Conference changes

[KnightSlappy]

Any chance we lose a tournament bid and go down to a 63-team tournament in 2023-24? By my count we'll be at 412 teams (down one from 413) and, if I recall, the access ratio is 6.5.

412/6.5 = 63.38
413/6.5 = 63.54

Do they round down?

My guess is we stay at 64 since the chatter, even in D3, is about expanding tournament field access.

Scratch this. My count was missing Bob Jones becoming a full member, so I now have us staying at 413 tournament-eligible members in 2023-24.

MBB loses Sul Ross State, Finlandia, Cazenovia
MBB gains Notre Dame (MD), Bob Jones, MUW

Also losing Medaille and gaining (assuming accepted for year 3) Asbury and Warren Wilson

Correct on Medaille! Back down to 412 tournament-eligible teams.

411 now with Bob Jones out. That's 63.23 bids.

I just went back and checked the section in the Division III Manual:

"In team sports, overall bracket sizes shall be established based on an approximate access ratio of 1:6.5."

I'm betting them keeping us at 64 bids but something to keep an eye on in future seasons with school closures coming. At 409 we'd drop below 63 bids. But still, it sounds like maybe they have some wiggle room on tournament field size with the word approximate in there.

[Pat Coleman]

We were told they would only add teams to the tournament in groups of two -- hopefully they would do the same in removing them and we wouldn't lose any until we're down to 62.

[Greek Tragedy]

The G-League has a team, the Ignite, that are just made up of random players to prepare them for the next level. Maybe D3 hoops can just create a team or two to make sure we don't drop down to 62 teams. Make that happen, Pat!

[KnightSlappy]

Added Cabrini closure, removed Bob Jones from the pipeline.

Provisional Pipeline for 2023-24 (Expected)
Full membership fall 2023: Mississippi University for Women
3rd year provisional members (full membership fall 2024): Asbury, Warren Wilson
2nd year provisional members: Hartford, Lyon
1st year provisional members: Carlow
Exploratory: Penn State-Brandywine

* Games against Year 3 provisional members count the same as games against full-members for regional-ranking and tournament selection purposes

Conference Changes Starting in 2023-2024
Bryn Athyn leaves the CSAC for the UEC
Cairn leaves the CSAC for the UEC
Carlow joins the AMCC
Cazenovia (NAC) closes
Cedar Crest leaves the CSAC for the UEC (sponsor women's sports only)
Clarks Summit leaves the CSAC for the UEC
Eastern Nazarene leaves the NECC for the NAC
Finlandia (C2C) closes
Hartford joins the CCC
Keystone leaves the CSAC for the UEC
Lebanon Valley shifts from the MAC Commonwealth to the MAC Freedom
Lesley leaves the NECC for the NAC
Lycoming leaves the MAC Freedom for the Landmark
Lyon joins the SLIAC
Medaille (E8) closes
Mississippi University for Women (MUW) joins the SLIAC
Mitchell leaves the NECC for the GNAC
Morrisville State leaves the UEC for the NAC
New England College leaves the NECC for the GNAC
Notre Dame (MD) adds men's sports and competes in the UEC
Rosemont leaves the CSAC for the UEC
St. Elizabeth leaves the CSAC for the UEC
Salve Regina leaves the CCC for the NEWMAC
Sul Ross State (ASC) begins reclassification period to D2 (waiver allows them to count for primary criteria, ineligible for postseason)
Valley Forge leaves the CSAC for the UEC
Wells leaves the UEC for the AMCC
Wilkes leaves the MAC Freedom for the Landmark
Wilson leaves the CSAC for the UEC
NECC no longer a basketball conference due to losing all members (Pool A goes away)
CSAC dissolves (Pool A bid goes away)
Expecting 42 Pool A bids, 0 Pool B bids, 22 Pool C bids

Conference Changes Starting in 2024-2025
Berea leaves the CCS for the HCAC
Cabrini (AEC) closes
Concordia (Texas) leaves the ASC for the SCAC
Johnson & Wales leaves the GNAC for the CCC
McMurry leaves the ASC for the SCAC
NVU-Johnson (NAC) leaves D3 for the USCAA [ON HOLD?]
Pratt leaves the C2C for the AEC
Texas-Dallas leaves the ASC for D2 (application process pending)
University of the Ozarks leaves the ASC for the SCAC
CCS expected to gain Pool A bid
Expecting 43 Pool A bids, 0 Pool B bids, 21 Pool C bids

