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.

FAR Advisory Group, June 4
Division III FAR Institute. The working group reviewed the draft agenda for the 2026 Division III FAR Institute to be held November 8-10 in Indianapolis. Nominations will open July 1. 

Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, June 9
Committee composition. The committee recommended noncontroversial legislation that would amend the Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee from six members to 10 members. This expansion would allow for more Division III representation in future eligibility conversations. Management Council will act on this recommendation during its July meeting.

Cross divisional issues. The committee discussed ways to evaluate the eligibility of transfer student-athletes from non-Division III institutions. The committee stated that moving forward, all waivers filed on behalf of transfer student-athletes will be assessed under Division III legislation. This includes extension of eligibility, season-of-participation, and hardship waivers. 

Hardship waivers. The committee reviewed hardship waiver legislation holistically, including a review of the timing of waiver submissions and practice while waivers are pending. The committee recommended noncontroversial legislation that would permit a student-athlete to continue participating in practice while a hardship waiver appeal submitted to NCAA staff is pending. The Management Council will act on this recommendation during its July meeting.

Sports wagering. The committee continued its conversation regarding sports wagering harm reduction strategies. The committee recommended an addition to its guidelines that would consider a reduced penalty if the student-athlete has been diagnosed with behaviors consistent with problem gambling, or if the student-athlete receives an official assessment by a licensed professional and is determined not to have problematic behaviors. Cases will continue to be assessed on a case by case basis to determine what conditions of reinstatement are appropriate. 

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Upcoming Meetings and Anticipated Discussions. 

Presidents Advisory Group, June 15
Division III Analysis. The advisory group will receive an overview of the ongoing Division III Analysis and provide feedback on the identified tensions and in particular, the tension surrounding governance and oversight, to the working group. 

Campus senior leaders initiative. The advisory group will provide feedback on a new initiative to better engage and educate campus senior leaders (i.e., presidents/chancellors and Athletics Direct Reports). The feedback will be shared with the Presidents Council during its Aug. meeting.

Joint presidential session. The advisory group will provide feedback on the proposed agenda, supporting research/data and identified higher education themes. The feedback will be shared with the Presidents Council during its Aug. meeting. The goal of the joint meeting is to find consensus on the top five higher education trends impacting Division III and II institutions and the impact on college athletics.

Championships Committee, June 15-16
Alcohol sales at championships. The committee will review the current Division III legislation concerning alcohol sales at NCAA championships and discuss possible changes to allow alcohol sales at future championships provided hosts meet the established criteria.

Division III championships hosts. The committee will discuss championships hosting and the requirements for a member school or conference to be assigned as a host.

National Collegiate Committee review. The committee will be asked to review recommendations to update legislation, policies, and procedures related to National Collegiate committees.

NCAA Power Index (NPI). The committee will review fall and winter sport committee recommendations to adjust their NPI dials effective in 2027-28. The committee also will discuss Regional Advisory Committees and their changing role within the NPI construct.

Budget planning. The committee will make its final budget recommendations for 2026-27 and 2027-28.

Division III Analysis, June 16
Gap analysis and emerging themes. The working group will review the membership survey feedback, including net-new ideas, and revamp options to mitigate the six identified tensions. Some options may be moved to a parking lot to discuss at a later date, while others may be delegated to a specific governance committee. 

Initial roadmap creation. The working group will build a prioritized roadmap. It will layer options (one tension at a time) onto the overall roadmap and discuss relative importance and prioritization.

Fundamental considerations. The consultants will introduce the idea of fundamental changes that could be explored by the working group. 

Interpretations and Legislation Committee, June 17
Transfer eligibility and the proposed Division I eligibility model. The committee will review the proposed new Division I eligibility model, its regulatory impact for Division III regarding transfer student-athletes and discuss how to address this impact.

Pre-enrollment amateurism review. The committee will review recent Division I changes regarding pre-enrollment prize money and use of agents and discuss what if any changes should be considered by Division III. 

Convention Business Session review. The committee will consider proposing a process to allow a ‘consent agenda’ for some convention proposals to streamline the voting at the Division III Business Session. 

