This update is a tool to enhance communication between the NCAA national office and the Division III membership, with distribution to athletics directors, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives, presidents, national SAAC, conference commissioners and the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators listserv. We encourage athletics directors to share this communication with their athletics department members. Please contact Katie Mucci to include an item or share comments, and remember to check out the Division III governance homepage for the latest news and information.
The annual NCAA Convention will be held Jan. 14-17 in Nashville, Tennessee. NCAA members should register by Friday, Oct. 11, to get the lowest registration rate ($325). Key events include the Welcome and Awards Presentation on Tuesday, Jan. 14, and the Woman of the Year Awards presentation Wednesday, Jan. 15. The Division III Issues Forum will occur the morning of Thursday, Jan. 16, while the Division III Business Session will be the morning of Friday, Jan. 17.
As a reminder, per Bylaw 20.8.4.15 Convention and Regional Rules Seminar Attendance, each active member institution must be represented by an institutional staff member who is certified as a voting delegate and who votes for the institution at the NCAA Convention Division III business session. Institutions must vote at the Friday Business session to satisfy Bylaw 20.8.4.15. If you have questions regarding the Convention attendance requirement, please contact Eric Hartung.
Facts and Figures
Click here to access the annual Division III fact sheets, including the 2024-25 budget.
DEADLINE APPROACHING: Athletic Communications Emerging Elite Program
Division III will host the inaugural Athletic Communicators Emerging Elite Program Dec. 8-10 in Indianapolis. The program’s goal is to provide professional development and networking opportunities for athletic communicators, particularly those early in their careers seeking to advance to a director-level position or those who have recently become a director. Topics discussed will cover a variety of professional development areas that may include leadership training, networking, positioning yourself to oversee a staff, collaborating with others, navigating expanded responsibilities and more. The deadline to both nominate and to submit all application materials through Program Hub is 5 p.m. Eastern time Friday, October 11, 2024.
Division III Webinars
Webinars will be from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Eastern time the first Tuesday of the month on the following dates and topics:
Oct. 8 — Review of Division III Noncontroversial Legislation Recent Approvals.
Nov. 5 – Recap of Management and Presidents Council Meetings.
Dec. 3 — Academic and Membership Affairs review of 2025 Convention legislation.
All past webinar PowerPoints are on the Division III webinar webpage.
NCAA Directory Information
As we start a new academic year, it is important to make sure your school and conference information is up to date in the NCAA Directory. NCAA communications are sent to the email addresses in the directory. Click here for instructions on how to update your NCAA Directory information. Updates may be made throughout the year as needed. Please contact membershipdirectory@ncaa.org with any questions.
2024-25 NCAA Membership Breakdown
NCAA research has released the 2024-25 NCAA Membership Breakdown. This report is produced each year to provide staff and the public with the official count of NCAA schools and conferences for the latest academic year. For 2024-25, the NCAA has 1,237 members (conferences and schools), and Division III has 425 active member schools, four in the provisional and reclassifying process, and 42 multi-sport conferences.
The Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee's Mental and Physical Health Subcommittee will be hosting a virtual town hall for student-athletes at 8 p.m. Eastern time Nov. 18. The town hall will feature special guests, and a link will be available in the coming months.
NCAA Championship Site Selection and Bid Process Update
The championships bid process was adjusted from a four-year process to a two-year process, with hosts and sites being awarded for approximately 88 of the 90 NCAA championships for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years. Hosts and sites will be announced Oct. 2.
REMINDER: Sexual Violence Attestation
The NCAA’s Campus Sexual Violence Policy requires all member schools to meet the policy’s six provisions each academic year (Aug. 1-July 31). No later than Nov. 1, each school's president/chancellor, director of athletics and campus Title IX coordinator must attest to their compliance with the policy for the previous academic year. The national office has partnered with Docusign to develop a more streamlined attestation process this year. Please make sure your school’s information in the NCAA Directory is up to date to ensure communication is delivered to the appropriate people.
Injury Surveillance Program
The NCAA Injury Surveillance Program is a voluntary data collection program designed to inform injury prevention, risk-management and health care delivery practices in collegiate athletics by monitoring patterns in sport-related illnesses and injuries. Due to the value of data collected through the Injury Surveillance Program, your school is encouraged to participate during the 2024-25 academic year.