Conference Changes Starting in 2025-2026
Southwestern leaves the SCAC for the SAA
Trinity (Texas) leaves the SCAC for the SAA
Expecting 43 Pool A bids, 0 Pool B bids, 21 Pool C bids

[ziggy]

We were told they would only add teams to the tournament in groups of two -- hopefully they would do the same in removing them and we wouldn't lose any until we're down to 62.

At an access ratio of 1:6.5, the number hits exactly 62 bids at 403 members. Hopefully anything above that can keep the 64-team field.

[KnightSlappy]

Anyone have a contact in the membership committee? They have not posted the report or the new provisional chart after last month's meeting.

[Pat Coleman]

That has to be approved by the management council and rubber-stamped by the presidents council before it's official ... I think.

[Inkblot]

In other NCAA committee news, in June the championships committee approved the ASC's request to let Sul Ross State count as a D3 opponent in 2023–24 for ranking/selection purposes. https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d3/champs/Jun2023D3CC_JunReport.pdf

[KnightSlappy]

That has to be approved by the management council and rubber-stamped by the presidents council before it's official ... I think.

In other NCAA committee news, in June the championships committee approved the ASC's request to let Sul Ross State count as a D3 opponent in 2023–24 for ranking/selection purposes. https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d3/champs/Jun2023D3CC_JunReport.pdf

Thank you both! This thread is my most valuable resource as I try to keep my sheets updated to make SOS, etc. as accurate as possible every year!

[KnightSlappy]

In other NCAA committee news, in June the championships committee approved the ASC's request to let Sul Ross State count as a D3 opponent in 2023–24 for ranking/selection purposes. https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d3/champs/Jun2023D3CC_JunReport.pdf

Sul Ross State's D2 provisional status has been officially approved.

https://srlobos.com/news/2023/7/13/general-its-official-sul-ross-state-has-been-approved-for-competition-in-ncaa-division-ii.aspx

[Greek Tragedy]

So from what I understand, the CSAC and the UEC aren't combining, the CSAC teams are just joining the UEC and the expanded UEC is keeping their AQ, right?

[ziggy]

UT-Dallas has announced a move to Division II. Official application to come in February 2024 with competition to start in Fall 2025.
https://utdcomets.com/news/2023/7/19/baseball-ut-dallas-accepts-invitation-to-join-lone-star-conference.aspx

[KnightSlappy]

UT-Dallas has announced a move to Division II. Official application to come in February 2024 with competition to start in Fall 2025.
https://utdcomets.com/news/2023/7/19/baseball-ut-dallas-accepts-invitation-to-join-lone-star-conference.aspx

The way I read it:
2025-26 is the start of competition in the Lone Star Conference (as a year-2 provisional).
2024-25 will be the start of their D2 provisional process (assuming application, acceptance, etc.). If they follow the Sul Ross path, they'll have a waiver to "count" for D3 competition in this year as well (and probably essentially play an ASC schedule) as long as they keep the program operating under D3 rules for the first year of the process.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

UT-Dallas has announced a move to Division II. Official application to come in February 2024 with competition to start in Fall 2025.
https://utdcomets.com/news/2023/7/19/baseball-ut-dallas-accepts-invitation-to-join-lone-star-conference.aspx

The way I read it:
2025-26 is the start of competition in the Lone Star Conference (as a year-2 provisional).
2024-25 will be the start of their D2 provisional process (assuming application, acceptance, etc.). If they follow the Sul Ross path, they'll have a waiver to "count" for D3 competition in this year as well (and probably essentially play an ASC schedule) as long as they keep the program operating under D3 rules for the first year of the process.

I suspect the rest of the ASC will have something figured out before they need a 24-25 waiver.

[jmcozenlaw]

Scrap Bob Jones, they're not going forward with their D3 reclassification anymore.

...and nothing of value was lost.

For the Bob Jones student athletes (the entire school for that matter)...........given Who they put #1 in their daily lives, everything worth value is gained.