The Division III Governing Council took action this week to support expanding the championship field in soccer from 32 teams to 40 teams and changing the championship access ratio for all team sports to 1:6. I did.
In addition to the slot expansion in soccer, there will also be a single at-large pool for bidding, combining the previously used pools B and C.
If the championship access ratio for team sports is expanded to 1:6, those changes are shown in the graph below.
| sports | Current bracket size | 1:6 ratio bracket size |
|---|---|---|
| baseball | 60 | 64 |
| men's ice hockey | 12 | 14 |
| women's ice hockey | 11 | 12 |
| field hockey | 26 | 28 |
| men's lacrosse | 38 | 40 |
| women's lacrosse | 46 | 47 |
| soft ball | 62 | 64 |
| men's volleyball | 16 | 19 |
Additionally, the Board of Regents approved the use of the NCAA Power Index to select at-large berths for team sports championships. This change will take effect from the 2024 Fall Championships.
NIL protection
The Board of Trustees approved a non-controversial bill to establish resources for student-athletes engaged in name, image and likeness activities.
These resources include voluntary service provider registration for NIL service providers such as agents and financial advisors. In addition, the NCAA administers a comprehensive education program that focuses on areas of interest such as contract best practices and standardized terms, taxes, and brand management.
This will come into effect from August 1st.
Development of the Interpretation and Legislation Committee
The Council incorporated into law the existing Graduate/Post-Baccalaureate Participation Exemption Directive through a non-controversial bill. Specifically, Division III institutions will no longer be required to apply for a waiver for graduates of non-NCAA Division III institutions to participate as graduate students or post-baccalaureate students if they meet the following criteria: I did.
- Graduated with a bachelor's degree within four academic years.
- There is a season of participation remaining, as defined by Division III law.
- There were no interruptions in the enrollment period.
The Council also heard an update on the Interpretation and Legislation Committee's review and potential proposals regarding transfer residence year requirements and the legislative process. The council will hear a final recommendation at its summer meeting after soliciting and considering feedback from members.
women's wrestling
The council also voted to sponsor the 2025 Tournament Bill to add women's wrestling as a national collegiate championship. If adopted, the first championship will be held in the winter of 2026.
Federation playing rules
In the summer of 2023, Division III formally adopted a new process for reviewing and adopting the federation's rules of play. This process was based on his three key focuses:
- This process should include more input from Division III.
- This process should encourage common rules of play.
- To the extent possible, this process should work within the framework of current rulemaking.
The council agreed to launch a formal review of the federation's playing rules process. Reviews determine whether processes are operating effectively and achieving their goals. After seeking feedback, the council plans to consider any necessary changes at its summer meeting.
