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.
Thirty-nine total schools and conference offices will receive diversity grants for the upcoming cycles of the Ethnic Minorities and Women’s Internship Grant (23 recipients), Coaching Enhancement Grant (10 recipients) and the Strategic Alliance Matching Grant(six 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.
Sports Sponsorship and Demographic Form
The Sports Sponsorship and Demographic Form will open in early May. Completing the form is a membership requirement. It must be submitted no later than July 26. An email, which will include information on how to access the site, will be sent to administrators and other campus personnel before the site opens. If you have additional questions, please contact Maria DeJulio (mdejulio@ncaa.org) or Lynn Dickey (ldickey@ncaa.org).
Graduation Rates/Academic Success Rate
The Academic Portal is open to enter the required federal graduation rates and Academic Success Rate data. Data will be entered under the “Graduation Rates” tab in the portal and is due June 1. Please contact Maria DeJulio (mdejulio@ncaa.org, 913-397-7668), Sadie Martinez (smartinez@ncaa.org, 317-917-6590) or Eric Hartung (ehartung@ncaa.org, 317-917-6306) with any questions.
LGBTQ OneTeam Recognition Award
The annual LGBTQ OneTeam Recognition Awardnomination and application closes June 1
. The recognition award is an opportunity to recognize athletics departments and conference offices that foster inclusive environments and celebrate student-athletes, coaches and staff who self-identify as members of the LGBTQ community. Visit the NCAA Program Hub to submit nominations. The recipients will be announced at the 2022 NCAA Convention.
Division III Webinars
Webinars will be from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Eastern time on the following dates and topics:
May 4 — Updates from the Management Council, Presidents Council and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee meetings.
June 1 — Name, image and likeness issues.
All past webinar PowerPoints are on the Division III website.
Division III Week Recap
Over 90% of Division III member conferences celebrated the 10th annual Division III Week on April 5-11. Content surrounding the 2021 celebration featured highlights of the division's partnership with Special Olympics, academic achievement, athletics success, community service and the Division III Identity Initiative. Division III raised $2,032 for Special Olympics North America by encouraging schools and conference offices to follow @NCAADIII on Twitter and Instagram. Oglethorpe won the annual #D3Week video contest with this submission. The division also hosted activities on the Instagram account, including Guess that DIII Mascot, DIII Mount Rushmore and DIII Trivia. Thanks to all who participated. The 11th annual Division III Week will be April 4-11, 2022. While planning for next year's event, remember to use resources and check for updates at the Division III Week website.
2021 Division III SAAC Mental Health Social Media Campaign
The Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is excited to announce the second annual Mental Health Social Media Campaign on May 3-6
. This campaign is a platform for student-athletes, administrators, coaches, staff and support networks across the country to speak out on and break the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. 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 issues. For more information, click here.
360 PROOF UPDATES
Monthly Prevention Tips
It’s the end of the academic year. Take stock of what went well and what went less well (what you might want to try differently next year). Start planning for the next academic year. Consider the end-of-the-year activities discussed in the webinar from April 29, 2015, posted on Center Point.
Additionally, re-watch the webinar “Looking Back and Looking Forward” from April 10, 2019, with national expert David Anderson, as you consider how to monitor outcomes and maintain healthy perspectives.
FARA Executive Committee Elections – Hopefully you received an email about the opening of the nomination process for divisional representation on FARA’s Executive Committee. If you are interested in serving, please consider nominating yourself. The nomination form can be found at: FARA Executive Committee Divisional Representative Nomination
. Nominations will close on June 18, 2021.
