The Division II Presidents Council on Wednesday endorsed a process to identify the two independent members to serve on the Division II Executive Board, the modified version of the Presidents Council that will take over Feb. 1, 2024.
The council also approved a recommendation to align the minimum contest and participant requirements for championship selection for five sports. Additionally, members approved budget requests for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Process to add independent members to Executive Board
The Presidents Council endorsed the process to seek nominations and select the two independent members of the Division II Executive Board, a 14-member body that the Division II membership approved at the 2023 NCAA Convention. The modified board, the highest governance body in the division, will comprise nine presidents and chancellors, two student-athletes and two independent members. The chair of the Division II Management Council will serve as a nonvoting member of the board.
Calls for nominations will begin in May. Nominations will be filtered through a subcommittee of the Division II Presidents Council to determine final recommendations for the two independent members. The full Presidents Council plans to approve the new independent members at its October meeting ahead of their service starting Feb. 1, 2024.
Independent members will serve a two-year term and will be eligible for an additional two-year term.
Minimums for championship selection
The Presidents Council approved adjusting the minimum contest and participant requirements for championship selection for football, men's golf, women's golf, men's lacrosse and men's soccer.
The recommendations stemmed from a referral from the Division II Implementation Committee, which requested the Division II Championships Committee and Division II Membership Committee collaborate to arrive at numbers that provide a simpler, consistent and equitable process among sports. The review included feedback from the five sport committees that currently have different standards.
Last week, the Management Council approved a similar recommendation to adjust the minimum contest and participant requirements for sports sponsorship. The Management Council will review the legislative form of the sports sponsorship recommendation in July. After final approval, these changes to the championship minimums and sports sponsorship requirements (see chart below) would be effective for the 2023-24 academic year.
|
Sport
|
Current Minimum Contests/Participants for Sports Sponsorship
|
Recommended Minimums for Sports Sponsorship
|
Current Minimum Contests/Participants for Championship Selection
|
Recommended Minimums for Championship
Selection
|
|
Football
|
8 contests
|
9 contests
|
10 contests
|
9 contests (8 must be against Division II
opponents)
|
|
Men's
Golf
|
6 contests with 5 participants
|
7 contests with 5 participants
|
7 contests (4 in championship segment); 12 rounds (6 in championship segment)
|
7 contests posting an official team score and 12 rounds (6 of which must occur in
the spring season)
|
|
Women's Golf
|
6 contests with 5 participants
|
7 contests with 5 participants
|
15 18-hole rounds
(6 in championship segment)
|
7 contests posting an official team score and 12 rounds (6 of which must occur in
the spring season)
|
|
Men's Lacrosse
|
8 contests
|
10 contests
|
10 contests
|
10 contests*
|
|
Men's Soccer
|
10 contests
|
10 contests*
|
15 contests (10 in-region Division II opponents and at least 1 in-region, nonconference Division II opponent)
|
10 contests (must include at least 1 in-region nonconference Division II
opponent)
|
*No changes were recommended to these minimums.
Budget approvals
The Presidents Council approved budget requests for the 2023-24 fiscal year, recommended by the Division II Planning and Finance Committee. The approved budget provides enhancements to Division II championships, to distributions to member schools and conferences, and to other strategic initiatives funded by the division.
Congressional engagement
NCAA President Charlie Baker and staff updated the council members on recent meetings with legislators in Washington. Baker said that his focus has been on working with Congress to outline consumer protection standards for student-athletes and their families in negotiations for deals involving an athlete's name, image and likeness.
Division II recently hosted educational webinars and provided resources for its members on the congressional engagement efforts and how divisional representatives can get involved. The division plans to send members additional information and resources in May.
