DII Management Council supports proposal for automatic qualification for football

The Division II Management Council this week backed a member-sponsored proposal that would automatically qualify football sponsor conferences for championships. The council also opposed a membership-sponsored proposal and took no position on two others.

During the Division II business session of the 2025 Convention, eight proposals, four membership-sponsored proposals and four that arose from the division's governance structure, will be voted on through the division's one-school, one-vote legislative process. In order to vote on a Division II membership proposal at an NCAA convention, there must be at least 15 active Division II schools or two Division II conferences on behalf of 15 or more of their member schools as sponsors.

Membership-sponsored proposals

The council supported a proposal to grant automatic championship qualifying privileges to all conferences that sponsor football, eliminating current earned-entry laws. The council agreed with the rationale of the Division II Championship Committee, which also supported the proposal. The Championship Committee noted that this proposal is similar to the representation model it supported last year through the earned entry proposal, which was narrowly defeated on the Convention floor in January. This proposal is sponsored by the Northeast-10 Conference and co-sponsored by the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Great Lakes Valley Conference and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

The council opposed a membership-sponsored proposal that would specify that a medical examination be administered within one year, instead of the current six months, prior to a prospective student-athlete's or student-athlete's participation in a try-out out, training, match or out. -conditioning activities during the season. In its opposition, the council agreed with the rationale of the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, which also opposed the proposal. CSMAS noted in its opposition that a medical examination should ideally be carried out within six weeks before the start of any physical activity, but the current six-month period was adopted to provide schools with reasonable flexibility. This proposal is sponsored by the Northeast-10 Conference and co-sponsored by the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Peach Belt Conference, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and South Atlantic Conference.

The council has not taken a position on the following proposals:

• To allow Division II student-athletes in men's wrestling in their first year of collegiate enrollment to participate in up to four dates of competition without using a season of competition. The proposal is sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and co-sponsored by three other conferences.
• To allow a team participating in practices or competitions during the championship segment to participate in countable athletic-related activities on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, provided that student-athletes are given a day off from countable athletic-related activities to participate in community involvement activities and programming within 15 days of that date. The proposal also requires a school to develop a community engagement policy through a collaborative process involving student-athletes, coaches, and senior athletic department staff to ensure that student-athletes are provided adequate opportunities, resources, and programming to participate in such activities to take. The proposal is sponsored by the South Atlantic Conference and co-sponsored by the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, Peach Belt Conference and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

(Note: Council members who are part of a conference or school that has sponsored a proposal may participate in the discussion of the council's position, but must withdraw from the vote.)

National Declaration of Intent

The council adopted a non-controversial proposal regarding the NCAA signing rules that convert the protections of the National Letter of Intent program into signing and recruiting rules, effective immediately. The change was made at the recommendation of the Division II Conference Commissioners Association, which previously had administrative oversight of the NLI program.

Moving forward, written athletics aid offers will replace the NLI, and the previous formula for determining signing dates will be applied to those offers. The Division I and Division II four-year college prospects can be signed by a new school once their names are entered into the transfer portal. After a prospect signs a written offer of athletics aid, other schools offering athletics-related financial aid will be prohibited from having contact with that prospect.

Violations change

The Management Council approved in draft a non-controversial proposal aimed at increasing the accountability of individuals involved in cases of major violations. The legislation would create a public database of all individuals with a history of violations; specifically appoint persons in violation decisions; expand show-cause limitations to include institutional penalties applicable to the individual involved; broaden suspensions; and automatically hold head coaches accountable for the actions of their direct and indirect reports. If the proposal is passed into law in January, it would take effect immediately.

Different action

• The council approved in draft a recommendation from the NCAA Board of Governors to all three divisions to restructure the NCAA diversity, equity and inclusion committees and task force. The recommendation would establish one committee that would focus on association-wide issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. If passed into law in January, it would disband the following committees/task forces: the Committee on Women's Athletics, the Committee on Minority Opportunity and Interest, the Board of Directors Committee on the Promotion of Cultural Diversity and the Gender Equality Task Force. The proposal would take effect immediately, with the composition of the commission determined in spring 2025 and full implementation in fall 2025.
• The council passed non-controversial legislation to amend and eliminate several rules regarding pay, benefits and expenses for enrolled student-athletes to give schools more autonomy and simplify their application. Some amendments include eliminating award legislation to allow Division II schools and conferences to use their discretion to provide student-athletes with awards, as well as deregulating occasional meal legislation. The legislation will come into effect on August 1, 2025.
• Effective immediately, the council passed non-controversial legislation to allow schools and third-party providers to provide assistance and services to student-athletes seeking name, image and likeness opportunities.

Division II operational plan, think tank and long-term budget discussions

Members received an update and discussed recommendations from the Division II Think Tank held in September. The Think Tank brought together thought leaders from across the division to assess the challenges facing college athletics in general, and Division II in particular, and to develop strategies that will continue to position Division II as a thought leader in intercollegiate athletics and a destination of choice for affiliated schools. A Division II survey will be sent to the broader Division II membership in early 2025 to gather input and feedback. Board committees will use the results of the survey to finalize the Division II Operational Plan, outline the initiatives to be accomplished, including the timing for doing so, and determine a funding model for implementation. The final 2026-2032 Division II Operating Plan will be shared at the January 2026 NCAA Convention.

Make It Yours activation

The council has received an update that Division II is working with a marketing firm on the ongoing activation of the Make It Yours brand, including a targeted campaign on social media and streaming services launching in January. As part of the activation, a 45-second public service announcement will be created and edited into smaller versions, including two 30-second versions that Division II members can play in their webcasts.