion that a large percentage
of initial participants in rowing are considered novice and the sport itself
poses a unique learning
curve, the subcommittee
expressed concern that newcomers in other sports face similar challenges. Therefore, the subcommittee concluded
that rowing does not warrant an extension to the 19-week playing season
(3) Budget
Impact. None.
(d) Position
Statement - PLAYING AND PRACTICE
SEASONS - EXCEPTION TO PLAYING SEASON LIMITATONS AND CONTEST EXEMPTION - POSTSEASON
CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT.
(1) Recommendation. That the Management Council recommend
that the Presidents Council support this proposal.
(2) Rationale. The subcommittee noted this proposal is
a reasonable accommodation for excluding one week from the declared playing
season for participation in a post-season event. Further, the subcommittee noted this
proposal could assist with the challenges related to championships access and
the growth of the division.
(3) Budget
Impact. None.
(e) Position
Statement - PLAYING AND PRACTICE SEASONS - FIRST CONTEST AND PRACTICE DATE -
FOOTBALL.
(1)
Recommendation.
That the Management Council recommend that the Presidents Council support
this proposal.
(2)
Rationale.
The subcommittee noted this proposal provides limited scheduling
flexibility for institutions sponsoring football without increasing the overall
length of the playing and practice season.
Specifically, the subcommittee noted that this proposal does not move
back the first permissible practice date in August.
(3)
Budget Impact.
None.
(f) Position
Statement - PLAYING AND PRACTICE SEASONS - MAXIMUM CONTST LIMITATIONS -
LACROSSE.
(1)
Recommendation.
That the Management Council recommends that the Presidents Council
support this proposal.
(2)
Rationale. A
review of the legislative history established that the maximum contest
limitation in lacrosse was intended to be 17 dates of competition in addition
to one date of competition in the nontraditional segment. The current language was established at
a time when several sports were undergoing maximum contest revisions which
permit the additional date of competition during the nontraditional segment. This change supports the consistent treatment
of all sports in Division III.
(3)
Budget Impact.
None.
(g) PLAYING
AND PRACTICE SEASONS - NONTRADITIONAL SEGMENT LENGTH AND MAXIMUM CONTEST
LIMITATIONS.
(1)
Recommendation.
That Management Council recommends that the Presidents Council oppose
this proposal.
(2)
Rationale.
The subcommittee noted this proposal expands the nontraditional playing
season and conflicts with the spirit of the 2004 reform agenda that, in part,
emphasized a reduction in the nontraditional segment.
(3)
Budget Impact.
None.
(h) Post-season
Conference Tournament Counting as One Week in Declared Playing Season.
(1) Recommendation.
Deny the request from the American
Southwest Conference to allow the conference tournament, regardless of
duration, to count as one week in the declared playing season.
(2) Rationale. The subcommittee noted that all
institutions need to accommodate their entire playing season, including
conference tournaments, within the 18 or 19 week playing season. Proper scheduling could provide for an
eight-team tournaments (or larger tournament) and also address potential
make-up contests due to inclement weather.
(3) Budget
Impact. None.
2. INFORMATIONAL
ITEMS.
a. Application
of Non-NCAA Postseason Championships Exemption. The subcommittee
reviewed whether competition that is necessary to qualify for an exempted
non-NCAA postseason championship should also be considered exempt under the
same legislation. The subcommittee
noted that many non-NCAA postseason championships use separate, collegiate
championship events as the default non-NCAA postseason championship qualifying
competition. Further, the
subcommittee noted that as a separate competition, a collegiate championship
would need separate legislation to be specifically exempted from counting in an
institution’s declared playing and practice season weeks. The subcommittee recommended that
Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee adopt an official
interpretation permitting an institution to exempt up to three weeks of
competition from an institution’s declared playing season, provided it is
considered the qualifying competition for the exempt non-NCAA postseason
championship.
b.
Update on Fall Sport
Acclimatization Best Practices Document.
David
Klossner updated the subcommittee on the development of a fall sport preseason
athletics “best practices” document based on the latest series of
recommendations from the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical
Aspects of Sport (CSMAS) regarding fall sports acclimatization. At its April 2005 meeting, the subcommittee recommended that the
membership [including faculty athletics representatives (