D3CA COVID-19 COMMUNICATION // june 5, 2020

The NCAA Division III staff has created this bi-weekly communication for the Division III Commissioners Association in an effort 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.

Administrative Committee, May 28

• Approved a waiver to reduce the minimum number of contests required for sports sponsorship and championship selections by 33 percent for all sports for 2020-21.
• The minimum number of participants required for sports sponsorship will remain unchanged.

Championships Committee, June 2

• AdCom approved the 33% reduction to the minimum contests required for championships selection and approved 2020-21 cost saving measures, including eliminating championships banquets and conducting all sport committee meetings virtually. The Strategic Planning and Finance Committee will consider additional recommendations next week, including suspending the pilot program that separates conference opponents in the first round of a championship and reimbursement for local ground transportation for teams and individuals that travel by air.
• The committee supported the preservation of student-athlete postseason as its top priority.
  • Minimum number of sponsoring institutions required to conduct a championship:  The committee began to explore what minimum number or percentage of sponsoring institutions would be necessary to conduct a championship (the number/percentage could vary by total sponsorship level). Once the championship conduct is confirmed, the currently legislated Division III access ratio could determine the bracket/field size based on the number of eligible institutions per sport.
  • Automatic qualification. The committee discussed the impact of sponsorship fluctuation and bracket modification on automatic qualification and determined the following:
    • Conferences that fall below four core members. The committee supported the concept that if a conference in good AQ standing falls below the required minimum of four core members due to the effects of COVID-19, the conference would lose its AQ for the 2020-21; however, that conference could regain the AQ in 2021-22 if it is able to return to the minimum of four core members.
    • Conferences already in grace-period status. The committee agreed that conferences already in grace-period status will need to apply for a waiver to request an extension of the grace period.

COVID-19 Playing and Practice Seasons Internal Working Group

• As the rates of infection and death from COVID-19 have recently declined or stabilized in some areas across the country, many states have established plans for resocialization and there is an increasing dialogue about the need to balance the economic benefit of resocialization and reopening with the need to protect society from the public health consequences of ongoing spread of COVID-19. The precautions outlined in the Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Action Plan Considerations are intended to further facilitate and support that analysis. In conjunction with this release, an update to the Core Principles of Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Frequently Asked Questions document has also been posted.

FAQ Question and Answer No. 1

Is the Core Principles document intended to represent formalized best practices or Association-wide policy? In other words, are member schools obligated to follow these guidelines? 
Unlike many of the other health and safety materials disseminated by the NCAA, this document is not formally endorsed by any third-party organization and does not represent Association-wide policy. Rather, its purpose is to provide broad guidance to the membership based on currently available evidence regarding COVID-19 and resocialization at both the society and sport level. As our understanding of COVID-19 is rapidly evolving, it is likely that these Core Principles may be updated.

Importantly, a decision to follow the Core Principles  is to be made at the individual school level, with the approval of institutional leadership, and in concert with applicable guidance from local and state public officials with regard to return to campus, return to practice, and return to competition. In the end, institutional and governmental leadership will determine who can participate in, assist with and watch student-athlete practices and competition.

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND ANTICIPATED DISCUSSIONS

Administrative Committee, June 10

• Consider recommendations regarding the fall preseason start date.

Strategic Planning and Finance Committee, June 11

• Potential championship (local ground transportation for teams and individuals and year two of the pilot to avoid conference opponents in the first round) and nonchampionship supplemental budget reductions (FY21 to FY24).
• Discuss providing additional flexibility with the Conference Strategic Grant within Tier 1 (SWA) and Tier 2 (student-athlete health and safety).

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.