NCAA DI Council approves changes to sport championship committee composition
The NCAA Division I Council adopted changes to the composition of select sport championship committees and implemented a pilot legislative process. The actions are based off a recommendation made by the Division I Transformation Committee in January.
The pilot program adopted by the council last month authorizes existing sport oversight committees in basketball and football to propose and adopt rules changes for items under their purview. If adopted by sport management committees, proposals would ultimately take effect only after they are reviewed by the council during a scheduled quarterly meeting.
The council will evaluate the pilot program over the next year and will determine whether it should be permanent, and whether it could be expanded to other sports.
Process for implementing rules changes under new model
In the pilot program, the Men's Basketball Oversight Committee, Women's Basketball Oversight Committee and Football Oversight Committee will have the ability to introduce new rules under the proposed legislative process. For all other sports, proposals introduced by the council will be reviewed by the Division I Legislative Committee.
After introduction of a proposal, the draft will be published for a membership comment period, after which the sport oversight committee will review feedback and adopt the proposal as drafted; withdraw, defeat or table the proposal; or make amendments for either delayed or immediate action.
After a proposal is advanced by a sport management committee, it would enter another review period before any action by the council during its next scheduled in-person meeting.
The process is intended to streamline the rules-making process, improving Division I's ability to adapt and modernize rules by removing procedural timing challenges that have existed under previous governance models.
Sport championship committee composition
The council adopted legislation that incorporates success in the sport into representation on select sport championship committees.
In individual sports, at least 25 percent of each committee will be filled by athletics administrators.
In team sports, at least 50 percent of each committee will be athletics administrators. Each conference identified as an "autonomy" conference that sponsors a sport at the conference level will be guaranteed access to serve on that sport's championship committee. Further, approximately 30 percent of committee members will be selected based on success in a sport.
The proposal also expands the men's and women's golf championship committees from six to nine members, effective Aug. 1. For all other sport championship committees, composition changes will be implemented gradually as part of the normal attrition process.