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.
Interpretations and Legislation Committee, Nov. 8 2024 Convention legislation question and answer review. The committee reviewed and revised the draft of the question-and-answer document for the 2024 Convention.
Name, image, and likeness. The committee outlined parameters for its anticipated discussion during its February meeting regarding NIL student-athlete protections.
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Nov. 12-13 2024 Convention legislation. SAAC reviewed the 2024 legislative proposals and discussed its positions based on feedback from their conference members.
Election of officers and committee positions. The committee selected Jack Langan, Cornell, as SAAC chair, Lillian Case, Juniata, as SAAC vice-chair, Hayley Peck, Purchase, as communications director, and Julia Hathway, Virginia Wesleyan, and Muthu Meenakshisundaram, Minnesota Morris, as the representatives to Management Council effective with the close of the 2024 NCAA Convention.
SAAC subcommittees. The committee discussed approaches to execute its 2023-24 subcommittees – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice and Mental and Physical Health.
Convention events for student-athletes. SAAC also encourages student-athletes attending the 2024 NCAA Convention to attend the following student-athlete programs occurring on Thurs., Jan. 11. (All times are Mountain):
Division III Student-Athlete Luncheon, 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Special Olympics Unified Sports Activity, 1:30 to 3 p.m. SAAC sponsored Division III Student Social Mixer, 8:30 to 10 p.m.
Strategic Planning and Finance Committee, Nov. 15 Budget. The committee reviewed the current budget to actual and future forecast. It also identified the following potential one-time Enrichment Fund expenditures: athletic trainer professional support, athletics communication professional support, mental health resources, officiating support and webstreaming. The committee will continue its discussion during its March in-person meeting.
Division III membership dues. The committee discussed the current annual NCAA membership dues and Division III specific assessment and will seek council feedback at their January meetings.
Branding and marketing. The committee discussed ways to enhance and promote the Division III brand with prospective student-athletes, high school and club coaches and high school guidance counselors.
Post-eligibility injury insurance. The committee received an update on the newly approved post-eligibility injury insurance that goes into effect for all three divisions on Aug. 1, 2024. Institutions can review this FAQ document and overview. Questions about the program that are not addressed in the FAQ may be submitted here.
Financial Aid Committee, Nov. 15-16 Level I reviews. The committee reviewed 30 institutions that met one or more of the prescribed criteria to determine if additional information is needed.
Membership Committee, Nov. 16 Review of the new member process. The committee continued its review of the New Member Process seeking to align it with the new rule requiring conference membership prior to starting the provisional or reclassifying process.
Convention Planning Subcommittee, Nov. 17 Convention schedule. The subcommittee reviewed the current convention schedule and the Division III programing.
Upcoming Meetings and Anticipated Discussions.
Championships Committee, Nov. 21 Budget enhancements. The committee will receive an update on the recent membership survey related to championships budget enhancements and guiding principles.
Selection criteria database. The committee will review a draft Q&A that will be distributed to the membership regarding a proposed selection criteria database (e.g., Pairwise).
Athletic Trainer Working Group, Nov. 27 Athletic trainer survey results. The working group will continue its discussion of the survey results of Division III head athletic trainers and athletics directors. The working group also will continue its content development for the membership’s discussion of this topic at the upcoming Division III Issues Forum at the 2024 NCAA Convention.
FAR Advisory Group, Nov. 28 2024 legislative proposals. The group reviewed the positions taken by the Division III Faculty Athletics Representatives Association (FARA) on Division III proposed legislation.
Updates.
REMINDER: Championships ground transportation reimbursement. NCAA travel policy reimburses a flat $1,500 bus allotment per day to cover the cost of ground transportation. However, institutions may submit receipts to receive a full reimbursement up to actuals for ground transportation. Receipts should be submitted in TES when requesting reimbursement. TES can be accessed via NCAA Apps or travel.ncaa.org. Additional assistance is also available at travel@ncaa.org or 317-917-6757.
This expansion will result in an additional weekend to the playoff tournament (from five weekends to six weekends) using the current selections date formula, which keeps second round playoff games on Thanksgiving Saturday. The first-round format will include 16 teams competing on the first Saturday of the championship, with the remaining 24 teams receiving byes. Teams advancing from the first round will play the highest regionally ranked teams remaining when not in conflict with the divisional bracketing principles. The second and quarterfinal round formula will remain status quo. Following the semifinal rounds, there will be time prior to the championship game for student-athletes to have the option to travel home for the holidays and return to campus prior to departing to the championship site. The championship game will be played the first full week in January, or potentially the first weekend in January if New Year’s Day is on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. The timing also reduces possible travel for student-athletes who return home following the final round and encourages staying on campus for the start of second semester following the championship game when schedules align.
The additional round will extend the playoff tournament past the holidays to ensure there is no conflict with New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day and ensure that institutions that sponsor football will not need to return football student-athletes back to campus a week earlier in August, which would add preseason costs. The timeline also guarantees conference bye weeks will remain intact. The committee and staff conducted discussions with broadcast partners and discussed agreements with the 2024 and 2025 final site hosts to begin the updated format, if approved, as early as the 2024-25 season.
At its June 2023 meeting, the DIII Championships Committee supported increasing the football championship bracket . The committee believes football expansion will provide more opportunities for student-athletes and improve the parity in the first round, thus resulting in an enhanced experience for participants. The Championships Committee will continue its deliberations and collaborate with the Football Committee on gathering additional membership input this fall, as well as obtaining more specific financial impact on the various expansion options. The football committee mapped the steps to expand the bracket and will present the recommendation at the Division III Championships Committee’s February 2024 in-person meeting.
Playing rules surveys. In an effort to reduce an influx of email communication, all playing rules surveys issued during the 2023-24 academic year for athletics directors, commissioners and senior woman administrators will be available on a single surveys page.NCAA research made the switch due to membership feedback and estimates that this will reduce emails by 40-60 per year.
Invitations to complete each playing rules survey will continue to be sent directly to head coaches and officials in the sport. However, athletics administrators will be made aware of these surveys via the NCAA Weekly as they become available throughout the year. Consider bookmarking the survey page and checking it periodically for open surveys in the sports you sponsor. A survey for men’s and women’s soccer is open until the end of November, with upcoming surveys for women’s volleyball (Nov. 13-Dec. 1), football (Jan. 15-Feb. 15), wrestling (March 4-29) and bowling (March 4-April 5) listed on the new page, as well.
This survey process will be evaluated after the first few surveys and may be modified if response rates are determined to be too low. If you have any questions regarding this change in survey process, please contact research@ncaa.org.
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, directors of athletics and the NADIIIAA executive board based on contact information in the NCAA Directory.
