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 NADIIIAA listserv. We encourage athletics directors to share this communication with their athletics department members. Please contact Louise McCleary to include an item or share comments, and remember to check out the Division III governance
homepage for the latest news and information.
The Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is excited to announce its inaugural 2020 Mental Health Social Media Campaign on May 4-7. This campaign is a platform for student-athletes, administrators, coaches, staff, and support networks across the country to start the discussion, speak out on, and break the stigma surrounding mental health. The goal of this campaign is to use social media to create a dialogue on mental health and to communicate the benefits of normalizing mental health awareness. Check out the campaign’s webpage and participate during May 4-7.
Please complete this three-question survey to help the Division III Convention Planning Subcommittee determine the 2021 divisional educational sessions and Issues Forum roundtable topics.
COVID-19 Resources
The national office has created several resource pages to assist the membership with the impact of the coronavirus. Key resource pages include the following:
For the past several weeks, the NCAA has hosted the NCAA Social Series with members of the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel and other guests.
Name, Image and Likeness
In response to the October 2019 and April 2020 directives from the Board of Governors, the Division III Management and Presidents Councils recently discussed potential changes to name, image and likeness legislation proposed by the Interpretations and Legislation Committee and endorsed by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The Councils also discussed a form that will be used to gather feedback from the membership before the July and August Council meetings. The timetable will conclude with a membership vote on NIL legislation at the 2021 NCAA Convention.
Dan Dutcher, vice president for Division III, also recently conducted an interview with Jack Ford on the topic of NIL. Click here to listen.
Sport Sponsorship and Demographic Form
The Sport Sponsorship and Demographic Form will open May 4. Completing the form is a membership requirement and it must be submitted no later than July 31. Before the site opens, an e-mail including information on how to access the site will be sent to administrators and other campus personnel. If you have additional questions please contact Maria DeJulio, Lynn Dickey or Erin Irick.
Division III Diversity Grant Recipients
Thirty-one total institutions and conference offices will receive diversity grants for the upcoming cycles of the Ethnic Minorities and Women’s Internship Grant
(23 recipients) and the Strategic Alliance Matching Grant(eight recipients). Committees consisting of membership representatives select the grant recipients. Successful grant applications encourage access, recruitment, selection and the long-term success of ethnic minorities and women in Division III athletics administration and coaching. The full list of recipients can be found here.
Academic Portal
The Academic Portal is open to enter the required Federal Graduation Rates and Academic Success Rate (ASR) data. Enter data under the "Graduation Rates" tab in the portal, which is due June 1. Please contact Maria DeJulio or Eric Hartung with any questions.
Sexual Violence Prevention Attestation
Modifications to the 2019-20 sexual violence attestation form process recently were announced to help member schools attest their compliance amid these challenging circumstances. You can find more information on the modifications on our FAQ page and download the modified form here. The deadline has been extended to June 15 due to COVID-19. Please contact questions@ncaa.org if you have further questions.
Division III Webinars
Future webinars will be from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Eastern time on the following dates and topics:
May 5 – Updates from the Division III SAAC, MC and PC Meetings.
June 2 – COVID-19 Impact on Playing and Practice Seasons.
All past webinar PowerPoints are on the Division III website.
Nominate Now: LGBTQ OneTeam Recognition Awards
During these uncertain times, Division III and the office of inclusion continue to identify opportunities to celebrate and bring visibility to our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, member institutions and conferences. We are proud to announce the new annual LGBTQ OneTeam Awards - the perfect opportunity to recognize those who foster inclusive environments! Celebrate student-athletes, coaches and staff who self-identify as members of the LGBTQ community, as well as athletics departments or conference offices that make collegiate athletics a welcoming space for everyone. The application period is now open. Visit the NCAA Program Hubto submit nominations until June 1. The recipients will be announced at the 2021 NCAA Convention.
