Future of Division III

[batteredbard]

That brings up the difference in geography for NAIA that directly affects D3. The South is NAIA dominated. There are four D3s in Tennessee (Maryville, Rhodes, Sewanee, Fisk) but there are nine Div 1 NAIA schools and four Div 2 NAIA in the same area.
The heart of the matter is that in being so broad but yet so battered that D3 has different pressing needs but many of them are geographically based.  The public-private debate is really not a southern issue (because there simply aren't that many public D3s in the south outisde of Va.) unless programs are in a consistant NCAA tourney bid modewhere they get sent home by publics. It is however obviously a concern for most other regions.
Dollras for athletics doesn't work because travel is a lot larger cost for some programs and if you take that out of a determinig formula then there are obviosuly going to be problems with folks who get cute with the rules and start lumping recruiting budgets into competition travel, etc. (Try comparing financial reports on the standardized DOE forms and see how many different ways schools can interprut the same four pages as it is)
The issues aren't going to go away on their own but I don't see any of them killing D3 in the next season or two either.
So in some forum or another its time for some discussion between the ads, coaches, college presidents, student athletes and former athletes and ncaa to start the wrestling process over some of this and possibly give us something that makes everyone unhappy. Otherwise one group will do it on their own and that leads to frankenstein monsters like the BCS which falls way short of the playoffs d2 and 3 enjoy.

[Ralph Turner]

NCAA Press Release on the use of male practice players in women's sports

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

It's good they're taking a common sense approach to this.  Let's just hope the sanity can continue until this issue is resolved.

[frank uible]

But with the NCAA one can never be sure. In this case as in a multitude of others, the NCAA may not be able to resist the opportunity to insert its nose and to attempt to micromanage something which should be left entirely to each college for itself.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I still can't believe there are two ADs out there so cheap as to recruit and scholarship less female athletes because they can get guys to practice with them.  Well, maybe I should be applauding their honesty at the same time.  I don't know.

[PA_wesleyfan]

 Ralph

  I once asked a young lady who played two sports in a DIII program if she was  starter on the softball team and she replied, " No!!! I am not man enough for the coach!!!!! True story!!!! Maybe those coaches are trying to make men out of their players too!!!!

NCAA Press Release on the use of male practice players in women's sports

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph

  I once asked a young lady who played two sports in a DIII program if she was  starter on the softball team and she replied, " No!!! I am not man enough for the coach!!!!! True story!!!! Maybe those coaches are trying to make men out of their players too!!!!

NCAA Press Release on the use of male practice players in women's sports

I understand the personality charateristic that the coach was wanting in the players.

I don't use "male" and "female" to describe those attributes.  I use "blue" and "pink".

Some women have that "killer" instinct.  Some don't.

[Gray Fox]

Some women have that "killer" instinct.  Some don't.

Some men have that "killer" instinct.  Some don't.

[Spence]

Heh careful where you toss that around Ralph. ARound some parts the Blue and Pink teams where women's athletics is concerned means something else entirely!

[Ralph Turner]

Heh careful where you toss that around Ralph. ARound some parts the Blue and Pink teams where women's athletics is concerned means something else entirely!

Yes, I have no interest in pursuing that.

[Ralph Turner]

An FYI, 

Here is the pdf file that outlines the calendar for new legislative activity for the Jan 2008 NCAA General Session for legislation to take effect in August 2008.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

The post below was posted in the multi-region area, but it seems to fit here nicely.

For lack of a better place to post this, I thought I'd put it in here.  I assume the rule change will affect men's hoops at all AA divisions.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2859065

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I was thinking the other day, and it's not necessarily about college, but I noticed how ridiculous the NBA three-point line is, that these guys can't even get their feet down between the line and out of bounds on shots from the sides.

It seems like, given the NBA's love of scoring and individual accomplishment, that they should move the three point line in, at least as far as they need to to get 15 inches on the sides, but then add a 4 point line about five feet over halfcourt that runs in a slightly curved line.  That would be interesting.

[Josh Bowerman]

How many of those four-pointers do you think Kobe Bryant would jack up in an average game, Hoops Fan?  I've got the early over/under at seven.   

I think the change likely has something to do with prepping for the international game, but you would think they'd have changed the lane width too, if that were the primary impetus.  I'm sort of scratching my head on this one, honestly.

And I'm kinda with Bob, I think--if it ain't broke, don't fix it. 

Unless you're the AA, of course--then you can fix things that aren't broken, ignore things that are broken and need fixing, and break things that were already fixed (redundancy intended).

[Josh Bowerman]

+1 for the WBF reference, Bob!