The program supports key NCAA committees, like the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports and various sport playing rules committees. These membership committees rely on the program to inform their decision making and develop policy and rules in support of student-athlete health and safety.
Athletic trainers have and continue to be the cornerstone of the Injury Surveillance Program. As a voluntary program, athletic trainers at NCAA schools may choose to participate and decide for which sports they will submit data; however, full participation and reporting across all sports is suggested.
For further questions about the Injury Surveillance Program, visit the FAQ page or email the Sport Science Institute at ssi@ncaa.org.
Waivers provide relief from legislation when your school or conference can demonstrate that mitigating circumstances exist to warrant flexibility. NCAA staff members are frequently asked about the types of waivers that are available for the Division III membership. The following chart helps to break down some of the most common waiver types:
Issue
Type of Waiver to File in RSRO
Student-athlete has used 10 semesters or 15 quarters but has a season(s) remaining.
Extension of Eligibility Request
A transfer student-athlete is not immediately eligible for competition
Legislative Relief Waiver
Student-athlete would like to participate while not enrolled full-time.
Legislative Relief Waiver
Student-athlete graduated from a non-Division III school and does not meet all three criteria of Bylaw 14.1.8.1.
Legislative Relief Waiver
Member does not vote at Convention or attend Regional Rules Seminar at least once every three years.
Legislative Relief Waiver
Member does not meet overall sports sponsorship minimums.
Membership Requirements Waiver
A Division I or Division II transfer student-athlete is not immediately eligible for competition due to a progress towards degree deficiency.
Progress-Toward-Degree Waiver
Student-athlete has used all seasons in a given sport but has a term(s) of full-time enrollment remaining.
Season of Participation Waiver
If you’re considering submitting a waiver request on behalf of a student-athlete or your school, please use the following resources:
Case Precedent: Case precedent (from the past three years) for cases submitted through RSRO can be found by using the Search tab.
The NCAA Division III Management Council Subcommittee for Legislative Relief Information Standards, Guidelines and Directives Document can be found on the Legislative Relief Waivers page of ncaa.org and outlines the assertions and required documentation for several type of legislative relief waivers.
Information related to the 2025 NCAA Convention Division III Second Publication of Proposed Legislation is now available on the NCAA website.
Legislative Timeline
The legislative timeline for the remainder of the 2025 Convention legislative cycle is summarized below.
Nov. 1: Deadline for amendments to amendments and all resolutions. All amendments to amendments (which do not increase the modification of the original amendment/proposal) and all resolutions must be received in the national office not later than 5 p.m. Eastern time Nov. 1. No amendments to amendments sponsored by the membership may be submitted after this date. The President's Council is authorized to submit further amendments to amendments at the Convention if it deems such action necessary, provided it is approved by two-thirds of the Council and copies are distributed before or during the business session.
Nov. 15: The Official Notice will be available for distribution to the entire membership through a hard-copy mailing. The Official Notice includes all membership-sponsored legislation (as modified by a sponsor modification submitted by the Sept. 15 deadline), all Presidents-Council sponsored legislation, all properly submitted amendments to amendments and resolutions (submitted by the Nov. 1 deadline) and all position statements issued by the Division III Councils.
Jan. 14-17, 2025: NCAA Convention: All delegates receive the NCAA Convention program when they register at the Convention. The Convention program contains the most up-to-date meeting schedule and other helpful information. Changes of an editorial nature to the proposed legislation (as it appears in the Official Notice) will be noted for the membership on the Convention floor at the beginning of the business session.
IMPORTANT: NCAA Regional Rules Seminar — New Dates for 2025
Due to scheduling conflicts, the 2025 NCAA Regional Rules Seminar will now take place May 28-30 in Indianapolis. Educational sessions will run from Wednesday morning through Friday evening and include Association-wide programming and sessions for all three divisions. The NCAA Regional Rules Seminar is the premier forum on NCAA legislation, athletics compliance and associated educational sessions. More information on registration and hotel information will be made available in early spring. Please contact NCAARegionalRulesSeminars@ncaa.org with any questions.
In accordance with Bylaw 22.1.2 and Bylaw 22.2.1, the NCAA national office has made a centralized registry of professional service providers and educational resources available to the membership through the NIL Assist platform.
Also, the existing Division III name, image and likeness resources have been moved from the Taking Action page of ncaa.org to the Division III compliance page. Head here for information on the NCAA interim policy and Division III-specific resources regarding third party and institutional involvement.
