Ryan Dall Proposal

Last updated: July 19, 2017

In October 2016, the Division II Track & Field Executive Committee received a proposal for a Regional/Super Regional Qualification system for Division II Outdoor Track & Field (the Ryan Dall Proposal). At the 2016 USTFCCCA Convention, the proposal was postponed to allow more time for discussion.

To provide more information in the ongoing discussion regarding the Ryan Dall Proposal for a Regional Qualification System for the Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the USTFCCCA national office ran simulations of selections via the Ryan Dall Proposal using 2016 Outdoor Track & Field results. On the Division II Track & Field Executive Committee’s April 2017 conference call, the Executive Committee unanimously approved a motion to distribute this additional data to Division II coaches. The USTFCCCA national office has since added simulations of selections via the Ryan Dall Proposal using results from the 2014, 2015, and 2017 Outdoor Track & Field seasons. On its July 2017 conference call, the Track & Field Executive Committee requested to distribute this additional information to Division II coaches.

Ryan Dall’s original proposal and associated documents are included below. Also, the full text of the proposal and supplemental Q&A are below the tables of mock selections.

Please review these documents and contact your USTFCCCA Division II Track & Field Conference representative with any feedback you have. A list of Conference representatives can be found here: /about-us/ncaa-division-ii-track-field-executive-committee

This proposal is currently scheduled to be on the USTFCCCA Division II Track & Field Convention agenda in December 2017.

Table of Contents

Documents

Mock National Qualifying Slots

Mock Selections to the Championships

2017

Super Region Men’s Selections Women’s Selections
Atlantic/East Atlantic/East Men Atlantic/East Women
South/Southeast South/Southeast Men South/Southeast Women
Central/Midwest Central/Midwest Men Central/Midwest Women
South Central/West South Central/West Men South Central/West Women

2016

Super Region Men’s Selections Women’s Selections
Atlantic/East Atlantic/East Men Atlantic/East Women
South/Southeast South/Southeast Men South/Southeast Women
Central/Midwest Central/Midwest Men Central/Midwest Women
South Central/West South Central/West Men South Central/West Women

2015

Super Region Men’s Selections Women’s Selections
Atlantic/East Atlantic/East Men Atlantic/East Women
South/Southeast South/Southeast Men South/Southeast Women
Central/Midwest Central/Midwest Men Central/Midwest Women
South Central/West South Central/West Men South Central/West Women

2014

Super Region Men’s Selections Women’s Selections
Atlantic/East Atlantic/East Men Atlantic/East Women
South/Southeast South/Southeast Men South/Southeast Women
Central/Midwest Central/Midwest Men Central/Midwest Women
South Central/West South Central/West Men South Central/West Women

The Proposal

Regional Qualification System for NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships

Proposal Presented by
Ryan Dall – Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Proposal Submitted October 2016

NCAA DIVISION II MEN’S & WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

This is a proposal to change the current system by which NCAA Division II athletes qualify to the national championship meet. This proposal is geared toward aligning us more with how other NCAA sports are qualifying to their championships using the NCAA Division II regionalization policy, by providing access to the championships from every region of the country.

The proposal gives a greater number of student-athletes a chance to compete in a postseason championship round. It puts more emphasis on head-to-head competition and late-season performances, instead of a list of season-long performances, while maintaining the ability to “auto qualify” straight to the final round of the championships.

The proposal is to allow student-athletes to qualify by region to compete in a Super Regional Championships round. The top competitors from the Super Regional, as well as top auto-qualifiers in each event, then qualify to compete at the Final Round of the Championships.

AUTO-QUALIFIERS

The top four (4) individuals and the top four (4) relay teams off of the season-ending performance declaration list prior to the postseason Championships automatically qualify for the Final Round of the Championships, regardless of their performance at the Super Regional meet. They may choose to participate or not in the Super Regional; not participating in the Super Regional round would not disqualify them from the Final Championship round. Ties for the final auto-qualifying spot would be broken using established qualifying tie-breaking procedures.

REGIONAL DECLARATIONS

Coaches will need to declare their athletes in events that they want to compete in the postseason competition after the last day to qualify, similar to how we student-athletes currently declare for the Championships on DirectAthletics. In each of the eight Division II regions, the top eight (8) declared student-athletes in each individual event (including auto qualifiers that declare to compete), other than the men’s Decathlon and the women’s Heptathlon, and the top four (4) declared relay teams in each relay shall automatically qualify for the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships and participate in their assigned first round Super Regional competition.

