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 Adam Skaggs to include an item or share comments, and remember to check out the Division III governance homepage
for the latest news and information.
This July, NCAA.org will relaunch with a new design, new partner and a new way of providing information to the membership, media and general public. In our multiyear agreement with SIDEARM Sports — the industry leader that serves 65 percent of Division III — our DIII membership will benefit from an enhanced platform that will better showcase the division’s identity through a variety of digital elements, including news, visuals, videos, features and social media, while also improving the manner in which we publicly tell the DIII story through reimagined navigation. Furthermore, Division III members will also be introduced to our new “Membership” resource section, where all division-specific and Association-wide content will reside at the click of a mouse, making for an easier and faster way to retrieve information on NCAA.org.
Webinars will be from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Eastern time on the following dates and topics:
Aug. 3 — Updates from MC, PC and SAAC meetings.
All past webinar PowerPoints are on the Division III website.
Sport Sponsorship and Demographic Form
The Sport Sponsorship and Demographic Form is open for completion. Completing the form is a membership requirement. It must be submitted by July 26. Access to the site is through the NCAA Single Source Sign-On; the instructions and frequently asked questions documents found within the site will guide the user through each area of the form. If you have additional questions, please contact Maria DeJulio (mdejulio@ncaa.org) or Lynn Dickey (ldickey@ncaa.org).
2020-21 Identity Initiative Purchasing Website
Do not forget that a $350 credit is available for each institution and conference through Aug. 15 for purchases from the site. Log in through My Apps and select the Division III Purchasing icon or click here. 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.
Creating a healthy team and campus starts with having— and sharing — good information. Prevention strategies must be based on the levels of alcohol use and consequences you’re seeing at your own campus, coupled with a good idea of what is already being done to prevent and address alcohol problems. The 360 Proof Campus Self Study will help you collect the information needed for effective prevention planning. Main areas of focus include policies, enforcement, education and prevention or intervention strategies. Visit 360proof.org to access this Self Study.
Division III will conduct the seventh annual Athletics Direct Report Institute on Jan. 19-20 at the 2022 NCAA Convention in Indianapolis. The purpose of the program is to engage Division III ADRs in best practices to oversee and manage athletics departments and to improve the relationships between ADRs and their presidents, athletics directors and conference commissioners. The two-day program includes networking opportunities and interactive discussions with ADR peers and other expert presenters. Clic
k herefor event details. ADR Institute participants will receive a registration fee waiver to the NCAA Convention to continue their professional development. The institute also provides travel, meals and lodging for all participants.
Nominations will open in the NCAA Program Hub on July 1 and close at 5 p.m. Eastern time Aug. 15. Eligible nominators include commissioners, presidents/chancellors and directors of athletics. ADRs also may self-nominate for the institute. Please contact Leah Karetiwith any questions.
The New FAR Orientation will be conducted Feb. 17-19 at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis. Because FARA is not having an in-person annual meeting in 2021-22, this orientation is being held as a stand-alone event. FARs with less than two years of experience will be 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. 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 NCAA Program Hub from Oct. 1 to 5 p.m. Eastern time Nov. 15. Selections will be announced Dec. 1. ContactLeah Kareti with any questions.
The NCAA’s Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition, Second Edition (Second Update, March 29, 2021) was updated to reflect changes to the post-infection cardiac management algorithm (developed by the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and the American College of Cardiology). The
updated algorithm includes new return-to-play and cardiology consultation recommendations.
The next submission period for the NCAA Division III and D3SIDA recognition award is now open until Oct. 15. Click herefor more details. The award is a partnership between the Division III governance staff and the Division III College Sports Information Directors of America. The recognition program is part of the Division III Identity Initiative. It seeks to honor the best news releases, feature articles, videos, blogs and other materials produced by Division III campus and conference athletics communication offices to portray the Division III identity and student-athlete experience.
CoSIDA Virtual Divisional Day
Join us for the 2021 CoSIDA Virtual Convention. Featured sessions will take place June 7-10, with Divisional Day running on June 15 and more general sessions throughout the entire month of June. To view a complete schedule, click here.
Wisconsin–La Crosse is the recipient of the May Division III Diversity Spotlight Initiative. The school created a student-athlete advocacy group. The group’s mission is to seek to understand, listen and learn about issues important to their campus and community. The group focused on racial social justice, climate change and toxic masculinity. Clickhere 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, emailLouise McClearywith a brief statement (no more than 500 words) as to why your campus or conference office deserves to be the spotlight recipient. Attach a video or photo if applicable. The nomination deadline is June 21.
Diversity Tip of the Month
Click herefor the NCAA’s Anti-Racism Resources to Support the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community.
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 school 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.
Bylaw 14.1.8 requires a student-athlete to be enrolled as a full-time student, as defined by the institution, in order to practice with their Division III intercollegiate athletics team. To compete, the student-athlete must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours regardless of how the institution defines full-time enrollment. Bylaw 14.1.8.1.7.2 provides an exception to this requirement for student-athletes enrolled in a full-time graduate program. That student may practice and compete while enrolled in the credit hours the institution defines as full-time enrollment for that graduate program.
