The Division II Management Council this week recommended the Presidents Council sponsor several proposals for the 2023 NCAA Convention, including 10 concepts put forward by the Division II Implementation Committee.
Among the recommendations are concepts to change the name and/or composition of the division's Presidents Council, Management Council, Planning and Finance Committee, and Administrative Committee.
Additionally, the Management Council supported 12 noncontroversial proposals, the majority of which came from the Implementation Committee. Review all the Implementation Committee's recommendations here.
The Presidents Council will review the recommendations at its Aug. 3 meeting.
Spring football
The Management Council adopted in concept changes that would modify the division's spring football practice model to limit full-contact practices. If adopted in legislative form in October, the changes would be implemented in spring 2023 and later.
Specifically, the changes to the spring practice model would limit schools from conducting more than two consecutive days of full contact (tackling to the ground) football practices. Additionally, schools would be limited to no more than 75 minutes of full contact within any one on-field practice session. This time limit would not impact the three tackling sessions devoted primarily to 11-on-11 scrimmages.
The proposed revisions to football's spring practice model would align with changes Division I adopted for the spring practice period to enhance student-athlete well-being and would be consistent with modifications to the preseason practice period being implemented in Division II in the 2022-23 season. The Division II Football Committee and other football coaches through the Division II Coaches Connection program supported these changes, as well.
Name, image and likeness guidance
The Management Council issued guidance on how current NCAA legislation applies to the name, image and likeness environment, specifically to third parties involved in the recruiting process. The Division II guidance, similar to that issued by Division I in May, defines a booster as any third-party entity that promotes an athletics program, assists with recruiting or assists with providing benefits to recruits, enrolled student-athletes or their family members. The guidance is effective immediately.
SAAC/Management Council summit
The Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Management Council last week held their annual summit virtually. The summit provides an opportunity each year for the two groups to discuss key issues in Division II, ensuring the student-athlete voice is well represented in the governance process.
This year's meeting included a review and discussion of proposed legislation for the 2023 Convention, as well as Division II SAAC's goals for the 2022-23 academic year. The goals emphasize three areas — diversity and inclusion, mental health and life after the game — to build the total package student-athlete. The group also held a discussion on professional development and received updates on Division II's national community engagement partners: Make-A-Wish and Team IMPACT.
Division II student-athletes elected to Presidents Council
At the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee's July 14 meeting, Palm Beach Atlantic women's soccer midfielder Michaela Boyd and Concordia-St. Paul football defensive back Davaris Cheeks were elected as the two student-athlete representatives on the Division II Presidents Council. They each will hold a vote on the Presidents Council, and their first meeting with the group will be Aug. 3.
In April, the Presidents Council adopted legislation to add two student-athletes to its composition consistent with the new NCAA constitution that codified student-athlete representation on all three divisions' highest governance bodies.
Other action:
- Division II sport committees will publish the first of their three rankings as an alphabetical list of teams under consideration rather than an actual ranking, effective for the 2022-23 academic year. The Division II Championships Committee recommended the change. The second and third rankings will continue to be published as numerical rankings.
- The Management Council recommended the Presidents Council sponsor legislation for the 2023 Convention to establish a penalty for any active member school that fails to submit its financial data by the applicable deadline. The proposed penalty requires a school that misses the deadline to forfeit Division II institutional equal distribution funds (formerly known as enhancement funds) in the following academic year. The proposed effective date is Aug. 1, 2025, to allow schools time to adjust to the new legislation.
- The Management Council recommended the Presidents Council refer the six properly sponsored membership proposals for the 2023 NCAA Convention to various Association-wide and/or Division II committees for evaluation and positions. Committee positions on the membership-sponsored proposals will be provided to the councils during their October meetings.