SUPER-REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS ROUND

This round will consist of four (4) Super Regional meets. Each Super Regional would consist of two (2) regions combined. The regions would be combined as follows:

  • Super Region 1: East Region and Atlantic Region (83 Division II Institutions)
  • Super Region 2: Southeast Region and South Region (74 Division II Institutions)
  • Super Region 3: Midwest Region and Central Region (82 Division II Institutions)
  • Super Region 4: South Central Region and West Region (69 Division II Institutions)

Using this model, there is very good balance in terms of number of institutions per region, and travel would be minimized by combining regions that border each other.

The individual events will consist of 16 student-athletes. Each relay will have eight (8) teams, allowing relays to be run in one round. Each Super Regional will be contested in two (2) days with two (2) rounds of competition in all running events less than 3,000 meters, and one (1) round of competition in the relays, field events, 3,000-meter steeplechase, 5,000 meters, and 10,0000 meters, following NCAA rules of flights and advancement.

The top three (3) student-athletes in each individual event and the top two (2) teams in each relay event will advance to the Final Round of the Championships. Any student-athletes or relay teams who are already auto-qualified and choose to compete in the Super Regional would be removed from consideration for the top three (3) individual qualifier spots or top two (2) relay qualifier spots in their qualifying event. For example, if an auto-qualified student-athlete finishes first in that event at the Super Regional, the three (3) qualifying spots would go to second through fourth place, instead of first through third.

MULTI-EVENT QUALIFYING

The men’s decathlon and the women’s heptathlon would not be contested at the Super Regional. Instead, the top 16 student-athletes in each event from the season-ending performance declaration list qualify for the Final Round of the Championships.>

FINAL ROUND OF THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The top three (3) finishers in each individual event and the top two (2) relays in each relay event at the Super Regional meet will advance to the Final Round of the Championships, along with the four (4) auto-qualifiers per event, giving the final round a field of 16 athletes in each individual event and 12 teams in each relay event. Qualifiers from the Super Regional MUST compete in any event they qualify in from the Super Regional round except relays. The Final Round of the Championships will be conducted similarly to the current championships, in a three-day format.

CHAMPIONSHIPS CALENDAR

The Final Round of the Championships would be held the weekend after the current championships, with the Super Regionals two weeks prior to that (currently, the last day to qualify). This change to the Championships calendar provides at least two major benefits. First, the Division II Championships will not be competing with the NCAA Division I First Round and the NCAA Division III Championships for meet officials. Second, it would put Division II on a weekend with no other NCAA track and field championship meets, offering additional chances for publicity and recognition for our sport in our division.

The change to the Championships calendar would keep some student-athletes on campus one week longer, but with a smaller field in the Final Round of the Championships, a number of student-athletes would end their season one week earlier than under the current model.

In 2016, the Championships calendar under this proposal would have looked as follows:

May-June 2016

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
May 1 2 3 4 5 6
Final weekend – Conference Championships		 7
Final weekend – Conference Championships
8 9
Declarations Due		 10
Super Regional Selections		 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20
Super Regional		 21
Super Regional
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 June 1 2
Final Round		 3
Final Round		 4
Final Round

The Championships calendar allows two weeks between conference weekend and Super Regional weekend and two weeks between the Super Regional and the Final Round of the Championships.

CHAMPIONSHIPS HOSTING

The NCAA would fund the hosting and conduct of the Super Regional competition. Funding for this additional competition would come from existing funds for the Championships that would be available as a result of reducing the size of the Final Round of the Championships. Bidding for host sites for the Super Regional round and Final Round of the Championships would be done through the standard NCAA Championships bid process.

 

 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

What is the purpose of the proposal?

To align men’s and women’s outdoor track & field with other Division II sports in qualifying for NCAA Championships.

How does the current men’s and women’s championships qualifying format not align with other Division II sports in qualifying for NCAA Championships?

The current format does not utilize the Division II regional structure for qualification into the Championships.

Why is it important for the Championships format to align with other NCAA Division II sports?

