2006 Division III Membership Sponsored Proposals

Proposal Number	Title	Intent	Effective Date	Sponsor(s)	Committee Evaluation	MC/PC Position	Comment
1	MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS -- DIVISION III PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT -- ELIMINATION OF IN-REGION COMPETITION EMPHASIS	To eliminate the emphasis on in-region competition by amending the Division III philosophy statement and the championships selection process for all Division III team sports.	August 1, 2006	Conference: College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Northwest Conference University Athletic Association	Championships, Membership: Support The committee supported institutional autonomy in scheduling athletics contests.
2	ELIGIBILITY -- SEASONS OF COMPETITION	To specify that a student-athlete shall use a season of eligibility when he or she participates in any regular-season competition (including scrimmages occurring after the first contest or date of competition and competition in the nontraditional segment) or postseason intercollegiate competition.	August 1, 2006	Conference: Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference Institution: Keene State College Plymouth State University Rhode Island College University of Southern Maine	ILC

3	ELIGIBILITY -- SEASONS OF PARTICIPATION -- PARTICIPATION AT ANY COLLEGIATE INSTITUTION	To specify that participation at any collegiate institution shall constitute the use of a season of eligibility.	August 1, 2006	Conference: Midwest Conference	ILC
4	EXECUTIVE REGULATIONS -- AUTOMATIC QUALIFICATION -- CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT PERIOD	To permit a new conference to be eligible for automatic qualification for a limited time period, as specified.	August 1, 2006	Conference: Commonwealth Coast Conference	Championships
5	EXECUTIVE REGULATIONS -- AUTOMATIC QUALIFICATION -- SEVEN INSTITUTION REQUIREMENT -- TWO-YEAR GRACE PERIOD	To provide conferences with automatic qualification status a two-year (academic) grace period to meet the minimum member sponsorship requirement of seven team, should the conference fall below that minimum; further, to specify that if the conference falls below four core institutions, the grace period would become void and the conference would lose its automatic qualification status.	Immediate	Conference: Empire 8	Championships

6	EXECUTIVE REGULATIONS -- PRIMARY CRITERIA -- RANKING AND SELECTION -- STRENGTH-OF-CONFERENCE INDEX	To amend the primary selection criteria for Pools B and C to include a strength-of-conference index.	August 1, 2007	Conference: College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Ohio Athletic Conference Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference	Championships
7	DIVISION III MEMBERSHIP -- MAXIMUM CAPACITY	To establish as a final, permanent maximum size of the Division III membership the number of active, provisional and reclassifying members as of June 1, 2006; further, to allow all provisional and exploratory members, as of September 1, 2005, to be included in the final permanent membership total and to allow those current NCAA members of Divisions I and II which may choose to reclassify their institutions into Division III, as of June 1, 2006, to be included in the final permanent membership total.	Immediate for provisional or exploratory institutions; June 1, 2006 for Division I or II institutions that submit reclassification applications on or before June 1, 2006.	Conference: North Coast Athletic Conference	Membership: No position The committee noted the opportunity for the membership to decide on the legislative proposal.

8	DIVISION III MEMBERSHIP -- SPORTS SPONSORSHIP REQUIREMENTS	To increase the required number of sports sponsored to achieve or maintain active Division III membership.	August 1, 2010	Conference: North Coast Athletic Conference	Membership: Oppose The committee noted its opposition for the sports sponsorship requirement based on institutional enrollment. The committee is in support of the sports sponsorship requirements in the Presidents Council proposal.
9	PERSONNEL -- LIMITATIONS ON SCOUTING OF OPPONENTS -- EXHIBITION CONTESTS	To eliminate the prohibition on member institutions scouting opponents participating in exhibition contests.	August 1, 2006	Conference: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference	ILC
10	PLAYING AND PRACTICE SEASONS -- EXCEPTION TO PLAYING SEASON LIMITATIONS AND CONTEST EXEMPTION -- POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT	To exclude from the playing season and exempt from maximum contest limitations one postseason championship event in every sport.	August 1, 2006	Conference: Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Empire 8 New Jersey Athletic Conference	Playing and Practice Seasons: Support This proposal is a reasonable accommodation for excluding one week from the declared playing season for participation in a post-season event. Further, this proposal could assist with the challenges related to championships access and the growth of the division.

11	PLAYING AND PRACTICE SEASONS -- FIRST CONTEST AND PRACTICE DATE -- FOOTBALL	In football, to permit an institution to play its first contest (game) on the Thursday prior to Labor Day in those years when the first permissible contest date falls on the Labor Day weekend; further, to permit a maximum of 25 practice opportunities prior to the Friday prior to Labor Day when the institution's first contest (game) is scheduled for the Thursday prior to Labor Day.	August 1, 2006	Conference: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference	Playing and Practice Seasons: Support This proposal provides limited scheduling flexibility for institutions sponsoring football without increasing the overall length of the playing and practice season. Specifically, this proposal does not move back the first permissible practice date in August.	Support
12	PLAYING AND PRACTICE SEASONS -- MAXIMUM CONTEST LIMITATIONS -- LACROSSE	In lacrosse, to amend the maximum contest limitations to include 17 dates of competition in the traditional segment and one date of competition in the nontraditional segment.	August 1, 2006	Conference: Empire 8	Playing and Practice Seasons: Support 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.	Support

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PLAYING AND PRACTICE SEASONS -- NONTRADITIONAL SEGMENT LENGTH AND MAXIMUM CONTEST LIMITATIONS

In baseball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball and women's volleyball, to add four days of athletically related activity and two dates of competition to the nontraditional segment, as specified.

August 1, 2006

Conference: Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference Institution: Keene State College Plymouth State University Rhode Island College University of Southern Maine

Playing and Practice Seasons: Oppose 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.

Oppose