Division III Week Recap
Over half of Division III member institutions celebrated the ninth annual Division III Week, April 13-19. A staggering 80% of member conferences took part in the celebration as well. As a result of your participation, Division III saw a 23% increase in engagement on the @NCAADIII Twitter account compared with last year. Content surrounding the 2020 celebration featured highlights of the division's partnership with Special Olympics, academic achievement, athletics success, community service, senior reflections, and numerous stories on current and former Division III student-athletes serving on the front lines in the fight against
COVID-19. Division III raised $2,750 for Special Olympics North America by encouraging schools and conference offices to follow @NCAADIII on Instagram. The division also hosted activities on the Instagram account, including DIII Bingo, DIII Crosswords, DIII Trivia, and DIII GIF-Stories. Thanks to all who participated! The 10th annual Division III Week will be April 5-11, 2021. While planning for next year's event, remember to use resources and check for updates at the Division III Week website.
2019-20 Identity Initiative Purchasing Website
With four months remaining in the 2019-20 academic year, do you still have purchasing website credit remaining? Have you checked out the new items recently added to the Division III purchasing website? The site now includes United As One banners for purchase. Log in through My Apps and select the Division III Purchasing icon or click here
. Do not forget that a $500 credit is available for each institution and conference through August 2020 for purchases from the site. Access the site by entering the email address of your institution's director of athletics (or for conferences, the commissioner's email address) as the username. Then enter the password you created. For assistance, contact Kristen Zeedyk at Source One Digital.
On behalf of the 360 Proof team, we hope your students, colleagues, and campus community are as safe and healthy as possible. As we look for ways to serve our students virtually/remotely, and as many people find themselves working from home, we encourage you to visit our library to review the many recorded webinars.
If you are able to do planning activities, it is a good time to take stock of what went well and what went less well this past year. Consider the end-of-the-year activities discussed in the webinar from April 29, 2015, posted on Center Point.
Please contact Leah Kareti with any questions about 360 Proof. Don't miss us on Twitter for 360 Proof highlights, tips and tutorials: @Real360Proof.
May Webinar
Please join the 360 Proof team Monday, May 18, at 1 p.m. Eastern for "The Color of Drinking: Alcohol as a Social Justice Issue", presented by Reonda Washington, Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist, University of Wisconsin Madison. All 360 360 Proof account holders will receive an invitation to attend the webinar. Conact
Leah Kareti with any questions.
Division III FAR Information and Resources Webpage
Information and resources for Division III FARs have been compiled and organized into one webpage. The page contains reports from the Division III FAR Advisory Group, Division III FAR Campus and Conference Engagement Best Practices and information about the FAR Fellows Institute. Please bookmark and pass on to your FAR.
2020 Wagering and Social Environments Study Update
The NCAA research staff recognizes campus communities are working hard to confront serious challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of this, we are making important and immediate changes to the 2020 edition of the NCAA Wagering and Social Environments (WSE) study.
The WSE study plays a critical role allowing the voice of NCAA student-athletes to inform NCAA legislation, policy and programming. In consultation with leadership from the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association and 1A FAR, we will be extending the response window into the fall semester. There will be no additional large-scale NCAA research study in the 2020-21 academic year.
You will receive more detailed information later this spring. In the meantime, we respectfully request your cooperation with the following:
Please immediately stop collecting survey data. If you have already administered the surveys but have not yet shipped them, we ask you to send those as quickly as possible.
Please save all blank surveys and supplemental materials (for example, shipping labels).
The teams you were assigned will not change when survey administration resumes in summer or fall.
If you have any concerns or questions please contact Nick Sproull, associate director of research, by email at nsproull@ncaa.orgor by phone at 317-223-0744.
New FAR Orientation
While the 2020 FARA annual meeting has been canceled for budgetary constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Division III still plans to host the 2020 New FAR Orientation. The event tentatively is scheduled for Nov. 6-8 at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis. FARs with less than two years of experience are invited to apply for the program which focuses on understanding the Division III model of athletics and exploring the role of a Division III FAR. Also, participants will have the opportunity to build networks of new and experienced FARs, and to establish goals for engagement in the role. Applications will be open in the Program Hub from June 15 to Aug. 15, and the program grant covers all attendee expenses. Contact Leah Kareti with any questions.
