|
|
|
|
NCAA News Release
|
NCAA Division II Management Council Takes Action To Create Additional Championship Participation Opportunities For Student-Athletes
|
For Immediate Release
Thursday, July 22, 2004
|
Contact(s)
Gail Dent
Associate Director of Public and Media Relations 317/917-6117
|
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND---The NCAA Division II Management Council has approved recommendations to the division's 2004-05 and 2005-06 operating budgets, which will create more than 1,400 additional championship participation opportunities for its student-athletes.
The 2004-05 championships budget is slated to increase by $1.4 million, with funds to be used for bracket expansion in football, women's volleyball, field hockey and men's and women's track & field, while the 2005-06 championship budget will increase by $1 million, with funds to be used for bracket expansion in baseball and softball. The additional funding will cover expenses resulting from the increased participation opportunities, and other costs related to general operations for these specific Division II championships.
Key increases include:
- The playoff bracket in football will expand from 16 to 24 teams beginning in fall 2004, which amounts to approximately 480 additional participation opportunities for student-athletes.
- The postseason bracket in volleyball will expand from 48 to 64 teams beginning in fall 2004, which will result in approximately 224 additional participation opportunities for student-athletes.
- The postseason bracket in field hockey will expand from four to six teams beginning in fall 2004, which will result in approximately 48 additional participation opportunities for student-athletes.
- New events will be added in men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field championships beginning in spring 2005.
- The postseason bracket in baseball will expand from 32 to 48 teams in spring 2006, which will result in approximately 390 additional participation opportunities for student-athletes.
- The postseason bracket in softball will expand from 48 to 64 teams in spring 2006, which will result in approximately 320 additional participation opportunities for student-athletes.
In other Division II news:
The Council endorsed its 2004-07 divisional strategic plan, which aligns with the overall NCAA Strategic Plan that was approved in April.
Goals of the plan are as follows:
- Better preparing Division II student-athletes for increased academic achievement and lifelong success
- Enriching Division II student-athletes by collegiate athletics experiences that feature a safe and well-balanced environment, equitable treatment and a commitment to sportsmanship.
- Enhancing Division II championships to ensure that Division II student-athletes have access to quality, positive and rewarding national championships experiences.
- Conducting Division II operations and services in an effective and efficient manner consistent with the division's strategic initiatives and budget priorities, and strengthening Division II membership affiliations.
- Division II institutions and member conferences will be active participants in the governance and management of Division II intercollegiate athletics, and the gender and ethnic diversity of coaches and administrators will strengthen the Division II governance structure and the institutional environment for Division II student-athletes.
- The Division II membership's commitment to rules education and compliance enhancements will strengthen Division II athletics departments and assist in leveling the competitive playing field in Division II.
- Communication and technology initiatives will result in a better informed Division II membership, and the public will gain a greater understanding and appreciation of Division II's positive values.
- The Council endorsed the academic success rate (ASR) proposal sponsored by the Division II Presidents Council, which now moves to the 2005 NCAA Convention floor for a vote. The proposal states that as a condition and obligation of Division II active membership, institutions shall submit on an annual basis a supplemental report to measure the academic success for all Division II student-athletes, not just scholarship student-athletes as presented in the federal government's annual graduation rates report. Establishing the ASR as a condition of membership will assist the division in compiling a more accurate academic success study for student-athletes attending Division II schools.
- The Council endorsed legislation to specify the effective date for the penalties associated with noncompliance in completing the ASR report each year. The Council suggests an August 1, 2010, effective date that will identify the spring 2011 reporting period as the first date that schools would risk losing their Division II enhancement fund distribution for not completing the ASR report.
- The Council discussed recommendations forwarded by the Division II championships committee regarding future Division II National Championships Festivals. The Management Council was in agreement with the championships committee that the NCAA national office staff should pursue opportunities for conducting a fall sports festival in 2006, and agreed with the committee's recommendation to host another spring sports festival in 2008.
- The Council heard a report on the NCAA year-round drug-testing program, which will be expanded in 2004-05 to include testing student-athletes in all sports at Division II institutions. Every Division II institution that sponsors football will be drug tested at least once each academic year, and one additional sport will now be randomly selected. Non-football schools also will be randomly selected for testing.
- The Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) provided a written report indicating that it has overwhelmingly exceeded its fundraising goal for its national community service campaign with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Division II SAAC originally set a goal of raising $5,000 for the foundation in August 2003. To date, more than $43,770 has been raised.
- Future Division II Management Council meetings will be held October 18-19, in Indianapolis, and January 7, 2005, in Dallas, in conjunction with the 2005 NCAA Convention.
-30-
|
|
