The NCAA Division III staff has created this bi-weekly communication for the Division III membership to provide up-to-date communications on recent Division III governance meeting discussions and outcomes. Please share this communication with your campus and conference colleagues

Division III convention sessions. The subcommittee provide feedback on the current Division III sessions and programs scheduled for the 2026 NCAA Convention.

As a reminder, NCAA Convention registration is open, and the early bird registration ends Fri., Oct. 10.

Championships Committee, September 8-9
Championship bench size. The committee acted to accept the sport committee recommendations to increase select championship bench limits effective for 2025-26 championships. The committee also agreed to seek additional feedback from sport committees regarding whether the bench limits should be unlimited as facilities allow. The committee is specifically seeking feedback on facility and athletic trainer impact to accommodate unlimited bench sizes. The committee will receive additional information to review during its Oct. meeting.

Bracketing pilot. The committee reviewed the first year of the bracketing pilot program that protects tops seeds and adds flights where necessary to ensure competitive equity and balance in the preliminary rounds. The committee will continue monitoring flights through year two of the bracketing pilot and leading into the next budget cycle (FY27 and FY28).

Video review requirements. The committee reviewed a document that outlines what is required for hosting preliminary rounds relative to video review technology. This resource has been shared more broadly with commissioners and sport committees.

2026 legislative proposal review. At the request of the Management Council, the committee reviewed the following membership proposals and recommended a position to the council.

• Championships – Automatic Qualification – Required Participation by Conference Core Members. Intent: To require that if an institution is a core member of a conference and that conference has an AQ in a sport, that institution must participate in the conference’s fully established AQ process in that sport to have access to the NCAA championship. The committee recommends the council support the proposal, though it asked that the sponsors be contacted to clarify the criteria by which a conference defines its AQ process.
• Championships – Amend the In-Region Competition Requirement. Intent: To reduce the required minimum percentage of in-region competition for championships eligibility from 70% to 50% for all sports except golf, which would stay at 25%, and tennis, which would maintain its 50% requirement, and to expand the spring break exception to allow institutions hosting contests during another institution’s break to also exempt the out-of-region contest even if that hosting institution is not in an institutional vacation period. The committee recommends the council support the proposal.
• Eligibility – Criteria for Determining Season of Eligibility – Minimum Amount of Participation – Only Competition Triggering Use of a Season. Intent: To specify that a student-athlete would be charged with a season of eligibility if the student-athlete competes at any point during the traditional season. The committee voted to take no position on the proposal because it does not directly affect the administration of Division III championships.
• Championships – Automatic Qualification – Multiple Automatic Qualifier Model. Intent: To develop a formula to provide multiple automatic qualifiers to multisport conferences that have 12 or more members that sponsor a sport that includes the following factors: (a) once a conference reaches 12 or more core members sponsoring a sport, the conference would immediately receive a second automatic qualifier in that sport; (b) if a conference falls below 12 core members sponsoring a sport, the conference would immediately lose their second automatic qualifier in that sport; and (c) the method by which the conference determines its conference representatives is the responsibility of the conference and shall be declared and outlined at the time of the automatic qualifier declaration. The committee recommends the council not support the proposal based on the potential negative impact on the number of at-large bids.
• Championships – Automatic Qualification – Waiting Period – Multisport Conference – Adjust from Two Years to One. Intent: To reduce the waiting period for a multisport conference to receive an automatic qualification from two years to one. The committee recommends the council not support the proposal based on the differences between core and affiliate members of a conference, as well as acknowledging that a waiver process already exists for a conference with compelling rationale to reduce the waiting period.
• Championships – Establish a Division III Women’s Wrestling Championship. Intent: To establish a Division III Women’s Wrestling Championship starting in the 2027-28 academic year and a Division III Women’s Wrestling Committee as specified. The committee recommends the council support the proposal.

Championships equity update. The committee received an update on the NCAA’s monitoring of gender equity within the Association and Division III championships.

Golf regional format proposal. The committee received an overview of the progress the men’s and women’s golf committees have made on their regional format proposal, which would create five regions per gender with regional competition (15 men’s teams and 12 women’s) determining advancement to the finals sites beginning with the 2027 or 2028 championships. The golf committees have sought feedback from the membership and determined budget estimates to formalize their proposal. The recommendation comes with a significant budget impact (approximately $550,000) for both regionals. It also would require a date formula change. While the committee did not take a position on the proposal at this time, members offered feedback and asked for additional information/clarification regarding various components of the proposal. The golf committees plan to formally submit the proposal for the committee to consider during its February meeting when it begins deliberations regarding the next budget cycle.

Soccer official. The committee approved the men’s and women’s soccer committees’ request to add an eighth official per gender to the finals site, effectively immediately.

Tennis contractor. The committee supported a recommendation for the men’s and women’s tennis committees to hire a contractor to help provide data spreadsheets for team and individual rankings and selections. While the goal is to establish an NPI for tennis to manage the team rankings and selections, the spreadsheets will help organize the data for individuals (singles and doubles) in a concise and clear format that is beneficial for ranking and selection discussion. 

