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.
Recent Governance Meetings - Key Discussions and Outcomes.
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, April 15-16 Key agenda items. The committee determined its new process to cast a vote at the NCAA Convention Division III Business Session per the passage of Proposal 2023-4. The committee also received congressional engagement education, identified its new working groups and goals and deliberated a Division III specific mental health hardship waiver.
Student-athlete congressional townhalls. Division II and III National SAAC hosted two joint townhalls for approximately 70 student-athletes. The townhalls provided student-athletes with an opportunity to learn more about the legal and state threats to collegiate athletics, and the work of the NCAA Board of Governors Subcommittee on Congressional Engagement and Action.
Management Council, April 17-18 Financial and Risk Management Working Group. The council reviewed the roster, charge, timeline, and initial areas of review of the working group. It also provided feedback regarding the working relationship with standing governance committees.
PROP and federated playing rules.
The council adopted noncontroversial legislation to eliminate the requirement that playing rules must be common.
The council reviewed and provided feedback on an initial Division III specific playing rules process. An advisory group, endorsed by the council, developed the process. The proposed process operates within the current structure for reviewing and adopting playing rules but adds additional Division III perspectives to support the members of the sport specific rules committee and Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP).
NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct. The council delayed acting on a request from the NCAA Board of Governors to eliminate the Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct. The council was concerned with the perception of eliminating this committee during a time with increased sportsmanship and ethical conduct issues within college athletics. While the council understands this committee was not meeting regularly and its original charge has changed, it asked for more details on how the NCAA would continue this important work. The council will receive these additional details during its July meeting and anticipates acting at that time.
Blanket waiver – full-time enrollment. The council extended the current blanket waiver which permits student-athletes who earned a season-of-competition participation relief due to COVID-19 and had not previously used any pandemic-related enrollment relief to participate while enrolled less than full-time provided the student-athlete meets established criteria.
Name, Image and Likeness resource. The council approved an educational resource created to guide institutions in their involvement in a student-athlete’s Name, Image and Likeness activities.
Division III Enhancement Fund evaluation. The council reviewed and approved the process (scope of the review, schedule, and desired outcomes) and estimated cost of $200,000 for the outside evaluation of the Division III Enhancement Fund. Additionally, the council identified the need for such an evaluation to help inform future programming and budgeting allocations.
Division I Transformation Committee recommendations. The council reviewed the Division I Transformation Committee concepts regarding the holistic student-athlete model. The council focused its attention on two concepts: (a) Providing student-athletes with coverage of out-of-pocket expenses for athletically related injuries; and (b) Providing student-athletes with post participation healthcare for all athletically related injures for a minimum of two years. Staff informed the council of what is permissible under current NCAA Division III legislation. While operationally both concepts are positive, the council noted that without an NCAA subsidy these benefits would be cost prohibitive for most Division III institutions.
Committee on Women’s Athletics. The council approved a legislative proposal for the 2024 NCAA Convention to add Stunt as an emerging sport for women and establish legislation related to athletics personnel, amateurism, recruiting, financial aid, playing and practice seasons and membership, as specified.
Sport sponsorship minimum participants in tennis. Upon recommendation of the Championships Committee at its October meeting the council agreed to sponsor a 2024 convention proposal amending the minimum participant requirements for the sport of tennis from six to four. Upon additional review, the council referred the concept to the Membership Committee for review before approving the final legislative draft during its July meeting.
Athletic Trainers Working Group. The council approved the creation of a working group to identify the factors impacting Division III’s efforts to hire and retain athletic trainers and to create recommendations to help institutions address those identified factors. The composition of the group includes athletic trainers from Division III institutions, a Division III athletics director, a member of the Management Council and a president/chancellor from a Division III institution.
Philosophy Statement Review Working Group. The council reviewed the current draft of the philosophy statement. The council believes the current version accurately reflects the philosophical values of the division. The council also endorsed the plan to finalize the proposed philosophy statement which includes additional feedback from the membership with a final draft to the council to consider for 2024 convention legislation during its summer meeting.
Division III Congressional advocates. The council received an update on the membership-wide educational sessions conducted by the Division III Congressional Advocates. The advocate’s charge is to support the efforts of the NCAA Board of Governors Subcommittee on Congressional Engagement and Action and specifically the Division III member on this subcommittee. The council also reviewed a summary of the feedback and key questions from the membership educational webinars. It noted that those in the membership who are prepared to reach out to federal and state legislators are ready for direction on next steps and information they can use when reaching out.
Presidents Council, April 26 Financial and Risk Management Working Group. [See Management Council].
Enrichment fund evaluation. [See Management Council]
Philosophy Statement Review Working Group. [See Management Council]
BOG Congressional engagement. [See Management Council]
Championships Committee, April 27 Gender equity. The committee received an update on the ongoing gender equity efforts across all divisions.
Budget priorities. In mid-April, a budget priorities survey was distributed to the membership seeking initial feedback to inform the Championships Committee’s discussions ahead of the FY25 budget cycle. Based on membership feedback, the committee extended the deadline to receive responses to May 24. It also noted that while initially the survey request was for conference members to working collaboratively to submit one conference response, it also will accept individual institutional responses to the survey. The committee will review the feedback during its June meeting and continue to engage the membership prior to finalizing its budget priorities in the spring of 2024.
Selection criteria. The committee provided feedback on a proposed timeline to potentially implement a new metric (e.g., PairWise) by which teams are selected to championships. The current target implementation date is September 2024.
Upcoming Meetings and Anticipated Discussions.
There are no upcoming meetings.
With every communication, we also anticipate additional questions. Please send all questions to DIIIGovernance@ncaa.org. Thank you for your continued collaboration and leadership.
This email was sent to NCAA Division III commissioners and the NADIIIAA executive board based on contact information in the NCAA Directory.
