Division III could pass legislation at the 2022 NCAA Convention modifying contact opportunities in football practices during the preseason, regular season and spring period.
The Division III Management Council will sponsor convention legislation that will be voted on during the 2022 Division III business session. The proposal is designed to reduce contact opportunities during the preseason and regular season, while allowing for more equipment use during the spring to facilitate blocking and tackling teaching opportunities during that time period. The Management Council met on Monday and Tuesday for its quarterly meeting.
The Interpretations and Legislation Committee introduced the proposed legislation to Management Council with the intent to further supplement player safety practices. ILC received the proposal from a Division III-specific working group consisting of head football coaches, commissioners and athletics administrators. The working group based its recommendations on the data trends reviewed at the 2021 Football Concussion Task Force meeting, which suggested head impact exposure may occur more often during the football preseason as compared with the regular season.
A survey designed to gather information about how Division III football teams currently conduct their practices in regard to contact was completed by 92 percent of Division III football programs and played an instrumental role in the legislation that was recommended to the Management Council. The proposal aligns with the feedback and provides a holistic approach to the entire football season with respect to improving health and safety.
"The health and safety of our student-athletes is our number one priority," said Jason Fein, chair of the Management Council and athletics director at Bates. "After great discussion across the Council, we felt confident in sponsoring this proposed legislation for consideration at the NCAA Convention."
Preseason adjustments would include the acclimatization period being extended from five to six days and reducing the number of allowable full equipment days from 17 to eight. In the regular season, there would be no more than two practices per week of full equipment (three practices during a bye week). The spring period would allow helmets on all 16 days and shoulder pads and helmets on four of those days. Also, players could not engage in live tackling to the ground. This change is designed to facilitate greater teaching opportunities while limiting accidental contact between players or with the ground as drills are performed.
Association-wide topics
Management Council received updates and engaged in discussions on several Association-wide issues facing the Division III membership, such as the NCAA interim NIL policy and educational resources, gender equity review and future of college sports. Management Council acknowledged its role in engaging in and leading the division through these issues in the coming year and beyond.
2022 NCAA Convention
Following feedback from member schools, the Division III Convention Planning Subcommittee provided Management Council an update to proposed Convention education sessions and issue forum topics.
Management Council reviewed the five governance-sponsored proposals and identified governance committees to provide feedback on the eight membership proposals. During its October meeting, the council will take a position on all fully sponsored membership proposals.
The 2022 NCAA Convention will be Jan. 19-22 in Indianapolis.
Strategic Positioning Platform
Management Council approved the updated Division III Strategic Positioning Platform document recommended by the Division III Strategic Planning and Finance Committee. A subgroup of SPFC reviewed the existing platform's language and updated it to align with the Association's new strategic priorities and properly reflect Division III today. Presidents Council also will review the document. If it is approved, Division III anticipates releasing the updated platform to the membership in August for use both internally (athletics, faculty, trustee meetings) and externally (admissions and recruiting).
Chair, vice chair elected for 2022
Management Council members elected Michelle Morgan, senior director of varsity athletics and recreation at John Carroll, as its next chair. Matt Hill, director of athletics at Northwestern-St. Paul, was selected as the next vice chair. They will begin their tenures after the close of this January's Division III Convention business session.