RESOURCES: Division III University.
E-learning modules called Division III University are here to help you educate your staff and coaches during the new academic year. The module topics are: Social Media Use in Recruiting, Graduate/Postbaccalaureate Students, the New Playing Season Model, Strength & Conditioning, and Waiver Basics. More modules will be coming your way soon, including Camps & Clinics and Fundraising. You can find all the modules in the NCAA Learning Portal (accessed through NCAA MyApps). To access the Division III University modules, individuals must have an active NCAA MyApps account and be assigned NCAA Learning Portal access within MyApps. If you have questions regarding the NCAA Learning Portal, contact webhelpdesk@ncaa.org.
NCAA Division III Rules Test
Reminder that the 2024-25 Division III Rules Test is live and located on the NCAA Learning Portal. To access the exam, individuals must have an active NCAA MyApps account and be assigned NCAA Learning Portal access within MyApps. Institutional email addresses are preferred, but not required, to create a MyApps account. For more information, the Division III Rules Test page of ncaa.org has been updated with several resources to aid test takers and test administrators.
Please remember that, per Bylaw 11.8, your institution must administer the NCAA Division III Rules Test to all head coaches and athletics administrators with compliance responsibilities on an annual basis. Failure to administer the test on an annual basis shall be considered an institutional violation per Bylaw 20.15.2.
If you have questions regarding the 2024-25 NCAA Division III Rules Test, contact d3coachesexam@ncaa.org. If you have questions regarding the NCAA Learning Portal, contact webhelpdesk@ncaa.org.
ATHLETICS COMMUNICATION UPDATES
Share Your Stories
Division III is looking to feature membership stories on social media and through NCAA.com. To share stories for consideration, please email Katie Mucci at kmucci@ncaa.org.
DEADLINE APPROACHING: NCAA and D3SIDA Recognition Award
The NCAA Division III and D3SIDA Recognition Award seeks to honor the best work — including news releases, feature articles, videos, blogs and other materials — produced by Division III campus and conference athletics communication offices. Each top honoree will receive a $1,500 credit to attend Division III Day at the annual College Sports Communicators convention. The next submission deadline is Oct. 15. For more information, click here.
Media Coordination/Statistics Staff Contacts
To find information about whom to contact at the NCAA for media coordination and statistics, the current assignments can be found here.
DEADLINE APPROACHING: Basketball schedules and rosters
Reminder that Division III men's and women's basketball schedules need to be submitted through your NCAA statistics page by Friday, Oct. 4. To submit your schedule, log in here and follow the instructions. Rosters are due at least 24 before your first scheduled exhibition or regular season game if no exhibitions are being played. Rosters instructions can be found here.
NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Social Media Campaign
The 2024 NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Social Media Campaign, presented in partnership with the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee and national Student-Athlete Advisory Committees, will take place Tuesday, Oct. 15, through Thursday, Oct. 17. The campaign is a prime opportunity for student-athletes, administrators, coaches and fans across the country to use their platform to create a dialogue surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion and to communicate the need for and importance of developing inclusive environments to enhance the student-athlete experience. Questions about the campaign can be directed to Joshua Perez in the NCAA office of inclusion.
Diversity Grant Applications Open
Applications have opened for the Division III diversity grants. The grants provide funding to members committed to enhancing ethnic minority and gender representation in athletics administration and assistant coaching positions. For more information and to apply, visit this website.
Emerging Sports for Women Webinars Now Available
The office of inclusion hosted six webinars dedicated to the Emerging Sports for Women program this summer. The webinars for the six emerging sports — acrobatics and tumbling, equestrian, rugby, stunt, triathlon, and women’s wrestling — featured the sports’ leaders and administrators from the membership that sponsor the sport. All webinars are available for further viewing via the NCAA YouTube channel and NCAA Learning Portal. Learn about the unique opportunities each sport presents and gain valuable insights into how these sports are growing and evolving within intercollegiate athletics. Whether you’re a student-athlete, a coach, or an administrator, these webinars offer a wealth of information about the latest developments in women’s sports.
Share the Special Olympics activities taking place on your campus or with your conference by filling out the Special Olympics reporting form here. You can also email stories about activities to d3specialolympics@ncaa.org.
