DRAFT

FUTURE OF DIVISION III SURVEY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction

The 426 Division III active and provisional institutions were asked to respond to the survey. Each CEO was prompted to provide a ?singular institutional voice.? 335 institutions responded, resulting in a response rate of 79%. This is a significant response rate, allowing the survey findings to be regarded as representative of Division III as a whole.

Analysis

For each item, the overall responses are reported in percentages. Four institutional profile constructs were built:

1) Institution Demographics;

2) Academic Selectivity;

3) Athletics Program Demographics; and

4) Athletics Program Expenses.

Each survey item was tested against these variables for a correlation.

Four variables rose to statistical significance: active membership date, school size, cost of attendance, and proportion of student-athletes.

Each was recoded to establish four groupings per variable based on quartile rank. The year of active membership variable was recoded into two groups ? pre-1990 and 1990 or later. School size, cost of attendance and proportion of student-athletes were used to establish a conference profile. The survey items, where a 60/40 to 50/50 split is demonstrated across response levels, are highlighted, and findings for these items in relation to the various institution profile variables are discussed when appropriate.

Financial Aid

84% or more indicated strong agreement or agreement with each of the three financial aid philosophies:

1) Award no athletically related financial aid.

2) Assure that athletics participants are not treated differently from other members of the student body.

3) Assure that actions of coaches and administrators exhibit fairness, openness and honesty in their relationships with student-athletes.

Three financial aid options were offered:

1) Retain the status quo ? no consideration of athletics in award packaging (87% strong support or support).

2) No consideration of athletics in award packaging, buttressed by a proposed annual audit and reporting process (64% strongly support or support). Nineteen conferences either unanimously supported or contained one vote of opposition.

3) Permit consideration of athletics in granting of aid up to need, i.e., preferential packaging (77% strongly oppose or oppose).

Eligibility and Recruiting

90% or more registered strong agreement or agreement with each of the philosophies governing eligibility and recruiting:

1) Assure that athletics participants and nonathletes are not treated differently.

2) Assure that athletics programs support the institutional mission.

3) Assure that and assure that actions of coaches and administrators exhibit fairness, openness and honesty in their relationships with student-athletes.

Twelve eligibility and recruiting options were offered:

1) Initial and continuing eligibility ? continue to minimize infringements on institutional autonomy, i.e., no national standards (78% strong support or support).

2) Redefine eligibility limits to include practice or competition. A student-athlete would be limited to four seasons of participation. Practice or competition during a season would count as one of four available seasons (40% in strong support or support and 43% in strong opposition or opposition). Seven conferences, each predominantly populated with institutions of smaller enrollments, a higher cost of attendance, and a higher proportion of student-athletes to the overall student body, indicated unanimous support or support with one vote of opposition. Eleven conferences, lacking a collective profile like the conferences in support, indicated strong opposition or opposition. The highest levels of opposition came from institutions that became active Division III members in 1990 or later. While conference profile was able to isolate the smaller, more expensive institutions with a higher proportion of student-athletes in support of the elimination of ?redshirting,? the institution profiles point to the larger, less expensive institutions with lower proportions of student-athletes indicating the highest levels of opposition.

3) Retain current 10-semester/15-quarter eligibility clock (89% strongly supported or supported).

4) Eight-semester/12-quarter clock ? establish based on seasons of participation (68% strongly opposed or opposed).

5) Four-year running clock ? establish continuous clock based on initial enrollment (77% strongly opposed or opposed).

6) Final semester of eligibility ? prevent enrollment in less than a full-time program of studies (49% strongly oppose or oppose while 33% strongly support or support).

7) Graduate student/postbaccalaureate participation ? permit students in graduate or postbaccalaureate programs with time remaining on their eligibility clock to participate in intercollegiate athletics regardless of the institution attended as an undergraduate (48% strongly oppose or oppose, 30% strongly support or support).

8) Retain current legislation to prohibit in-person, off-campus recruitment and contacts with student-athletes until completion of junior year in high school (91% strong support or support).

9) Establish a principle that athletics recruitment should comply with established policies and procedures applicable to the admissions process (84% of the responding institutions indicated strong support or support).

10) Establish recruiting ?dead periods? in all sports (46% strongly oppose or oppose, 28% strong support or support). Nine conferences unanimously opposed or opposed with one vote of support.

11) Permit off-campus evaluation activities only, i.e., no in-person recruiting contact (65% strongly oppose or oppose).

12) Transfer contact rule ? strengthen rule to preclude unsolicited contact and subsequent transfer and enrollment (63% strong support or support).

Playing and Practice Seasons

83% or more of the responding institutions strongly agreed or agreed with each of the four playing and practice seasons philosophies:

1) Encourage participation by maximizing the number and variety of athletics opportunities.

2) Assist members in developing the basis for consistently equitable competition while minimizing infringement on the freedom of individual institutions.

3) Primary emphasis on regional in-season competition and conference championships.

