Future of Division III

[Ralph Turner]

D-III Presidents...

Pertinent quote...

Budget review

The Presidents Council also reviewed a report from the Division III Strategic Planning and Finance Committee that outlines budget recommendations for the next two years. The matter rose in significance in light of last week's announcement that the NCAA opted out of the final three years of its broadcast-rights agreement with CBS Sports and signed a 14-year, $10.8 billion deal with CBS and Turner Broadcasting to present the Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

Since the payouts from the first three years of the new agreement differ slightly than those that were projected from the old contract, the Division III Presidents Council needed to revisit its biennial budget allocations.

Members noted that the first year of the new broadcasting agreement has been structured to essentially mirror the revenues projected during 2010-11 under the previous agreement. All of the recommendations contained within this budget for new expenditures, except one (a new men's volleyball championship in 2011-12), are focused on that first year, 2010-11.

The recommended 2010-11 budget expenses are $24,330,978, which represents a $1.3 million increase in the division's base budget. On the revenue side, the division will receive an additional $1.3 million from the Association next year, for a total allocation of about $23.9 million.

That leaves a $449,178 shortfall, which the Council agreed would be funded through the division's reserve. Members noted that while this approach has been approved for the last two consecutive biennial budgets, it has not been necessary to actually use reserve funds since the championships budgets has consistently finished significantly below budget projections.

The difference in projected income is more pronounced in the second year of the new agreement, which also is the second year of this biennial budget. While projected revenue will not grow by the former 7 percent annual escalation, it will still grow by about 2 percent (or about $400,000) to $24.3 million.

The Council agreed that amount, combined with limited funding from the reserve, will be sufficient to pay for the new championship, as well as related inflationary expenses.

The Council did ask the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee to consider modifying the annual 4 percent inflationary charge the division has built into its annual championships budgets to 2.5 percent.

The Council also asked that group to review the division's reserve policy. Currently, the division holds in reserve an amount equal to at least 10 percent of the division's annual allocation from the Association. That equals about $2.3 million next year. In reality, though, the reserve has grown to about $13 million, and the presidents want the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee to review what an appropriate reserve policy would be, given the revenue projections under the new broadcasting agreement.

[Pat Coleman]

Interesting:

"Members noted that while this approach has been approved for the last two consecutive biennial budgets, it has not been necessary to actually use reserve funds since the championships budgets has consistently finished significantly below budget projections."

I am sure the SCIAC, ASC and NWC are thrilled to hear this.

[Ralph Turner]

Interesting:

"Members noted that while this approach has been approved for the last two consecutive biennial budgets, it has not been necessary to actually use reserve funds since the championships budgets has consistently finished significantly below budget projections."

I am sure the SCIAC, ASC and NWC are thrilled to hear this.

Yeah.   

[Ralph Turner]

Interesting.  FYI.

Around DII: Florida Tech explores new football program


Pull quote...

Sunshine State Conference Commissioner Jay Jones said the decision is limited only to Florida Tech, which plans to compete as an NAIA member in football, should it choose to sponsor the sport.

"No other conference schools are exploring football at this time," Jones said. "To be an SSC sport, our bylaws require a majority of our schools − five in the present case − sponsor a particular sport. So, the SSC will not have football in the foreseeable future, and it is not under consideration."

Florida Tech President Anthony J. Catanese (pictured) said the institution could launch non-scholarship NAIA football by fall 2011 after a year of fund-raising. The institution hopes to raise  $821,000 for fiscal year 2011 and $1.9  million for 2012 to avoid using other revenues

[roocru]

Article from National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Inc.


Colleges Continue to Add Football Teams and Scholarships


http://www.footballfoundation.org/news.php?id=2196

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

So the rumblings have been around for a while about the major DI schools bolting the NCAA for their own super division.  Now we're seeing the Big-10 expanding and the PAC-10/Big-12 working on coordinating schedules.  The KU athletic director last week publicly admitted the ideal situation would be for the top 64 teams to form four super-conferences and leave the NCAA.  Obviously, they take the majority of the TV money with them.

Is there an idea about how DIII would continue to function if it had to fully fund its championships?

[Pat Coleman]

I imagine we would have to adopt some kind of NAIA-style model in that event.

[doolittledog]

Just the football teams leave the NCAA? 

There are almost 350 D1 basketball schools and if there would then only be 64 D1 basketball schools that would make March Madness a bit meaningless. 

[Ralph Turner]

So the rumblings have been around for a while about the major DI schools bolting the NCAA for their own super division.  Now we're seeing the Big-10 expanding and the PAC-10/Big-12 working on coordinating schedules.  The KU athletic director last week publicly admitted the ideal situation would be for the top 64 teams to form four super-conferences and leave the NCAA.  Obviously, they take the majority of the TV money with them.

Is there an idea about how DIII would continue to function if it had to fully fund its championships?

I imagine we would have to adopt some kind of NAIA-style model in that event.

And, does that budget cut shrink the number of Pool C bids and re-adjust the access ratio for all at-large bids back off the 1:6.5 ratio we see in major sports?

We had 3 Pool C bids in baseball back in 2005.  We have 15 this year.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Just the football teams leave the NCAA? 

There are almost 350 D1 basketball schools and if there would then only be 64 D1 basketball schools that would make March Madness a bit meaningless. 

Exactly.  Right now the power conferences and this the big schools get all the football money for themselves.  They're looking for a scenario where they can add the basketball money as well.  This would certainly do it.  Taking the top 64 teams out of March Madness would end the big money the NCAA gets for their championship.

[roocru]

From the NCAA

Report reveals inconsistencies in DIII financial aid policies

http://ncaa.org/wps/portal/ncaahome?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/ncaa/ncaa/ncaa+news/ncaa+news+online/2010/division+iii/reports_reveal_inconsistencies_in_diii_financial_aid_policies_05_13_10_ncaa_news

Actual Report

http://ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/81d60c0042745cebb7f6ff02716233c8/Division+III+Financial+Aid+Reporting+Program+Findings+and+Review+Results+May+3+2010.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=81d60c0042745cebb7f6ff02716233c8

[Gargantuan Gull]

What have the penalties been for schools that have major infractions?

How about secondary infractions? 

Do they list the schools that have past violations anywhere and what the penalties were?

[Ron Boerger]

Good questions.  I would like to see the names of the schools that have been found to have the more serious violations.  They're nowhere to be seen in either of those links.

[Ralph Turner]

AQ seen as right way of growing rowing

Excellent discussion of using the AQ to grow participation in a sport in D-1.

We have had similar discussions about the "best 16 teams", but one cannot deny that using the AQ to grow sports at the conference level does have its benefits.

[radiodavel]

D2 is presently accepting membership applications for new members...

D3 deadline was May 15...NCAA will not release until June, wondering if any of you know of schools looking to go D3...

THE SENIOR REPORTS
www.theseniorreports.com/naiad2.htm