DIII Convention preview: Members to look at 9 proposals

Division III members will vote on nine proposals during the Division III Business Session on Jan. 22 at the 2022 NCAA Convention in Indianapolis. Key proposals on the slate impact the following areas: 

Playing and practice seasons in football

This proposal addresses concerns regarding head impact exposure by reducing contact overall in the preseason and traditional season while increasing opportunities to teach appropriate blocking and tackling techniques during the spring. The proposal has an immediate effective date, allowing schools to implement a revised practice schedule in the spring of 2022.

International student-athlete amateurism certification 

This proposal would require the NCAA Eligibility Center to certify the amateurism, including preenrollment sports participation, of all international student-athletes enrolling on or after Aug. 1, 2023.  

Expanded ability to practice without using a season of competition

This proposal would allow student-athletes to participate in a full season of practice without using a season of competition if the athlete does not compete in any games. 

Additional proposals include those that would:

• Permit the Division III Presidents Council to sponsor and adopt emergency

legislation under defined circumstances. This proposal has an immediate effective date. 

• Establish equestrian as an emerging sport for women. 
• Reduce the minimum number of multisport conference members required for automatic qualification for Division III championships from seven to six. 
• Reduce the minimum number of member schools required to form a single-sport conference from seven to six. 
• Eliminate the option for a student-athlete to sign a waiver declining the sickle cell solubility test. 
• Permit Division III member schools with Division I sports to apply all Division I legislation, including Bylaw 15 (financial aid), to the Division I sports. In 2020, NCAA legislation was updated permitting Division III schools sponsoring Division I sports to apply all Division I rules to those programs except for principles of financial aid. If passed, this proposal would be immediately effective. 

Proposals have an Aug. 1 effective date unless otherwise noted.

The Division III Issues Forum is scheduled for Jan. 21 and will include a roundtable discussion on positioning the division to handle future challenges in the areas of legislative concepts and championships, among other topics.

Additional information and a full schedule of events regarding Division III at the 2022 Convention is available here.