The NCAA Division III staff has created this bi-weekly communication for the Division III Commissioners Association to provide up-to-date communications on the constantly evolving impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Division III membership. Please share this communication with your conference members.
RECENT GOVERNANCE MEETINGS AND KEY COVID-19 DISCUSSIONS AND OUTCOMES
Championships Committee, Jan. 21
Winter championships.This week, the committee sent a winter sports declaration form to every athletics director to evaluate the viability of winter championships. The committee has determined that in order to provide a meaningful championships experience a minimum threshold of sport sponsorship must be maintained to merit conducting each championship. The committee will use the declaration form data to determine if these minimum thresholds are being met.
Spring championships. The committee voted to reduce spring contest minimums to 50%. The new spring sport minimums for this year are the following:
Bylaw 20 Minimum
Reduced by 50%
Baseball
25
13
Men's Golf
6
3
Women's Golf
6
3
Men's Lacrosse
10
5
Women's Lacrosse
10
5
Rowing
8
4
Softball
24
12
Men's Tennis
10
5
Women's Tennis
10
5
Men's Outdoor Track/Field
6
3
Women's Outdoor Track/Field
6
3
Men's Volleyball
17
9
The committee also discussed the automatic qualification requirements for spring championships and determined that similar to winter championships, for automatic qualification, as long as conferences declare their intent to conduct spring sports with at least four core members and demonstrate a schedule that allows the automatic qualifier to meet minimum contest requirements, no waiver will be required if COVID-related issues either cause the conference to fall below the four-core-member threshold or prevent the automatic qualifier from meeting the minimum contest requirements.
At-large institutions will need to meet the new minimum contest requirements, or request a waiver of the minimum contest requirements, to be eligible for the spring championships.
COVID-19 Playing and Practice Season Internal Working Group
NCAA Return to Championships Guidelines. The guidelines are intended to be consistent with guidance published by the federal government and its corresponding health agencies and otherwise reflective of the best available scientific and medical information available at the time of publication. Each document will be the basis for each preliminary round and Championship finals host site.
Winter sport championships.The committee will evaluate the winter sport declaration data if established minimum thresholds aren’t being met, it may make a recommendation to the Division III Administrative Committee to cancel winter championships.
Administrative Committee, Feb. 3
Winter sport championships.If the Championships Committee forwards a recommendation to cancel winter championships, the Division III Administrative Committee will discuss and act on this recommendation on behalf of the Management and Presidents Councils.
With every communication, we also anticipate additional questions. Please send all questions to d3identity@ncaa.org. Stay healthy and safe and thank you for your continued collaboration and leadership.
This email was sent to the NCAA Division III Commissioners Association