REPORT OF THE NCAA DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIPS COMMITTEE JULY 9, 2015, TELECONFERENCE ACTION ITEMS. 1. Legislative Items. None. 2. Nonlegislative Items. a. Selection Criteria Transparency. (1) Recommendation. That the NCAA Division II Management Council approve the publishing of all data used in ranking teams during the season (up to eight criteria) by Division II sport committees. All teams would be listed in alphabetical order, by region. (2) Effective Date. Immediate. (3) Rationale. Transparency related to championships selection has been a key topic of discussion over the last year, especially in light of the new selection criteria adopted by the Division II membership at the 2014 NCAA Convention, which will be in effect this fall. Results from a survey from the Championships Committee indicated an overwhelming majority of respondents favored at least some level of transparency with selection criteria. Based on the feedback received over the past year, the Championships Committee is recommending complete transparency by publishing all data used in ranking teams, rather that only certain criteria, since not doing so may give the impression that those criteria not published are secondary criteria. (4) Estimated Budget Impact. None. (5) Student-Athlete Impact. None. b. Baseball Regional Allocations. (1) Recommendation. That the Division II Management Council approve allocating the eight additional teams in the expanded Division II Baseball Championship based on access ratio per region, providing championship access for each region as follows: a) Central Region 8 teams
Page No. 2 b) Midwest Region 8 teams c) Atlantic Region 7 teams d) East Region 7 teams e) South Region 7 teams f) Southeast Region 7 teams g) South Central Region 6 teams h) West Region 6 teams (2) Effective Date. Immediate. (3) Rationale. Allocating the eight additional teams that were approved as part of the baseball bracket expansion to 56 teams based on access ratio per region supports competitive balance as it relates to access to the tournament, which aligns with the Championships Committee s overall charge in overseeing all sports. The highest access ratio according to this model would be 5, with the lowest at 4.1, which would create similar access ratio among all regions. (4) Estimated Budget Impact. None (5) Student-Athlete Impact. The recommendation gives student-athletes in all regions the most equitable access to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship within the parameters of the 56-team bracket. c. Committee Appointments, Immediate Vacancies. (1) Recommendation. That the Division II Management Council ratify the following sport committee and playing rules committee appointments, effective immediately. [The committee charts and nomination forms are included in Attachment A.] a. Women s Basketball Rules. Van Joseph Girard, head women s basketball coach, Western State Colorado University, to replace Barvenia Cherry, head women s basketball coach, Virginia Union University, due to Ms. Cherry having left Virginia Union. b. Field Hockey. Kayte Kinsley, head field hockey coach, Mercy College, to replace Shelly Morris, head field hockey coach at Stonehill College, due to Ms. Morris having left Stonehill. c. Women s Soccer. Lewis Theobald, head women s soccer coach, University of Central Missouri, to replace Robert Podeyn, head women s soccer coach, Southwest Baptist University, due to Mr. Podeyn having left Southwest Baptist.
Page No. 3 d. Committee Appointments, September 1 Vacancies. (1) Recommendation. That the Division II Management Council ratify the following sport committee appointments, effective September 1, 2015. [The committee charts and nomination forms are included in Attachment] a. Softball. John Wilson Jr., assistant director of athletics, Virginia State University, to replace Kris Decker, associate athletics director, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, due to committee term expiration. b. Men s and Women s Tennis. Chi Ly, head men s and women s tennis coach, Palm Beach Atlantic University; and Cammie Nix, head women s tennis coach, Young Harris College, to replace Craig Turnbull, senior associate athletics director, Catawba College; and Terry Alexander, head men s tennis coach, Morehouse College, due to committee term expirations. c. Men s and Women s Track and Field and Cross Country. James Feeney, compliance coordinator, California State University, East Bay; and Micky Kaufman, head track and field coach, Maryville University of Saint Louis, to replace Mike Johnson, head men s and women s cross country and track and field coach, Western Oregon University; and Bill Massoels, athletics director and head men s and women s cross country and track and field coach, Saint Joseph s College (Indiana), due to committee term expirations. d. Women s Volleyball. Daniel Kreiger, head volleyball coach, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, to replace Linda Bell, assistant athletics director/compliance, Elizabeth City State University, due to committee term expiration. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. 1. Welcome. Championships Committee Chair Fran Reidy welcomed the group and reviewed the agenda. 2. June 15 Teleconference Report. The committee approved the report as submitted. 3. Transparency Survey. The committee reviewed results from a recent membership survey regarding transparency in the championships selection policy and discussed what specific components of the selection criteria should be made available to the membership.
Page No. 4 Ultimately, members agreed to recommend publishing all data sport committees use to rank and select teams (up to eight criteria) and list teams alphabetically, by region (see Nonlegislative Item 2-a). The committee discussed the effect on regional advisory committees (RACs), since the tools they use to make their decisions would be out in the open, but in the end, members believe transparency will actually help RAC members do their jobs more efficiently. In addition, while all member institutions will be able to view the data, there is an inherent difference between simply viewing the data and interpreting the data, which RAC members and national committee members are charged with doing. As such, the Championships Committee does not believe the additional transparency compromises RAC members and sport committee members in any way. 5. Automatic Qualification Document. The committee reviewed and approved a document that lists automatic qualification/earned access conferences in baseball, men s and women s basketball, football, men s golf, women s soccer, softball, men s and women s tennis, and women s volleyball. 6. Sport Committee Reports. The Championships Committee reviewed informational reports from the Division II Women s Basketball Committee and the Division II Men s and Women s Track and Field and Cross Country Committee. The Championships Committee also reviewed reports from the Division II Baseball Committee and took action on a recommendation to allocate the eight additional teams as a result of bracket expansion for the 2016 baseball championship. (See Nonlegislative Item 2-b.) 7. Future Meeting Dates and Teleconference Times. Committee members reviewed meeting and teleconference information through the 2016 calendar year. 8. Nullification Chart. The committee reviewed and approved an updated document regarding the principles of nullification for the 2105-16 championships. 9. Other Business. Staff updated the committee on a change in the registration process for officials in soccer. Rather than registering via the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NISOA) as had been the case in previous years, soccer officials beginning this year will register directly with ArbiterSports. Committee Chair: Francis (Fran) Reidy, Saint Leo University, Sunshine State Conference Staff Liaison: Roberta Page, Championships and Alliances Molly Simons, Championships and Alliances July 9, 2015, Teleconference
Page No. 5 Attendees Absentees Patrick (Pat) Britz, South Atlantic Conference Thomas (Tom) Shirley, Philadelphia University Roberto (Bubba) Baroniel, Nova Southeastern Kathy Heitzman, Bloomsburg University of University (Student-Athlete Advisory Pennsylvania (Management Council Vice Committee representative) Chair) Kim Duyst, California State University, Stanislaus Gregory (Greg) Gilbert, University of Findlay Jim Johnson, Pittsburg State University Timothy (Tim) Ladd, Palm Beach Atlantic University (Management Council Chair) Burt John Pumroy, Shepherd University Francis (Fran) Reidy, Saint Leo University (Championships Committee Chair) Julie Ruppert, Northeast-10 Conference Karen Stromme, University of Minnesota Duluth Kim Vinson, Cameron University Other Attendees: Dr. Michael Scales, Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary (Presidents Council Representative) Lisa Sweany, Armstrong State University Eric Breece, NCAA, Gary Brown, NCAA; Morgan DeSpain, NCAA, Leslie Havens, NCAA; Maritza Jones, NCAA; John Kuzio, NCAA; Roberta Page, NCAA; Molly Simons, NCAA; Rachel Stark, NCAA; and Katie Willett, NCAA.