The group charged with reviewing the redesigned Division I governance structure will seek feedback from members through a survey focused on potential ideas for refining and enhancing the structure and legislative process. The survey will be distributed before most spring conference meetings.
When the Division I Board of Directors adopted the new governance structure in 2014, members said they wanted a group to review how it was working within two years. The review does not include the autonomy authority of the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern conferences to make legislation in specific areas.
Brad Hostetter, senior associate commissioner of the ACC and a member of the Division I Legislative Committee, is chairing the working group, which hopes to have recommendations to the board this summer.
“Anytime a new governance structure is implemented, there are challenges identified during and soon after implementation. We hope that people take advantage of this opportunity toprovide us with valuable insight into how we might be able to address some of those challenges,” Hostetter said. “The governance structure is intended to support the creation of rules that best benefit our student-athletes and our schools, and we want to be sure that the process used to do so is efficient and effective.”
The survey will seek feedback on a number of specific concepts, including:
- Allowing the Division I Council to formally recommend concepts to the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC for consideration as autonomy legislative proposals.
- Using the Council legislative process to formalize the ability for the 27 other Division I conferences to opt in to autonomy legislation previously adopted by the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC.
- A revised timeline for legislative proposal sponsorship and amendment.
Survey responses will be due to the national office by May 27. The working group will review results at its June meeting.