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, Nov. 17
Winter championships automatic qualifications. The committee affirmed its decision that if a conference creates a schedule for at least four core members, the conference can maintain its AQ, even if not all of the core members finish the season, or the teams compete in less than the 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. However, the committee stressed the importance of conferences setting a schedule that allows its AQ designee the opportunity to meet the revised minimum contest requirements.
Winter sport championships. The committee continues to monitor sport sponsorship levels and the impact on winter championships. It discussed the continuing importance of institutions declaring their intention to compete in the relevant national championship.
Strategic Planning and Finance Committee, Nov. 19
Division III budget. The committee is recommending a one-time, three-year budget cycle for Division III during 2021-24. With the impact of the pandemic, flat revenue projections the next three years and the end of the current CBS/Turner broadcast agreement in 2023-24, the committee believes a one-time, three year budget cycle is the best way to manage the division’s budget during this period.
For 2020-21, staff anticipates the division’s revenue will be 10% less, due to the expectation that there will be no or limited ticket sales for the Division I men’s basketball championship. Many of the Division III non-championship programs have either been delayed or moved to a virtual platform, and consequently, staff anticipates spending $6 million on non-championship programs, exclusive of overhead. The bulk of the $6 will million support the conference grant program ($3.1 million) and the Division III diversity grants ($1.6 million). With the cancellation of 2020 fall championships and the revised estimates for COVID-19 testing, staff anticipates
spending $21.1 million this fiscal year on winter and spring championships.
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND ANTICIPATED DISCUSSIONS
Championships Committee, Dec. 8
Winter sport championships. The committee will continue to monitor championship sport sponsorship levels and their impact on winter championships. It will discuss potential deadlines, per sport, for conferences and institutions to declare their intention to participate in a manner that would qualify them to be considered for selection to an NCAA winter championship.
RESOURCES
Division III Compliance page. (2020-21 Division III COVID-19 Question and Answer Guide - (last updated Nov. 6) and the Blanket Waiver Summary Guide (created Nov. 6)
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