As we continue to navigate the challenges of COVID-19 and the effects of physical distancing, the Sport Science Institute would like to provide you with an update on new mental health resources. Taking proper care of both your body and mind can help you maintain your physical, mental and emotional health.
Selected Resources
The Alliance of Social Workers in Sports (ASWIS) has created a COVID-19 website with resources for the athletics community.
Several of the nation’s leading mental health organizations have collaborated to create PsychHub. This website provides free resources on various mental health topics and includes videos and tip sheets.
Hilinski’s Hope has launched a podcast, UNIT3D, as a resource meant to offer support for student-athlete mental health during COVID-19. Each episode (there are up to three each week) will feature a licensed mental health professional talking about one way to take care of your mental health during these unsettling times.
The Association for Applied Sport Psychology has created COVID-19 tips for athletes, coaches, parents and the sport community.
For the latest information on COVID-19, see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 website.
To stay up to date on news from the NCAA on COVID-19, please visit our COVID-19 page.
We thank you for your continued efforts in keeping our communities and student-athletes safe and healthy.
COVID Coaches Webinar
The NCAA hosted a COVID-19 Coaches Webinar in a Q&A format based on feedback from coaches. In this segment, we discuss a wide array of issues, ranging from personal wellness to communication strategies to the principles of sport resocialization. Please watch this webinar and feel free to forward to your assistant coaches. You may provide any feedback to ssi@ncaa.org.
Concussion Safety Protocol
A memo was sent April 14 to the Divisions III membership that the NCAA has, through its governance process, relaxed many of the legislative requirements related to submission and reporting deadlines in response to the impact on schools resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, member schools still need to ensure that institutional concussion management practices are consistent with applicable legislative and policy requirements.
Divisions III legislation requires that institutional concussion management plans be consistent with the Concussion Safety Protocol Checklist. At its March 2020 meeting and based on the results of this annual review process, the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports approved several substantive changes to the Checklist. The updated version of the Checklist can be accessed here. To facilitate and support member compliance with concussion legislation, CSMAS also has approved a Concussion Safety Protocol Template that includes all components of the Checklist and may be customized by institutions to accommodate and reflect their individual needs and practices. An updated version of the Template can be accessed here. All updated content has been highlighted so changes from the previous version can be easily identified.
2020-21 APPLE Training Institute
The 2020-21 APPLE Training Institute events scheduled for Oct. 9-11, 2020, in Orlando, Florida, and Jan. 22-23, 2021, in Reston, Virginia, have been canceled due to the uncertainty around the timing of return to campus activities as well as other financial and resource impacts of COVID-19 on NCAA and institutional operations.
Due Date Approaching: Arrington Concussion Settlement
In accordance with the Arrington Concussion Settlement Agreement, certification is optional for NCAA member schools; however, it provides certifying institutions with an opportunity to benefit from a release from certain legal claims that might otherwise be brought by members of the settlement class. To benefit from the release, member institutions must certify in writing, on or before 11:59 PM CDT (Chicago time) on May 18
that they have put in place a concussion management plan that meets the requirements of Section IX. A of the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement does not provide for any opportunity for an extension or waiver of that deadline and the deadline should be considered permanent and immovable.
A certification website and electronic certification process have been established and will be managed by third party settlement administrator Epiq Mass Tort (EPIQ). In addition to the instructional information about the certification process, the Sport Science Institute has developed a Frequently Asked Questions document that contains answers to anticipated membership questions related to the certification process. A copy of the certification FAQ can be accessed here. SSI appreciates the efforts required to comply with the certification requirements, especially during these extremely challenging times. Contact ssi@ncaa.org with questions.
