LSDBi
Division III Proposal - ADM-2025-2
SELECTION OF TEAMS AND INDIVIDUALS FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS PARTICIPATION -- SELECTION OF AT-LARGE PARTICIPANTS-- NCAA POWER INDEX
Convention Year: 2025
Date Submitted: April 22, 2024
Status: Adopted Final
Effective Date: August 1, 2024
Official Notice Number: ADM-2025-2
Source: NCAA Division III Management Council (Championships Committee).
Proposal Category: Administrative Regulation
Topical Area: Executive Regulations
Intent: To adopt the NCAA Power Index (NPI) as the selection metric for selecting non-automatic qualifiers for the championship field for Division III team sports.
Administrative: Amend 31.3.4.2, as follows:
31.3.4.2 Selection Criteria. The governing sports committee responsible for the selection of the balance of the championships field shall select At-large teams based on criteria established by the sport committee and approved by the Championships Committee as follows: in Pools B and C based on the criteria below. The criteria of two or more teams shall be compared to determine the higher-ranked team. An attempt shall be made to determine the ranking of two or more teams after consideration of the primary criteria (see Bylaw 31.3.4.2.1). If the evaluation of the primary criteria does not result in a decision, the secondary criteria will be used (see Bylaw 31.3.4.2.2). All the criteria listed will be evaluated (not listed in preferential order).
(a) Individual team sports. Selection criteria shall be established by the sport committee, approved by the Championships Committee and published annually in the championships manual.
(b) Team sports. Team sports shall be selected using the NCAA Power Index (NPI). Sport committees, with approval of the Championships Committee, shall establish the weight for DIII winning percentage versus strength of schedule (e.g., winning percentage could be worth 25 percent to 75 percent for strength of schedule). Division III strength of schedule shall be the average of opponents NPI. The sport committee, with approval of the Championships Committee may also choose to apply any of the following:
(1) Home-away multiplier. Assign different weight to home contests and away contests.
(2) Quality Win Bonus. Assign a bonus for a quality win (e.g., a win over an opponent that finished in the top 50 of the final NPI).
(3) Overtime results. Assign a different weight to an overtime win or loss.
31.3.4.2.1 Primary Criteria -- Ranking and Selection (All Contests Leading up to NCAA Championships).
(a) For sports other than women's rowing, won-lost percentage against Division III opponents;
(b) Division III head-to-head competition;
(c) Results versus common Division III opponents;
(d) Results versus ranked Division III teams as established by the final ranking and the ranking preceding the final ranking. Conference postseason contests are included;
(e) Division III strength of schedule (see Bylaw 31.3.4.2.3); and
(f) Should a committee find that evaluation of a team's won-lost percentage during the last 25 percent of the season is applicable (i.e., end-of-season performance), it may adopt such criteria with approval from the Championships Committee.
31.3.4.2.2 Secondary Criteria -- Ranking and Selection.
(a) Non-Division III won-lost percentage;
(b) Results versus common non-Division III opponents;
(c) Division III nonconference strength of schedule.
31.3.4.2.2.1 Performance in Previous Championship Season -- Football. In football, if all primary criteria are equal among teams with undefeated records, performance in the previous championship season may be considered in the secondary criteria.
31.3.4.2.3 Definition of Strength of Schedule.
31.3.4.2.3.1 Baseball, Basketball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball and Volleyball. In baseball, basketball, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball and volleyball, the strength of schedule shall be calculated by combining the opponents' average winning percentage (OWP) with the opponents' opponents' average winning percentage (OOWP) on the weighted scale of two-thirds weight for OWP and one-third weight for OOWP. Further, on a sport-by-sport basis, the Championships Committee may assign different weight to home contests and away contests for purposes of calculating the OWP and OOWP.
31.3.4.2.3.2 All Other Sports. In all other sports not listed in Bylaw 31.3.4.2.3.1, the strength-of-schedule criteria shall be determined by the Championships Committee on a sport-by-sport basis.
Rationale: Division III selection criteria have been under review dating back to March 2022 stemming from sport committee and broader membership feedback, which indicated frustration with how the current criteria were applied. A data selection database has been used as a selection criterion in ice hockey for several years, and it has proven to be extremely transparent and consistent. Considering this, select sport committees compared brackets from the last two years to the results generated by the NPI, which revealed a high degree of similarity when comparing the metric against the fields those sport committees had selected. Educational materials (FAQ and webinars) have been developed for the membership as part of the review of this initiative, and feedback has been sought from team sport committees and the membership throughout the process. The sport committees will continue educating the membership and coaches, including providing an updated FAQ document, additional webinars, and a document from each team sport committee that explains the dial settings for its sport. Adoption of the NPI will provide each team sport with consistent application of the selection metric for championships at-large berths. The implementation of the NPI is recommended beginning in the fall for the 2024-25 academic year.
Budget Impact: $25,000 to pay for the work that has been done to build out the NPI system for evaluation.
Co-sponsorship - Conference:
None
Co-sponsorship - Institution:
None
Position Statement(s):
None
Review History:
Convention Vote:
No Convention Record
Legislative References
| Division | Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| III | 31.3.4.2 | Selection Criteria. |
| III | 31.3.4.2.1 | Primary Criteria -- Ranking and Selection (All Contests Leading up to NCAA Championships). |
| III | 31.3.4.2.2 | Secondary Criteria -- Ranking and Selection. |
| III | 31.3.4.2.2.1 | Performance in Previous Championship Season -- Football. |
| III | 31.3.4.2.3 | Definition of Strength of Schedule. |
| III | 31.3.4.2.3.1 | Baseball, Basketball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball and Volleyball. |
| III | 31.3.4.2.3.2 | All Other Sports. |