The landscape surrounding college sports has changed dramatically in recent years, yet our definition of a Division I member has remained largely the same. The Transformation Committee is evaluating Division I member criteria and commitments in today’s environment. Our goal is to use the standards we develop to maintain DI academic and athletic integrity while better meeting the needs of today’s student-athletes.

The Committee is exploring:

• The standards and commitment all members must hold to qualify for Division I athletics
• The minimum criteria for determining DI membership
• The impact changes to financial support would have on student-athlete success
• What additional support, including academic and developmental, can be provided to student-athletes
• Identifying minimum standards related to student-athlete well-being

In August, the Transformation Committee created a subgroup committed to evaluating and strengthening Division I decision-making processes. Among several goals and planned outcomes, the Decision-making Subgroup is considering changes that will result in a more responsive decision-making structure, improve clarity of roles, eliminate redundancies, balance necessary checks in its systems, and elevate the student-athletes’ voice in governance processes.

The Transformation Committee recognizes that NCAA championship participation is the pinnacle of a student-athlete’s athletics experience. In August, the Transformation Committed created a subgroup committed to evaluating Division I championships across all sports. The Championships Subgroup is in the process of considering changes that will enhance and preserve competition, including in areas like gender equity, revenue generation, and more.

On August 31st, the Division I Board of Directors adopted the Transformation Committee’s transfer recommendations that required student-athletes to enter the Transfer Portal during sport-specific windows. On September 21st, the Division I Council modified the rules to exempt postgraduate student-athletes who plan to compete the following season.

Effective immediately, these actions will:

• Ensure student-athletes in all sports will continue to be immediately eligible the first time they transfer
• Require any school that considers athletics when awarding scholarships to transferring student-athletes to provide that scholarship for the rest of a student's five-year eligibility or until they complete the requirements for their bachelor's degree

You can read more about these actions here.

On August 3rd, the Division I Board of Directors approved a set of Transformation Committee recommendations that will immediately empower schools to provide greater support for student-athletes' personal health, safety and well-being. Among many actions taken, schools can now pay for more to support a student's academic pursuits, purchase insurance such as critical injury or illness and loss-of-value, and fund participation in elite-level training, tryouts and competition.

The Committee is continuing to evaluate additional possible benefits and support that can be provided to student-athletes to enhance their overall experience.

Throughout the Committee’s process, members have been regularly meeting with student-athletes and other key stakeholders to better meet the needs of the modern student-athlete.

On August 31st, the Division I Board of Directors adopted the Transformation Committee’s three major proposals that modify infractions procedures to modernize and enhance the overall process. With these actions, the process will accelerate the timelines for infractions cases in a fair and transparent fashion.

Effective immediately, these changes include:

• Increasing cooperation and transparency in the infractions process and expediting the resolution of infractions cases
• Clarifying and streamlining changes to the appeals process
• Eliminating the Independent Accountability Resolution Process

You can read more about these actions here.

As part of our ongoing process, we’ve invited the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) to share their inputs and priorities for Division I transformation. Student-athletes are at the forefront of all of our conversations, and we are committed to act to meaningfully improve their experience.

Areas of priority for SAAC include:

• Increasing access to mental health resources
• Greater representation of student-athletes in various groups and committees
• Developmental resources spanning academics, career, and leadership