Transfer portal. The committee will review the proposed transfer portal educational module and provide feedback. 

Convention Planning Subcommittee, June 18
2027 Convention schedule. The subcommittee will review the proposed schedule for the Division II and III annual convention and provide its feedback to the Management Council for consideration at its July meeting.

Division III 2027 Convention educational sessions. The subcommittee will select and recommend the Division III educational sessions to the Division III Management Council. The subcommittee’s recommendation will include at least one educational session proposed by the Division III membership.

Division III 2027 Convention Issues Forum. The subcommittee will begin to discuss the format and topics to be discussed during the Division III Issues Forum.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee, June 18
Opportunity programs. The subcommittee will review the Division III 2026 programs (e.g., Student Immersion Program, LGBTQ Awards, and Institute for Administrative Advancement) and discuss the program impacts. The subcommittee also will receive updates on the Division III Opportunity grants history.

Legislative landscape. The subcommittee will receive an update on the current DEI legislative landscape.

Presidents Council Futures Subcommittee, June 23
Division III Analysis. The subcommittee will receive an overview of the ongoing Division III Analysis and provide feedback on the identified tensions and in particular, the tension surrounding governance and oversight, to the working group. 

Campus senior leaders initiative. The subcommittee will provide feedback on a new initiative to better engage and educate campus senior leaders (i.e., presidents/chancellors and Athletics Direct Reports). The feedback will be shared with the Presidents Council during its Aug. meeting.

Joint presidential session. The subcommittee will provide feedback on the proposed agenda, supporting research/data and identified higher education themes. The feedback will be shared with the Presidents Council during its Aug. meeting. The goal of the joint meeting is to find consensus on the top five higher education trends impacting Division III and II institutions and the impact on college athletics.

Strategic Planning and Finance Committee, June 23
Division III Analysis. Similar to the PAG and PC Futures Subcommittee, the committee will receive an update on the Division III Analysis and provide feedback to the working group.

FY27 and FY28 budget planning. The committee will make its final FY27 and FY28 budget recommendations for the councils to consider and approve during their summer meetings. The division’s new budget cycle begins on Sept. 1.

Strategic plans. The committee will review the outcomes of this year’s strategic plan and recommend the FY27 plan to the councils to approve during their summer meetings.

Membership Committee, June 24-25
Review of annual reports. The committee will review the annual reports from Carlow University, Penn State Brandywine, Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte, and Regent University. If approved, the institutions will advance in the provisional membership process.

2026 Regional Rules Seminar. The committee will review a report of participant numbers, satisfaction with Bylaw 20.8.4.16, and participant feedback.

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Reminders. 

Compliance Assistant 2.0 and Academic Portal System Updates. Compliance Assistant 2.0 became available as of Monday, June 8. The Academic Portal has been migrated, and functionality has been restored. All data entered into the Academic Portal prior to the June 5 shutdown has been migrated into Compliance Assistant 2.0. Before using the Academic Portal in Compliance Assistant 2.0, confirm your single sign-on (SSO) access is set up to avoid login errors. Once logged in, review the Member setup screens to confirm your school details. The prior Academic Portal will remain available as read only to cross-reference data, with no editing access. User guides and session recordings are available in the Resources section of Compliance Assistant 2.0. For questions, contact complianceassistant@ncaa.org.

NCAA.org is Getting a Refresh. Over the past year, NCAA communications has been working to reimagine NCAA.org with a focus on creating a more intuitive, user-friendly experience for all audiences including student-athletes, membership, media and the general public. As part of this effort, we have streamlined site navigation, consolidated content, enhanced search functionality and updated page designs to make information easier to find, understand and maintain. The new site is built around a clearer content strategy, helping users quickly access the resources and information most important to them. While the overall look has been modernized, communications worked closely with Division III staff to ensure its members still have one primary destination that houses information on DIII committees, legislation and policy, academics, infractions process, and membership resources. The updated NCAA.org is scheduled to launch on Monday, July 6.

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