DIVISION III PRESIDENTS QUARTERLY UPDATE - NOVEMBER 2024
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR, PRESIDENT JIM TROHA
As the Fall semester winds down, I hope this quarterly update finds you and your campus thriving. In this update, you will find key discussions from the NCAA Division III Presidents Council’s late October meeting that included a meeting with the Presidents Advisory Group members. President Baker spent time with the PAG and council members providing Association-wide updates and answering questions. Our aim is to equip you with valuable information as you prepare for the NCAA Convention in January and collaborate with your campus and conference colleagues.
CONVENTION—PROPOSALS AND SCHEDULE
The council reviewed the 2025 Convention proposals. For a chart detailing the 2025 legislative proposals, including the proposal numbers and titles, intent, and rationale statements, click here. The council identified three proposals for the presidential grouping and three for the general grouping. The following proposals were designated for the presidential grouping:
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Change in Composition: The council supports a membership sponsored proposal that would establish a primary representative on the National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for each multi-sport conference and the group of independents.
Multisport Conference Membership Size Minimum Requirement: The council supports a membership-sponsored proposal that would reduce the minimum size requirement of a multisport conference from seven to six members.
Legislative Cycle: This governance-sponsored proposal includes a package of concepts that would amend the legislative process.
Additionally, the council referred the governance sponsored proposal providing a graduate student eligibility exemption back to the Management Council for further consideration. While generally supportive of the intention to adapt to the evolving landscape of higher education, the council voiced concerns regarding the practical application and potential repercussions of the proposal.
In alignment with the Association's continuing assessment of sports betting, the council discussed the ramifications for Division III student-athletes. Building on insights from a recent NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports meeting, which discussed the NCAA's harm reduction strategies, the council considered the possibility of permitting student-athletes to engage in betting on professional sports. This matter will be further reviewed at the council's January meeting.
COUNCIL ELECTS NEW BOARD OF GOVERNORS REPRESENTATIVE
The council elected Jim Troha, Juniata president and current chair of the Presidents Council, as the new Division III representative on the Board of Governors to serve a two-year term effective with the close of the 2025 NCAA Convention.
Division III announced a new initiative with NCAA Digital to stream over 200 additional games free to fans from the 2024 Fall NCAA Division III championships on ncaa.com via Hudl technology. With the recent ESPN broadcast agreement, several Division III championships will be on ESPN+. For the fall, the women’s volleyball quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship game will only be live streamed on ESPN+. All rounds of the football championship will only be live streamed on ESPN+ with the championship game on ESPN. These partnerships aim to enhance the visibility and accessibility of Division III championships. Click here for more information.
CONCLUSION
It is my intent that the quarterly update provides the necessary and critical information to assist you in the oversight of Division III athletics on your campus. You can find a full recap of the October Presidents Council meeting here, and the Summary of Actions, which highlights all recent council actions. As always, I welcome any comments or questions.
This email was sent to NCAA Division III presidents and chancellors;conference commissioners and athletics direct reports based on contact information in the NCAA Directory.