2021 FARA Honors and Awards – At FARA, we love to recognize all the great things our colleagues do and now is the time to celebrate all their hard work! If you know an FAR who has made significant contributions this year or a new FAR who really stepped up to the plate, please consider nominating them for the FARA of the Year Award or FARA Newcomer of the Year Award! Each division will celebrate these honors at the FARA Annual Meeting this fall. Submit a nomination at one of the following links:
1A FAR/FARA Webinar – Monday, May 3 at 12ET will be the final webinar in the 2021 1A FAR/FARA Webinar Series. “UnderstandingStudent-Athlete Identity – Bridging the Gap Between Student-Athletes and FARs” will bring together research experts and a panel of student-athletes to share their story. You won’t want to miss it! No registration is required – just connect via this link:
Reminder: 2020-21 Campus Sexual Violence Attestation Form
The 2020-21 NCAA Board of Governors Policy on Campus Sexual Violence Attestation Form is open and available for download here. Once the form is signed, directors of athletics should follow the directions to upload their completed form into the assigned module in the NCAA Learning Portal. The deadline to submit your completed form is May 15. For more information, review our
frequently asked questions and direct any additional questions to questions@ncaa.org.
2021 NCAA Division III Concussion Safety Protocol
NCAA Division III legislation requires that institutional concussion management plans be consistent with the NCAA Concussion Safety Protocol Checklist. To facilitate and support member compliance with concussion legislation, the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports also has approved a Concussion Safety Protocol Template that includes all components of the checklist and may be customized by schools to accommodate and reflect their individual needs and practices. In an effort to proactively address some of the most anticipated membership questions related to those institutional review and update activities, we have created a frequently asked questions page, or you can access all concussion safety protocol management information here.
Congratulations to Timothy Farrell, University Athletics Associate Sports Information Director, on receiving the 2021 Spring Division III and D3SIDA Recognition Award. The selection committee of Division III Sports Information Directors of America members chose Farrell’s series: “UAA Conversations About Race and Racism." The series and efforts throughout the unprecedented year were exceptionally well done, and Division III and D3SIDA applaud the work and overall performance. Award winners receive a $1,500 credit to attend Division III Day, held in conjunction with the annual 2021 CoSIDA convention.
The next submission round for the NCAA Division III and D3SIDA recognition award runs through October 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.
Championship Ads
Print ads highlighting the NCAA Division III spring championships are available on ncaa.org for use in game and championship programs. The ads (located on the Division III Championships homepage under the “Dates and Sites Information” tab) come in three sizes: full page, half page and quarter page. For quick access, click here. Login: D3MEMBERSHIP Password: ncaamarketing.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is the recipient of the April Division III Diversity Spotlight Initiative. CMS created the Diversity-Equity-Inclusion Committee, which consists of 14 members, and this committee created the DEI Learning Club. The club conducts monthly seminars and features a speaker series to address a variety of topics to advance the committee’s goal of developing an athletics environment that promotes diverse representation, creates equal opportunity for all, and offers opportunities for all individuals to be heard and respected. Click herefor 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 May 21.
Diversity Tip of the Month
Click here for the NCAA student-athlete activism webpage that provides information and resources. Activism is the practice of taking intentional action to bring about social, political, economic or environmental change. It can take many forms but often relies on a strategic, organized and action-oriented approach to address persistent systemic issues in society.
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.
May Nominees
There were no submissions for the May Special Olympics Spotlight Poll.
Waivers of Bylaw 14.1.9 for Graduates of Schools Not in Division III Bylaw 14.1.9, which governs participation for graduate and postbaccalaureate students, permits a student who has graduated from a Division III college or university to participate in Division III intercollegiate athletics. However, if a student-athlete has graduated from Division I, Division II or any other school that is not in Division III, a waiver will be required for the student to participate as a graduate or postbaccalaureate student at a Division III school.
The Subcommittee for Legislative Relief's guideline for compelling and exemplary academic success outlines the four criteria that would result in a waiver approval:
1. The student graduated within four academic years. 2. The student completed an undergraduate degree without any breaks in full-time enrollment. 3. The student earned a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade-point average. 4. The student has at least one season of participation remaining, per Division III legislation.
