2020 NCAA Convention: Division II Preview

Delegates to consider notification of transfer model, 12 other proposals

Posted on 1/17/20 9:14 AM

Division II delegates will vote on 13 Division II legislative proposals next week at the 2020 NCAA Convention in Anaheim, California. A representative from every Division II school and conference, as well as the national Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, will vote on the proposals at the Division II business session beginning at 8 a.m. Pacific time Jan. 25.

The most discussed proposal on this year's legislative slate would bring the notification of transfer model to Division II, replacing the permission-to-contact legislation for four-year student-athletes with a model similar to the one adopted in 2018 by Division I. The proposed transfer model would require Division II schools to enter a student-athlete's written request for transfer in the NCAA Transfer Portal within seven consecutive calendar days of receipt. It would not change the one-time transfer exception legislation, which allows the school the student is leaving to approve or deny the student-athlete's immediate eligibility for competition upon transfer.

Also at the Convention, Division II attendees will have the opportunity to attend educational sessions on building trust between coaches and student-athletes; inclusion on Division II campuses; evolving issues in sports medicine; fundraising and revenue generation strategies; and risk management. The Division II keynote session will occur Friday, Jan. 24, and will feature Julianna Alley, senior facilitator for the Disney Institute. For more information on Division II events at Convention, click here.

Division II legislation set for consideration at the 2020 NCAA Convention

Proposal Sponsor Division II committee position What would it change?
2020-1: Acrobatics and tumbling as emerging sport for women Presidents Council (Management Council; Committee on Women's Athletics) Student-Athlete Advisory Committee: Support
  • Would add acrobatics and tumbling as an emerging sport for women in Division II. All three divisions are considering this addition. Read more.
2020-2: Wrestling as emerging sport for women Presidents Council (Management Council; Committee on Women's Athletics) SAAC: Support
  • Would add women's wrestling as an emerging sport for women in Division II. All three divisions are considering this addition. Read more.
2020-3: Presidents Council terms of office Presidents Council SAAC: Support
  • Would extend the term of office for Presidents Council members from four years to six years.
  • Would specify that the chair and vice chair can serve for a period of not more than three years, instead of two years.
2020-4: Athletics diversity and inclusion designee   Presidents Council (Management Council; Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee) SAAC: Support
  • Would require that each Division II school and conference establish a diversity and inclusion designee for athletics who would serve as the primary contact for information related to diversity and inclusion. All three divisions are considering this designation.
2020-5: Composition of active conferences East Coast Conference, Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, Conference Carolinas, Great Northwest Athletic Conference, Gulf South Conference, Northeast-10 Conference and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Presidents Council: Support   Management Council: Support   SAAC: Support   Membership Committee: No position  
  • Would require current active Division II conferences to maintain a minimum of eight active member schools, rather than the 10-school minimum that is slated to take effect in 2022.
2020-6: Notification of transfer model   Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and East Coast Conference Presidents Council: Oppose   Management Council: Support   SAAC: Support   Legislation Committee: No position  
  • Would replace the permission-to-contact legislation related to four-year college
transfer student-athletes with a notification of transfer model.
  • Would specify
that a school must place a student-athlete's written request for transfer into the NCAA Transfer Portal within seven consecutive calendar days of receipt.
2020-7: Transcript requirement for prospective student-athletes Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and Northeast-10 Conference   Presidents Council:  Oppose   Management Council: No position   SAAC: Oppose   Legislation Committee: Support   Academic Requirements Committee: Oppose  
  • Would eliminate the requirement that a current transcript be provided to a school before issuing a National Letter of Intent or written offer of athletics aid to a prospective student-athlete.
2020-8: Tryout length for golf Peach Belt Conference and Gulf South Conference Presidents Council: Support   Management Council: Support   SAAC: Support   Championships Committee: Support   Legislation Committee: Support   DII Men's and Women's Golf Committees: Support
  • Would increase the permissible length of golf tryouts from two to five hours.
2020-9: Recruiting calendar in women's basketball Bentley University, American International College, Assumption College, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, Franklin Pierce University, Le Moyne College, Pace University, Saint Anselm College, Saint Michael's College, Southern Connecticut State University, Southern New Hampshire University, Stonehill College, The College of Saint Rose, Thomas Jefferson University and University of New Haven Presidents Council: Support   Management Council: Support   SAAC: Support   Legislation Committee: Support   DII Women's Basketball Committee: Support  
  • Would amend the recruiting calendar in women's basketball by extending the spring contact period through the third weekend in May and eliminating the May 18-June 14 evaluation period.
2020-10: Transfer from non-Division II school Presidents Council (Management Council; Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement; Legislation Committee) SAAC: Support
  • Would specify that a transfer student-athlete from a non-Division II school is subject to the season-of-competition legislation applicable to the school where the student-athlete competed.
  • Would specify that a Division III student-athlete who is charged with a season of participation for practice only under Division III legislation will not be charged with a season of competition upon transfer to a Division II school.
2020-11: Hardship waiver calculations in basketball Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and Northeast-10 Conference Presidents Council: Support   Management Council: Support   SAAC: Support   Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement: Oppose
  • Would specify that basketball contests played as part of a conference
challenge event be included in both the numerator and denominator of the percent calculation and the first-half-of-season calculation for a hardship waiver.
2020-12: Start date for athletically related activities in fall sports Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and Northeast-10 Conference Presidents Council: Support   Management Council: Support   SAAC: Support   Legislation Committee: No position
  • Would prohibit fall championship sports from commencing weight training, conditioning and team activities before the school's fourth day of classes for the second term of the academic year (winter quarter or spring semester).
2020-13: Competition start date for soccer in years when the Division II National Championships Festival occurs Presidents Council (Management Council; Championships Committee) SAAC: Support
  • Would move up the first permissible date of competition in soccer by one week in years in which the Division II National Championships Festival occurs in the fall.