RefQuest Plus. The NCAA has extended its current agreement with RefQuest Plus, its officiating services provider, and is implementing a long-term strategy to provide additional resources and tools to assist all conferences in addressing concerns about officiating. Starting with the 2024-25 academic year, the NCAA will cover the cost of the RQ+ officiating platform, including payment transaction fees and signature software costs, for Division II and III and single-sport conferences. More information is available here.
Softball
Although it was not a rules change year, the Softball Rules Committee and Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved three rules for the 2025 season. The 2025 major rules changes are available here under Updates.
The Softball Rules Committee’s call for rules proposals was sent to commissioners, conference softball administrators, head coaches, conference coordinators and umpires Sept. 11. Please submit your proposals here by Oct. 13.
Wrestling
The playing rules preseason memo was sent to head coaches Sept. 10 and also is available here.
Leadership development is excited to announce the official launch of an updated NCAA Learning Portal design and layout. The new design enhances the overall user experience, functionality and efficiency of the NCAA Learning Portal.
By incorporating user feedback and leveraging innovative design principles, we are confident that the new platform will provide a more engaging and effective learning environment. Users will find it easier to navigate, interact with and benefit from courses and resources available, ultimately leading to greater satisfaction and improved educational outcomes.
We’re here to ensure you get the help you need quickly and efficiently. We’ve made requesting support faster and easier. There’s now a dedicated FAQ button linking directly to a site containing step-by-step directions, with screenshots, to guide you through common tasks. If you need further assistance, you can also access our Help Desk via email directly from your homepage.
We are excited about the possibilities this redesign offers and look forward to seeing how it enhances your learning experience. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to making our learning community the best it can be.
Elevate Respect learning module
The NCAA has partnered with Officially Human to provide two versions of the Elevate Respect learning module for NCAA membership.
Elevate Respect is a click through course that individuals can utilize to understand the important role officials play in NCAA competition. The Elevate Respect – Team Course is a single play version create as an opportunity for institutions to engage coaches and student-athletes prior to the start of their season in a team setting. Both versions of the program were created to emphasize positive sportsmanship and engagement with officials during competition and intended to improve student-athlete, coach and fan behavior directed at officials.
The Elevate Respect modules can be found in the NCAA Learning Portal. If you have a Learning Portal account, you can access Elevate Respect course here, and the Elevate Respect Team Course here. For more information about the Elevate Respect module please contact Ben Brownlee at bbrownlee@ncaa.org.
Leadership Development Programs
The following fall applications are now open and will close at 5 p.m. Eastern time Nov. 8.
Career in Sports Forum (Facilitators). Facilitators for the Career in Sports Forum play a vital role in shaping an engaging and impactful experience for the learners. They are entrusted with leading teams in open discussions on career exploration, interpersonal skills, and other key topics. Click here for more information.
Emerging Leaders Seminar. This professional development event provides leadership, educational and transitional programming for current graduate assistants and interns from NCAA member schools, conference offices and affiliate organizations. Click here for more information.
The NCAA and NFL Coaches Academy. The NCAA and NFL Coaches Academy provides current, full-time college football coaches at NCAA member schools an educational opportunity to build connections and develop leadership acumen to pursue their career aspirations. Click here for more information.
Foundations of Fundraising. With a focus on women and ethnic minorities, Foundations of Fundraising is a collaborative effort between the NCAA and the National Association of Athletic Development Directors designed to educate future leaders (interns, graduate assistants, development associates, etc.) in the field of development in intercollegiate athletics. Click here for more information.
How to apply or nominate: All the program application or nomination forms are available through the NCAA Program Hub. Please note each program’s specific requirements via its webpage linked above. For more information about any of the programs, contact ldevelopment@ncaa.org.
Eligibility Center Updates
The Guide for the Compliance Administrator has been updated for the 2024-25 academic year. To view and download the updated version, click here. If you have an old version saved, be sure to replace the file with this year's version. This is the main resource for those new to the compliance role, as well as a great refresher for more experienced administrators.
Division III Men's and Women's Soccer Championship
Las Vegas
Dec. 9
Convention Planning Subcommittee
Virtual
Dec. 17
Championships Committee
Virtual
Dec. 19
Membership Committee
Virtual
This email was sent to NCAA Division III presidents and chancellors, athletics direct reports, directors of athletics, faculty athletics representatives, senior woman administrators, sports information directors, directors of compliance, commissioners, assistant/associate commissioners, national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, provisional, reclassifying and exploratory members based on contact information in the NCAA Directory.