If a student does not meet all the criteria, then a school would need to document extenuating or extraordinary circumstances that explain the student-athlete's deficiency to result in an approval. Two final things to note:
NCAA staff cannot process any waivers of Bylaw 14.1.9 until after the student-athlete has officially graduated from the undergraduate institution. The waiver request must include a transcript that confirms an undergraduate degree has been conferred.
In March, the Subcommittee for Legislative Relief determined that, forthe 2021-22 academic year, it is appropriate to honor COVID-19 relief for the 2020-21 academic year provided from other divisions or non-NCAA athletics associations for purposes of the “season of participation” criteria of the Bylaw 14.1.9 graduate/postbaccalaureate participation legislative relief waiver directive.
More information on all of the Division III waiver guidelines and directives can be found here.
Recent Interpretations
Official Interpretation — Virtual Athletic Events Involving Prospective Student-Athletes The Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee determined that an institutional athletics staff member may view a livestream of an event involving prospective student-athletes that the staff member may otherwise permissibly attend. The opportunity to view the livestream must be available to all at the same cost. Similarly, an institutional athletics staff member may also view recordings of those same events provided the recordings are available to all at the same cost. [References: Bylaws 13.02.4 (Evaluation), and 13.1.5 (Evaluations)]
Recent Educational Column
Eligibility of Student-Athletes Working in or Outside the Athletics Department The following provides guidance to determine if an individual working for a Division III member school is eligible for intercollegiate athletics.
Question 1: Can a graduate student receive financial aid (e.g., tuition remission, tuition stipend) for working in the athletics department (e.g., graduate assistant) and be eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics? Answer: No, if the athletics staff is involved in choosing the individual for the position. Explanation: Bylaw 15.4.5 states that athletics staff members (coaching and noncoaching) are prohibited from arranging or being involved in any manner in the review of institutional financial assistance awarded to students-athletes. By choosing the person to work in athletics, the athletics staff members are effectively awarding the financial aid that is tied to the position.
Question 2: Can a graduate student, receive financial aid (e.g., tuition remission, tuition stipend) for working in a department outside athletics (e.g., graduate assistant) and be eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics? Answer: Yes, provided athletics leadership, ability, participation or performance were not considered during the process. Explanation: This situation is permissible because the individual's financial aid package does not violate Bylaws 15.01.3, 15.4.1 or 15.4.5. Specifically, the financial aid package is not based on athletics, nor is the athletics staff involved in the process of selecting the person for the position. If those factors change, then the outcome would be different.
Question 3: Can an individual be paid for coaching one sport and be eligible to compete in another sport? Answer: Yes, provided the pay is not in the form of financial aid. However, the student would be ineligible at that school for the sport in which they are coaching. Explanation: This arrangement is permissible per official interpretation (10/26/89 “Part-time fall sport coach with eligibility remaining for spring sport”). Per Bylaw 12.4.1, the compensation would have to be for work performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services.
Question 4: Can an individual be paid for working in a noncoaching capacity within athletics and be eligible to compete in intercollegiate athletics? Answer: Yes, provided the pay is not in the form of financial aid and the school follows its normal hiring processes. Explanation: Bylaw 12.4.1 permits student-athletes to be employed by the athletics department provided any compensation received by a student-athlete is for work performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services. (Please see Question 1 above regarding the limitations on financial aid.)
[References: NCAA Division III Bylaws 12.4.1 (criteria governing compensation to student-athletes), 15.01.3 (institutional financial aid), 15.01.7 (eligibility of student-athletes for institutional financial aid), 15.4.1 (consistent financial aid package), 15.4.5 (athletics staff involvement), 16.01.4 (eligibility effect of violation), and 16.02.3 (extra benefit) and a 01/14/2015 official interpretation (Item No. 3)]
Recent Legislative Action
Incorporation of Interpretation No. I-2022-1 (III). The Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee reviewed and approved the Incorporation of Interpretation No. I-2022-1 in final legislative format.
NCAA Division III Amendment Procedures for the 2022 NCAA Convention
Virtual 2021 NCAA Regional Rules Seminar Registration Is Open!