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds and in our unprecedented situation, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), in conjunction with NACDA, announced the cancellation of the 2020 CoSIDA Convention, scheduled for June 7-10, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Convention Center in Las Vegas. CoSIDA will provide more details on any virtual professional development, including Division III Day, in the coming weeks. For the latest updates, click here.
Hamline University is the recipient of the April Division III Diversity Spotlight Initiative. Hamline held a workshop for its student-athlete leaders, representing all 20 varsity sports. The workshop speaker facilitated a safe space for student-athletes to have critical conversations about inclusion. The workshop also highlighted the concept of "vulnerability" as a member of a team and spoke about building trust as leaders. Click here for more details. The Diversity Spotlight Initiative recognizes and promotes outstanding diversity related projects, programming and initiatives occurring on Division III campuses and in conference offices. All selected recipients receive $500 toward their next diversity initiative. To submit an initiative for consideration for May, email Louise McCleary, with a brief statement (no more than 500 words) as to why your institution or conference office deserves to be the spotlight recipient. Attach a video or photo if applicable. The nomination deadline is May 21.
Diversity Tip of the Month
The newly designed interactive online NCAA demographics database is now available. The data in this searchable database includes information on NCAA members schools’ student-athletes, coaches and administrators – gender, race and ethnicity. The information can be viewed at the divisional, conference and sport levels. The data are from school years 2011-12 through 2018-19. If you have questions, contact Erin Irick.
The NCAA Division III Special Olympics Spotlight Poll is a story-telling initiative on ncaa.org/D3SpecialOlympics. It features new stories each month that highlight a Division III and Special Olympics joint activity or event. The story with the highest number of votes on the 25th day of each month is the winner. That institution or conference receives $500 to use for its next Special Olympics event. Written and digital submissions both are accepted. Featured stories are selected based on inclusion of the student-athlete perspective and Division III messaging. To submit a story for consideration, email d3specialolympics@ncaa.org.
April Winner
After 355 total votes, Corsair SAAC Welcomes Special Olympics Basketball Community Gameswon the April Special Olympics Spotlight Poll by gathering 96 percent of the total votes. The University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth will receive $500 to use for its next Special Olympics event.
In response to COVID-19, the NCAA Division III Administrative Committee provided the membership with flexibility regarding the application of Bylaw 17 regulations (See the full Q&A document). The following should guide institutions on how they may apply this flexible approach:
Institutional staff may interact with student-athletes (in a group or individually) in virtual meetings that do not involve physical activities for the purpose of sharing non-athletics and/or athletics information. The meetings may include for example: chalk talk; lecture on or discussion of strategy related to the sport; review of game film or videos related to the sport. (See Bylaw 17.02.1.1 generally).
Coaches may recommend self-directed workouts for student-athletes to use while residing at home or away from campus; provided the workouts are approved by applicable institutional athletics and/or medical personnel and otherwise adhere to applicable legislative, policy and institutional requirements (for example, Interassociation Recommendations Preventing Catastrophic Injury and Death in Collegiate Athletes).
Institutional staff may not supervise or conduct such workouts.
Institutional staff may ask student-athletes to report and/or discuss their workouts and/or other school-related activities with their coaches and/or strength and conditioning coaches.
Student-athletes may share pictures, videos or comments about their workouts and/or other school-related activities with institutional staff.
Institutional staff may share sport-related pictures, videos and/or other educational materials for the purpose of demonstrating proper form or technique (these exercises could be sport specific).
Currently, this flexibility applies to the summer. Please keep in mind that if circumstances change then this increased flexibility could be reviewed and further modified by the Administrative Committee or Councils. However, this does not change the preseason start dates for the 2020-21 fall sports.
Interpretations
Outside Competition During Permissible Break Periods. Official Interpretation. Date Issued: March 19, 2020. Date Published: April 17, 2020. Item Ref:
1. The Division III Legislation and Interpretations Committee confirmed that a student-athlete may participate in outside competition during any week that is not part of the institution's defined playing season or part of preparation for a post-season championship (for example, NCAA, NAIA, NCCAA).
