NCAA STATEMENT ON DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIPS COMMITTEE DECISION

The Division II Championships Committee and Presidents Council have approved a possible contingency plan for championships administration that gives sport committees the flexibility to introduce a “subregional” round if necessary for cases where all teams selected for regional play would need to fly to a single host site. This subregional plan honors the Division II tradition of providing the number one seed with an opportunity to host championship competition. The possible subregional plan also does not impact the structure and seeding of the championship bracket in any way.

The creation of a possible subregional plan this year was not taken lightly by the championships committee, which is charged with reviewing each championship format on the basis of what is best for the entire division. This plan ensures fiscal responsibility without compromising the right of the top seed to host regional games. The plan allows sport committees to reduce the burden on participating teams and their institutions if needed. We believe this will serve us well for this year should circumstances arise that require it, and then we can review it again to decide whether it is an effective solution going forward.

The uncertainty of the current economic environment causes everyone to pause and evaluate planned expenses and anticipated budgets. As the presidential leaders of NCAA Division II have analyzed expenses, and specifically increasing costs of air travel, it has become clear that immediate action is needed to assist schools and the division to maximize resources. If implemented, this contingency plan, based on recent regional rankings in men’s and women’s basketball, would result in approximately $350,000 travel savings for the Division II championships budget.