On April 28, 2021, the Division III Presidents Council approved a blanket waiver of the full-time enrollment requirements for the 2021-22 academic year for specified student-athletes. A question and answer guide has been created to help the membership understand who qualifies for the blanket waiver and how it applies.
2021 NCAA Regional Rules Seminar Registration is Open
Please continue to register for the virtual 2021 Regional Rules Seminar. The seminar will be held June 7-9, with educational sessions designed for members, affiliate members and others across all three divisions to hear and participate in conversations on NCAA rules, policies and procedures, share best practices and connect with peers.
Clickhereto register for the Regional Rules Seminar. If you have already registered, but did so under your conference affiliation, please log back into the system and update your record to indicate your institution.
In order to satisfy the Division III requirement of attending once every three years, at least one institutional representative must attend all six live webinars listed below in June. Please note that all times are Eastern. Monday, June 7 Governance Hot Topics — 1-2 p.m. Bylaw 13 — 2:15-3:15 p.m. Bylaw 17 — 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 8 Bylaw 14, Part One — 1-2 p.m. Bylaw 14, Part Two — 2:15-3:15 p.m. Bylaw 15 — 3:30-4:30 p.m.
The NCAA Leadership Collective serves as a tool to progress toward an environment of diverse representation in collegiate coaching and athletics administration. The Leadership Collective is an interactive and user-friendly platform that highlights the vast professional accomplishments of ethnic minorities within college sports through customizable personal profiles.
Through the showcase of the achievements of its users, the NCAA Leadership Collective will help NCAA member school and athletics conference executives diversify their talent lists and be more inclusive when making personnel decisions. The resource can be used for hiring senior staff, making committee appointments, finding speakers and filling other related needs.
For more information about this exciting initiative, including the link to apply to create a profile in the platform, click here.
Career in Sports Forum
The Career in Sports Forumtook place last week from May 26-28. The virtual professional development event brought over 300 student-athletes together to learn about and explore potential careers in sports, particularly college athletics. This unique programming experience helps student-athletes chart their career paths, while presenting numerous opportunities for attendees to learn from industry leaders.
Student-athletes gained a refined understanding of potential future roles in athletics, new connections with peers and experienced professionals in the field, and valuable self-awareness as they develop their personal and professional values and leadership philosophies.
NCAA Basketball Coaches Academy
The NCAA Basketball Coaches Academy provided 24 Division III basketball coaches an opportunity to expand their knowledge and insight into the world of intercollegiate basketball coaching. During the academy, participants were trained in a variety of areas that encourage effective coaching at the intercollegiate level, with a focus on the holistic well-being and development of the student-athlete.
Participating coaches engaged with leaders in collegiate athletics and coaching, learned from their cohort peers in interactive breakout sessions and ultimately emerged from the program better prepared to accelerate their careers and obtain head coaching roles. Topics covered throughout the two-day program included building a culture of excellence, leading and empowering today’s student-athletes, managing yourself and your wellness as a coach, navigating the first 365 days as a head coach, and much more.
Baseball bat barrel compression testing will go into effect for the Division II and III membership for the 2022 playing season. The NCAA is only aware of one compression testing device manufacturer, Bat Testing Solutions (barrelcompression.com), at this time. Please contact Ben Brownlee (bbrownlee@ncaa.org) if you have additional questions.
Men's and Women's Soccer
The Men’s and Women’s Soccer Rules Committee will meet June 1-2 via videoconference. It is a non-rules change year.
Softball
Regular-Season Barrel Compression Testing – As a reminder, regular-season barrel compression testing will be required beginning January 1, 2022. This includes purchasing required equipment. Information on BCT required equipment and protocol guidelines is available in the NCAA Softball Bat Compliance and Testing Information.
The Softball Rules Committee will meet June 21-23 via videoconference. It is a rules change year.
Several committees conducted virtual meetings in May.
Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, May 17 Championships Committee, May 18 Interpretations and Legislation Committee, May 19 Membership Committee, May 20
KEY DATES JUNE 2021 THROUGH AUGUST 2021
2021
Dates
Meeting/Championships
Location
June 2-4
NCAA Inclusion Forum
Virtual
June 4-9
Division III Baseball Championship
Cedar Rapids, IA
June 7-9
Regional Rules Seminar
Virtual
June 8
FAR Advisory Group
Virtual
June 14-15
Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports
Virtual
June 15
Strategic Planning and Finance Committee
Virtual
June 16
Interpretations and Legislative Committee
Virtual
June 21-22
Championships Committee
Virtual
June 23-24
Membership Committee
Virtual
July 15
Membership Committee
Virtual
July 17-18
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
Virtual
July 18-20
Management Council
Virtual
July 21
Interpretations and Legislation Committee
Virtual
Aug. 2
Presidents Advisory Group
Virtual
Aug. 4
Presidents Council
Virtual
Aug. 12
BOG Committee to Promote Cultural Diversity and Equity
Virtual
Aug. 19
Membership Committee
Virtual
This email was sent to NCAA Division III presidents and chancellors that serve on Division III committees, athletics direct reports, directors of athletics, faculty athletics representatives, senior woman administrators, sports information directors, directors of compliance, commissioners, assistant/associate commissioners, national SAAC, provisional, reclassifying and exploratory members based on contact information in the NCAA Directory.
National Collegiate Athletic Association, 700 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204 US