October
30, 2003
Council Maintains Support of Division III Reform
By
Nate Ewell
The NCAA Division
III President's Council voted today not to alter its proposed
reform package, meaning that the proposal – including a
provision that would threaten Division I hockey at Clarkson, Colorado
College, Rensselaer and St. Lawrence – will be put to a
vote of the full Division III membership in January.
The proposal
would eliminate all scholarships at Division III schools. Currently
Division III schools that "play up" in Division I in
certain sports, such as those four in hockey, are allowed to grant
athletic scholarships in those sports. Four other schools across
the country would be effected by the proposal: Hartwick (women's
water polo), Johns Hopkins (men's and women's lacrosse), Oneonta
State (men's soccer) and Rutgers-Newark (men's volleyball).
Representatives
from those schools had been hopeful that the President's Council
would ammend this portion of the reform package before it went
to the membership for a vote.
"While
we are disappointed by the Presidents Council's decision, we remain
optimistic that we will prevail in January," said Rensselaer
athletic director Ken Ralph in a statement. "We strongly
oppose the NCAA proposal because it ignores the outstanding academic
tradition of our athletics program here at Rensselaer. Over the
next several weeks leading up to the January NCAA Convention we
fully intend to work vigorously, in conjunction with the other
seven universities, to tell our story of Rensselaer's great hockey
tradition. We remain committed to offer hockey at the highest
level."
| About
the Proposal |
| In
question is one element of a broad reform package proposed
for Division III: a provision that would prevent any Division
III schools from awarding athletic scholarships, even in
sports in which they participate at the Division I level.
There are eight schools (12 teams) that would be affected
by that proposal. |
| The
Schools |
| Clarkson
(men’s and women’s hockey)
Colorado College (men’s hockey and women’s soccer)
Hartwick (women’s water polo)
Johns Hopkins (men’s and women’s lacrosse)
Oneonta State (men’s soccer)
Rensselaer (men’s hockey)
Rutgers-Newark (men’s volleyball)
St. Lawrence (men’s and women’s hockey)
|
| The
Timeline |
|
Aug.
7, 2003
The 15-member Division III President’s Council
endorsed the reform package
Oct.
30, 2003
Division III President’s Council voted to
present the package to the entire Division III membership
for vote at the annual convention
Jan.
9-12, 2004
NCAA Convention, Nashville, Tenn.
Aug.
1, 2008
Reform package, if passed, would take effect |
| What
You Can Do |
| Sign
the online
petition |
"We are
disappointed that members of the Council did not recognize the
intent of a 1982 waiver for eight schools that had strong traditions,
pride and competitive rivalries in one or two sports at the Division
I level," said Clarkson President Tony Collins. "In
good faith we have made long-term investments in facilities and
pledged our commitment to our student athletes, coaching staff,
and fans. The case made more than 20 years ago, and accepted by
the NCAA, remains intact today for Clarkson University. We will
now move forward on all fronts with the other seven schools opposing
this proposal. We will explore all options available to us and
leave no stone unturned to find a solution that is in the best
interest of our student-athletes and the University."
The four college
hockey schools have combined to make 57 appearances in the NCAA
Tournament. At least one of the four participated in every one
of the first 17 Frozen Fours.
Schools in
the Division I hockey community were not the only ones to respond
to today's vote. Johns Hopkins released a statement that read,
in part: "Our eight college and universities remain united
in the firm belief that enactment of Proposal 2-69 would do considerable
harm to our schools. Worse, it would do so without measurably
advancing the cause of Division III.
"The
presidents, chancellors and athletics directors of the eight institutions
intend to spend the time before the NCAA convention in January
continuing to raise awareness on this issue among the 424 schools
in the division. We are extremely grateful to the many schools
and conferences who already have assured us of their support.
We believe that, as we speak with more and more Division III members
and acquaint them with the facts, we will form a majority that
will defeat Proposal 2-69 on the floor of the NCAA Convention."
The President's
Council, for its part, voiced its support of the proposal, which
is part of an overall reform package for Division III athletics,
and stated its intent to "shepherd these reforms to passage,"
in the words of chair John McCardell, president of Middlebury
College.
"Ultimately,
we rejected a motion to withdraw the original proposal, and as
a result the multidivisional proposal will go before the membership
for a vote in January as part of the reform agenda," McCardell
said. "We were guided in our deliberations by the recommendation
of the Management Council, where these issues received a thorough
airing, and also by the responses communicated to us by the membership."
Each element
of the reform package will be voted upon separately by the 424
Division III schools at the 2004 NCAA Convention, Jan. 12 in Nashville,
Tenn.