Tennis seven-point scoring pilot. The committee noted as information that the men’s and women’s tennis committees’ recommendation (and subsequent approval from the tennis rules subcommittee) that the seven-point scoring pilot was adopted as a permanent rule change beginning with the 2025-26 season.

FAR Advisory Group, September 9
Review of a Division III membership proposal. The group reviewed the membership proposal related to the criteria for determining a student-athlete’s season of eligibility. The group ultimately could not reconcile the proposal, which could potentially encourage extending the number of years to attain an undergraduate degree, with the Division III philosophy statement that establishes the primary focus on intercollegiate athletics as a four-year undergraduate experience. They noted potential impacts of the proposed rule, both negative and positive. 

2025 Division III FAR Institute. The group reviewed the 2025 FAR Institute participant roster and approved the agenda that will be held November 18 and 19 in conjunction with the Faculty Athletics Representative Association (FARA) annual meeting in Indianapolis, IN.

Presidents Council Futures Subcommittee, September 10
Strategic items. The subcommittee engaged with the NCAA governance relations staff and Division I vice president to discuss congressional engagement and the Division I governance restructuring, respectively.

The subcommittee received an update on the NCAA and membership’s efforts to support a federal bill, the SCORE Act. The bill, which has passed out of multiple House committees could come up for a full floor vote soon. The bill would codify that student-athletes not be classified as campus employees; the greatest threat to Division III institutions as identified in the 2024 Deloitte review. The staff also shared the importance of Division III presidents contacting their Representatives and asking them to sponsor and vote yes for the bill.

The subcommittee also heard additional details regarding the recent restructuring within Division I governance, and its impact on Division III. The restructuring provides a path for Division I to achieve its governance objectives and remain together, which provides stability for the entire Association. 

Nominating Committee, September 10
Committee vacancies. The committee reviewed the nominations and identified individuals to fill the January 2026 committee vacancies, the immediate vacancies for the new playing rules structure and a handful of immediate vacancies. The committee was not able to recommend individuals for all the new playing rules committees and will review those unfilled positions on its October 2 videoconference.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee, September 16
Legislative landscape. The committee received an update on the current DEI legislative landscape.

Diversity programs. The subcommittee discussed upcoming Division III programs (e.g., Student Immersion Program) and received updates on the OneTeam and Inclusive Leaders programs.

Interpretations and Legislation Committee, September 16-17
2026 Convention proposals. The committee reviewed the 2026 Convention Legislative Proposals and began developing relevant questions and answers for the membership. It also provided recommended positions on the following membership proposals:

• Recruiting -- Unofficial Visit -- Meals For Prospective Student-Athletes And Their Guests. Intent: Amend the current legislation to allow institutions to provide meals in an on-campus dining facility for a prospective student-athlete and those individuals accompanying the prospective student-athlete.  The committee recommends the council support this proposal. The committee agreed that institutional policy as opposed to a national standard should apply.
• Eligibility -- Criteria For Determining Season of Eligibility -- Minimum Amount of Participation -- Only Competition Triggering Use Of A Season. Intent: To specify that a student-athlete would be charged with a season of eligibility if the student-athlete competes at any point during the traditional season. The committee recommends that the council doesn’t take a position on this proposal. The committee agreed that this is an issue that impacts the philosophy statement, and the membership at large should determine the outcome without influence from the governance structure. 
• Playing Seasons -- Add a Mandatory Winter Break. Intent: To establish a seven-consecutive-calendar-day-period over the winter break; Further to specify that during the winter break, student-athletes may not be employed at institutional camps and clinics, may not participate in any countable athletically related activities and may not participate in any voluntary athletically related activities on campus unless the facility is open to the general student-body. The committee recommends the council not support this proposal. While the committee supports the intent underlying the proposal, it noted that currently institutions have the discretion to implement a break period and requiring a specific break for all institutions causes too many concerns. 

Proposal grouping. The committee is forwarding a recommendation to the Management Council to consider during its October meeting in regard to the order and grouping of proposals. 

Student manager and student coach roles. The committee directed staff to present options, at a future meeting, for simplifying eligibility consequences associated with student manager and student coaching roles. The committee agreed that the current application can be confusing and in some circumstances overly restrictive. 

Membership Committee, September 18
Regional Rules Seminar attendance. The committee approved an addition to the committee policy related to the Regional Rules Seminar attendance requirement to allow member institutions to meet the once-in-three years attendance requirement by viewing the livestream of the Regional Rules Seminar. Beginning with the 2026 Regional Rules Seminar scheduled for May 13-16 in Atlanta, GA, institutions can meet the requirement by either attending in-person or by viewing the livestream. In its decision the committee noted the policy change will address financial challenges associated with travel, lodging and expenses, eliminates the need for a staff member to be away from campus, and provides member institutions with the flexibility to determine how best to provide valuable compliance training for their staff and coaches. The committee requested NCAA staff design and implement an attestation system to monitor attendance efficiently and effectively. The penalty structure for failing to meet the attendance requirement remains intact.

Upcoming Meetings and Anticipated Discussions.

Financial Aid Committee, September 24
Review of a Division III membership proposal. The committee will review the membership proposal related to the criteria for determining a student-athlete’s season of eligibility. It will recommend a position of support, opposition, or no position to the Management Council.

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