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.
Joint Legislative Steering Subcommittee, October 13 2026 NCAA Convention proposals. The subcommittee reviewed the 2026 proposals and recommend five proposals be placed in the Presidents Grouping. The proposals are the following:
Establish a Division III women’s wrestling championship.
Criteria for determining a season of eligibility – minimum amount of participation.
Automatic qualification – multiple AQ model.
Automatic qualification – required participation by conference core members.
The subcommittee also recommends that a resolution regarding monitoring Name, Image and Likeness should be part of the Presidents Grouping. The Presidents Council will review the recommendations and make a final decision during its late Oct. meeting.
Championships Committee, October 14 Championship bench size. The committee continued its review of the current championships bench limits and agreed to the following, effective with the 2025-26 championships:
Accept the new recommendations as proposed, including those from sport committees desiring to include all rostered student-athletes and those from sport committees with a set number. (Refer to the October report)
For sports recommending that the bench limit includes all rostered student-athletes, the additional personnel in the bench area must have a specific role and are subject to the team’s ability to adequately oversee the increased bench size.
The host’s ability to accommodate the sport committee’s recommendations must be communicated during the pre-championship call after selections so that the visiting team(s) can make the proper arrangements.
Sport committees shall determine how or whether to distinguish players who are not eligible to participate in the competition from those who are (i.e., the squad size). Current policies regarding what student-athletes beyond those within the squad size are allowed to do during the championships will remain the same.
The committee will discuss the prescribed penalties for playing an ineligible player during its November videoconference. Such penalties will be a point of emphasis during the pre-championship call.
Championships budget priorities. The committee discussed the championships and divisional budget priorities in preparation for the future FY27-FY28 budget planning beginning in early 2026. The committee will discuss during its February meeting and make its initial recommendations to SPFC to review during its March meeting. The councils will review the initial recommendations during their April meetings.
Meeting frequency. The committee approved a proposal that would amend its meeting frequency from 10 to seven meetings annually, retaining the three primary meetings (two in-person: in September and either February or June), and increasing the length of the four videoconferences from 90 minutes to two hours. The committee believes this new schedule allows more time to prepare the agenda without compromising its ability to complete the work and remain in sync with the cadence of governance meetings.
Women’s lacrosse championship. Staff noted the collaboration underway to stage a joint Division I, II and III Women’s Lacrosse Championship for 2027 and 2028. Division I is expected to extend the invitation to Divisions II and III later this month. If approved by the sport committees, the Championships Committee will be asked to support the recommendation via electronic correspondence before its regularly scheduled November videoconference in order to time up with other key meetings in the approval process (i.e., Strategic Planning and Finance that meets on Nov. 10).
Interpretations and Legislation Committee, October 16 2026 legislative Q&A. The committee continued to develop the question-and-answer document for the 2026 NCAA Convention proposals (16 total and one resolution).
Pre-enrollment organized competition. The committee discussed a referral from the Subcommittee for Legislative Relief regarding the year in residence condition for individuals that participate in organized competition before full-time collegiate enrollment and after the one-year grace period. The committee recommends Management Council adopt noncontroversial legislation recognizing that the existing use of a season is a sufficient condition and the additional year in residence is unnecessary.
Upcoming Meetings and Anticipated Discussions.
Management Council, October 20-21 Nominating committee. The council will consider a recommendation to approve noncontroversial legislation to exempt Management Council representatives assigned to committees from the area and multi-sport conference composition legislation and to amend the composition requirements for the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee.
Playing rules. The council will consider a request from the membership to exempt Division III from a newly adopted playing rule (i.e., officials headsets) for the sport of women’s lacrosse.
2026 Convention legislation. The council will review committee feedback and take initial positions for the membership sponsored convention proposals. The council also will recommend to the Presidents Council the proposed grouping and order of proposals for voting.
Sports betting. The council will consider adopting in final legislative form a noncontroversial proposal to permit wagering on professional athletics. If approved by Divisions III and II, the legislation is expected to become effective November 1, 2025.
NCAA ID numbers. The council will consider amending its policies for the submission of graduation rate information beginning in 2032 to include the submission of NCAA ID numbers for all student-athletes. This will require all student-athletes enrolling in a Division III institution beginning fall 2026 to have an NCAA ID number.
Division III analysis. The council will engage in an open discussion of the state of Division III and consider whether there is need for an in-depth analysis of its structure (e.g., membership. standards, championships access, legislative outcomes, finances, etc.).
Presidents Advisory Group and Presidents Council, October 27 NCAA president. The PAG and council will engage with President Baker and receive updates on the Association’s FY26 goals and topics impacting higher education and Division III.
Roundtable discussions. The PAG and council will engage in two roundtable discussions. The first is a discussion on the current Division III eligibility rules, legal challenges and eligibility rules in Division II and I. The second roundtable will be a discussion on the state of Division III and the need for an in-depth analysis of its structure (e.g., min. standards, championships access, legislative outcomes, finances, etc.).
2026 legislative proposals. The PAG and council will discuss the proposals identified for the Presidential Grouping to help inform the council’s discussion that will occur on Oct. 28.
Presidents Council, October 27-28 2026 legislative proposals. The council will review the legislative proposals, finalize its positions, and review and approve the proposal grouping.
Strategic priorities. The council will discuss identified strategic priorities to advance the division.
Resources
2026 Publication of Proposals. As you prepare for the NCAA Convention and the slate of legislative proposals, click here for the publication of proposals.
With every communication, we also anticipate additional questions. Please send all questions to DIIIGovernance@ncaa.org.