Registration is open for the virtual 2021 Regional Rules Seminar, which will occur June 7-9. Educational sessions will allow 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. Click here to register for the virtual Regional Rules Seminar. Information on live and prerecorded sessions, supplemental educational resources and materials are available on the Regional Rules Seminar webpage.
To satisfy the Division III once-in-every-three-years attendance requirement, at least one institutional representative must attend all six live webinars listed below as they occur 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.
Nominations for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year program are now open via Program Hub. School nominations are due no later than 5 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday, June 22. 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 their selection as candidates for Woman of the Year. Visit the NCAA Woman of the Year Nomination and Award Process webpage and the Eligibility and Nomination Process FAQ for more information.
Student-Athlete Activism and Racial Justice Engagement Study
NCAA research recently released the results of the Student-Athlete Activism and Racial Justice Engagement Study, which last fall examined student-athlete perceptions and experiences in terms of civic engagement, student-athlete activism and racial justice engagement. See below for several related resources to this study:
Full report — Complete results, including division-specific data.
The Student-Athlete Activism and Racial Justice Engagement Study came out of questions included on the Fall 2020 NCAA Student-Athlete Well-Being Study. The central focus of the overall survey was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical and mental well-being of student-athletes throughout 2020. Email research@ncaa.org with questions regarding the Student-Athlete Activism and Racial Justice Engagement Study.
Student-Athlete Leadership Training
The 2021 summer Student-Athlete Leadership Training session will equip participating student-athletes with vital personal development skills that will serve them on and off the field of competition. The two-day virtual immersive leadership training will feature transformational keynote speakers, virtual community service, a small-group engagement focus, and impactful curriculum for attending student-athletes.
Athletics directors, senior woman administrators or student-athlete affairs administrators may nominate student-athletes via the “Nominator” tab in the NCAA Program Hub by entering the interested applicants’ first and last names and email addresses. Student-athletes must complete applications by 5 p.m. Eastern time Monday, May 3.
All student-athletes who have completed at least two academic semesters by the start of the training are eligible to be nominated and apply, including those graduating in the 2020-21 academic year. Division III administrators may nominate up to three student-athletes to attend.
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, which 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, visit ncaa.org/about/resources/leadership-development/ncaa-leadership-collective.
The Baseball Rules Survey is scheduled to be sent to the head baseball coaches and conference commissioners on Monday, May 17.
The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee has affirmed that 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.
Softball
The Softball Playing Rules Survey is now available for commissioners and head coaches. Each individual should've received a unique survey link on Monday, April 19. The survey closes Friday, May 14. Should you have any questions about your link, please contact Nan Thomas at nthomas@ncaa.org.
BOG Committee to Promote Cultural Diversity and Equity
Virtual
May 9
Men's Lacrosse Selection Show
NCAA.com
May 9
Women's Lacrosse Selection Show
NCAA.com
May 11-14
Men's Golf Championships
Wheeling, WV
May 11-14
Women's Golf Championships
Lansing, MI
May 17
Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee
Virtual
May 17
Softball Selection Show
NCAA.com
May 18
Championships Committee
Virtual
May 19
Interpretations and Legislation Committee
Virtual
May 20
Membership Committee
Virtual
May 22-23
Women's Lacrosse Championship
Salem, VA
May 23
Baseball Selection Show
NCAA.com
May 24-29
Men's and Women's Tennis Championships
Chattanooga, TN
May 27- June 1
Softball Championship
Salem, VA
May 27-29
Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Greensboro, NC
May 28-29
Rowing Championship
Sarasota, FL
May 29
Men's Lacrosse Championship
East Hartford, CT
June 2-4
Inclusion Forum
Virtual
June 3-8
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 Legislation Committee
Virtual
June 21-22
Championships Committee
Virtual
July 15
Membership Committee
Virtual
July 17-18
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
Virtual
July 18-20
Management Council
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