Video Conference with Multiple Prospective Student-Athletes. Staff Interpretation. Date Issued: April 24, 2020. Date Published: April 24, 2020. Item Ref: 1.The NCAA Academic and Membership Affairs staff confirmed that video conferences (for example, Hangouts, Facetime, Zoom, Skype) are subject to the same privacy limitations as electronic transmissions. Therefore, if the video conference contains multiple prospective student-athletes, then it is only permissible if it occurs after May 1 and all the prospective student-athletes are seniors and have submitted their financial deposit to the institution.
2020 Regional Rules Seminars
Due to the COVID-19 virus and concerns about the health and safety of administrators, coaches and vendors, the decision was made to conduct the 2020 NCAA Regional Rules Seminars in a remote format. Over the next few weeks, the NCAA membership should expect to receive information regarding an updated seminar schedule of sessions, methods of delivery and how to stay connected with NCAA staff. Please note that some educational information and resources may be posted in mid/late-May with interactive sessions scheduled to be conducted in early June. All updated information will be shared on the Regional Rules Seminars webpage and LSDBi.
Please note that regional rules seminar registration and any hotel reservations booked through the registration system were cancelled on the registrants behalf by the Shorts Travel Management staff and you should have received a cancellation confirmation in March. Any vendors and nonmembers who paid registration fees are scheduled to be fully refunded. If you have any immediate questions regarding this announcement, please reach out to regionalrules@ncaa.org.
Nominations for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year program are now open via Program Hub. Established in 1991 and directed by the Committee on Women’s Athletics, the program celebrates and honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and campus leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. Each member school can nominate up to two graduating female student-athletes if at least one of the nominees is a student-athlete of color and/or international student-athlete.
All nominees will receive a certificate and letter of congratulations from the NCAA recognizing her selection as a candidate for Woman of the Year. On Sunday, Nov. 1, the 30 Woman of the Year honorees will be recognized, and the 2020 Woman of the Year will be announced. Visit the NCAA Woman of the Year Nomination and Award Process webpage and the Eligibility and Nomination Process FAQ for more information.
Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship
The NFL welcomes current or former collegiate or high school coaches to apply for the 2020 Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. For 30 years, the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship has used NFL clubs’ training camps, offseason workout programs and minicamps to give talented, diverse coaches opportunities to gain additional experience and ultimately earn a full-time NFL coaching position.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis but must be received by August 15, 2020 to be considered for this year’s program. Please note that applicants must meet one of the following requirements to qualify for the fellowship:
Coaching experience at either the high school, college, and/or other football leagues level (CFL, XFL, etc.).
Former NFL player.
For more information on the NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship program click here or contact the NFL office at NFLBillWalshDiversity@NFL.com.
Nunn-Wooten NFL Scouting Fellowship
The NFL welcomes all former college football student-athletes and current college football recruiting/personnel employees to apply to the 2020 Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship.
The Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship, created by the NFL in January 2015, exposes interested former players to a career in professional scouting. The program provides participants a unique glimpse into player personnel by introducing them to various areas related to college and professional scouting.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis but must be received by Aug. 15, 2020, to be considered for this year’s program. Please note that applicants must meet one of the following requirements to qualify for the fellowship:
Former NFL player.
Former college football player.
Current college football employee working in recruiting/personnel.
For more information on the NFL Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship program click hereor contact the NFL office at NunnWootenScouting@nfl.com.
Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport Committee
Virtual
June 22-23
Championships Committee
Virtual
June 24-25
Membership Committee
Virtual
This email was sent to NCAA Division III chancellors and presidents serving on committees, directors of athletics, athletics direct reports, faculty athletics representatives, senior woman administrators, sports information directors, compliance directors, commissioners, associate and assistant commissioners, provisional, reclassifying and exploratory members, primary and associate members of National SAAC based on contact information in the NCAA Directory.
National Collegiate Athletic Association, 700 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204 US
