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. 29
Winter championships. Based on a review of participation data and declarations from institutions regarding their intentions of meeting minimum contest requirements in time to be eligible for championship selection, the committee recommended that the Division III Administrative Committee cancel all Division III winter sport championships for 2021.
The Championships Committee has been monitoring sport sponsorship since the late fall and providing updates to the Division III Management and Presidents Councils.
The committee looked at the core elements to hold a national championship (e.g. geographic and conference diversity, participation levels, and conference automatic qualification integrity – the division’s primary access to the national championship). Based on this review, in August, the committee established the participation thresholds needed to host national championships in 2020-21.
The data from a declaration form distributed on Jan. 19 and completed by 98% of the membership indicated the following participation percentages:
60% Threshold
70% Threshold
MBB
WBB
MSW
WSW
MTI
WTI
MIH
WIH
WRE
Sponsorship
416
430
238
265
291
297
84
67
109
Yes
48.6%
46.2%
43.1%
42.0%
48.8%
49.3%
52.3%
51.4%
61.8%
No
51.4%
53.8%
56.9%
58.0%
51.2%
50.7%
47.7%
48.6%
38.2%
Administrative burdens, such as finances, facility access, hosts, and testing protocols, were not part of the decision or rationale to cancel winter championships. The recommendation to cancel was based on the inability to meet the core elements necessary to conduct a national championship (e.g., low membership participation due to the pandemic).
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND ANTICIPATED DISCUSSIONS
Interpretations and Legislation Committee, Feb. 18
COVID waivers.The committee will discuss waivers provided this year (e.g. virtual recruiting) and how and if these waivers may be applied to next year and beyond.
Membership Committee, Feb. 24-25
Sport sponsorship.The committee will discuss sport minimum number of contests and participants required for spring sports to meet sports sponsorship requirements during the 2020-21 academic year.
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