4) Support student-athletes in efforts to reach high levels of athletics performance (i.e., facilities, coaching and competition).

Nine playing and practice seasons options were offered:

1) Traditional Segment: modify and make more consistent the length of playing seasons based on a student?s overall percentage of time engaged in athletics (56% strongly support or support, 21% strongly oppose or oppose). Twelve conferences ? institutions with smaller enrollments, higher costs of attendance ? unanimously supported or supported with one vote of opposition; three conferences opposition with one vote of support.

2) Traditional Segment: establish specific start and end dates, which may be all-inclusive (69% strongly support or support).

3) Traditional Segment: establish reasonable limits to minimize impact on missed class time (83% strongly support or support).

4) Traditional Segment: reduce or eliminate limitations, based on institutional autonomy (68% strongly oppose or oppose).

5) Nontraditional Segment: retain current regulations (51% strongly support or support, 25% strongly oppose or oppose).

6) Nontraditional Segment: consider further limitation, e.g., fewer contests or practice only (44% strongly support or support, 30% strongly oppose or oppose). Ten conferences ? institutions with smaller enrollments and higher costs of attendance ? unanimously supported or supported with one vote of opposition.

7) Nontraditional Segment: eliminate, i.e., no practice or competition (55% strongly oppose or oppose, 23% strongly support or support).

8) Nontraditional Segment: eliminate, but permit limited individual skill instruction (56% strongly oppose or oppose, 20% strongly support or support).

9) Limit a student-athlete?s participation in countable athletically related activities during the traditional and nontraditional segments to a maximum number of hours per week (37% strongly support or support, 21% strongly oppose or oppose). Eight conferences unanimously supported or supported with one vote of opposition,

Championships

81% or more of the responding institutions strongly agreed or agreed with each of the three championships philosophies:

1) Primary emphasis on regional in-season competition and conference championships.

2) Support student-athletes in their efforts to reach high levels of athletics performance (i.e., facilities, coaching and competition).

3) Place special importance on the impact of athletics on participants rather than on spectators and the general public.

Five championships options were offered:

1) Retain one division/one national championship, i.e., current structure (74% strongly support or support).

2) Establish two subdivisions and two national championships (60% strongly oppose or oppose, 16% strongly support or support).

3) Establish two subdivisions in the preliminary rounds, playing to one national champion (56% strongly oppose or oppose, 10% strongly support or support).

4) Establish regional championships ? one division playing to four regional champions (65% strongly oppose or oppose).

5) Eliminate the national championships structure (85% strongly oppose or oppose).

Membership

76% or more of the responding institutions strongly agreed or agreed with each of the four membership philosophies:

1) Provide equitable athletics opportunities for males and females.

2) Give equal emphasis to all sports.

3) Support ethnic and gender diversity for all constituents.

4) Assure that athletics programs support the educational mission of institutions.

Eight membership options were offered:

1) Retain current sports sponsorship requirements of 5 for men and 5 for women (69% strongly support or support).

2) Increase the minimum based on division-wide average of almost 16 total (45% strongly oppose or oppose, 25% strongly support or support). Active members in 1990 or later, seven conferences ? larger, less expensive with lower proportions of student-athletes ? unanimously opposed or opposed ? largest proportion of student-athletes, highest cost of attendance.

3) Decrease sponsorship requirements based on institutional autonomy (69% strongly oppose or oppose).

4) Eliminate multidivision classification, i.e., require all sports to be sponsored in Division III (46% strongly support or support, 31% strongly oppose or oppose). Six conferences unanimously supported or supported with one vote of opposition; two conferences in unanimous opposition or opposition with one vote of support.

5) Coaching limits. Establish limits on number of permissible coaches per sport, based on reasonable full-time equivalent ratio of participants to coaches in each sport (50% strongly support or support, 24% strongly oppose or oppose). Eight conferences unanimously supported or supported with one vote of opposition; two conferences unanimously opposed or opposed with one vote of support.

6) Travel and Squad sizes. Establish travel and varsity squad size limits (43% strongly support or support, 32% strongly oppose or oppose).

7) Retain one division ? status quo (74% support).

8) Establish membership subdivisions within Division III to permit schools to further pursue legislative autonomy while retaining core principles applicable to the entire division (51% strongly oppose or oppose, 21% strongly support or support). Schools that are larger, less expensive, lower proportion of student-athletes; 12 conferences unanimously opposed or opposed with one vote of support.

Areas of Concern

	Topic Areas	Rank Order 1	Rank Order 2	Rank Order 3	Rank Order 4	Rank Order 5	Not Ranked
a.	Financial Aid (1)	32	15	13	11	16	13
b.	Eligibility and Recruiting (3)	10	22	27	18	8	15
c.	Playing and Practice Seasons (2)	30	23	19	12	2	14
d.	Championships (4)	6	18	13	27	22	14
e.	Membership (5)	11	11	13	16	34	15