According to the NCAA Division II Championships Committee’s Regionalization Guidelines talking points from August 2016: “Regionalization is a Division II championships policy that requires
sport committees to select a predetermined number of teams in each of the regions of the sports involved. This policy is based on an assumption that due to the regional nature of most Division II schools, sport committees should evaluate and select championships participants based on regional results, as opposed to a national evaluation in which head-to-head and common opponents’ results are less prevalent.”

What is the basic structure of the Championships format in the Dall Proposal?

The proposed format would introduce a regional qualifying system for Outdoor Track & Field in which student-athletes would first qualify by region to compete in a Super Regional. Head-to-head competition in each of the Super Regional Championships would determine the qualifiers that advance the Final Round of the Championships. In addition to the 3 individual and 2 relay advancers from each Super Regional, the top 4 individuals and top 4 relays would automatically qualify in each event based on their performance during the regular season.

How would the Dall Proposal impact the student-athlete experience?

The Dall Proposal would positively impact the student-athlete experience by expanding student-athlete access to a Championships experience through the introduction of Super Regional Championships.

QUALIFYING TO THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

How many student-athletes in each event would qualify to the Championships under the Dall Proposal?

The top 8 individual athlete performances and top 4 relay team performances from each NCAA Division II Region in each event off the season-ending regional descending order list of declared competitors will qualify to a Super Regional Championship meet. Student-athletes who Auto Qualify and declare to compete in the Super Regional in an event will be counted in the top 8.

How many student-athletes in each event would automatically qualify to the Final Round of the Championships in the Dall Proposal?

The top 4 student-athletes in each individual event and the top 4 relay teams in each relay event off of the season-ending national descending order list of declared competitors prior to the Super Regional automatically qualify for the Final Round of the Championships.

Will ties be broken for the final automatic qualifying position in each event?

Yes.

How will ties be broken for the final automatic qualifying position in any event?

Ties for the final automatic qualifying position will be broken using established tie-breaking procedure. Ties will be resolved by examining, of those tied, the second-best valid qualifying meet performance submitted during the season on another day of competition, and so on until there is no basis for a mark comparison. If one of the student-athletes tied does not have a next-best valid mark, automatic qualification will be awarded to the student-athlete who does have a next-best valid mark.

For a tie not resolved after available mark comparisons, automatic qualification will be awarded to the competitor who achieved the original tying mark later in the season. If both student-athletes achieved the original tying mark on the same date of competition, the dates of each of the next-best valid marks will be compared until there is no basis for a mark comparison.

As a last resort, the tie for the last automatic qualifying position will be decided by a random draw.

Do auto-qualifiers have to declare for or compete in the Super Regional in order to compete in the Final Round of the Championships in the Dall Proposal?

No.

Would any events not be contested at the Super Regional in the Dall Proposal?

Yes.

Which events would not be contested at the Super Regional in the Dall Proposal?

The men’s decathlon and the women’s heptathlon would not be contested at the Super Regional.

How would student-athletes in the combined events qualify to compete in the Championships under
the Dall Proposal?

The top 16 men’s decathletes and top 16 women’s heptathletes on the season-ending national descending order list of declared competitors would automatically qualify for the Final Round of the Championships.

SUPER REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

What are the Super Regions as proposed in the Dall Proposal?

  • Super Region 1: East Region and Atlantic Region (83 Division II Institutions)
  • Super Region 2: Southeast Region and South Region (74 Division II Institutions)
  • Super Region 3: Midwest Region and Central Region (82 Division II Institutions)
  • Super Region 4: South Central Region and West Region (69 Division II Institutions)

How many student-athletes in each event would compete at each site of the Super Regional in the Dall Proposal?

16 student-athletes in each individual event and 8 teams in each relay event.

How many rounds of competition would be conducted at the Super Regional in the Dall Proposal?

100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, 1500 meters, 100/110 hurdles, and 400 hurdles: two rounds of competition.

3000 steeplechase, 5000 meters, and 10,000 meters: one round of competition.

Field Events: one round of competition.

Relay Events: one round of competition.

How would student-athletes qualify to the Final Round of the Championships through the Super Regional in the Dall Proposal?

The top three finishers in each individual event at each site of the Super Regional who are not automatic qualifiers, and the top two relays in each relay event at each site of the Super Regional who are not automatic qualifiers would qualify to the Final Round of the Championships.

Do auto-qualifiers have to declare for or compete in the Super Regional in order to compete in the Final Round of the Championships in the Dall Proposal?

No.

Does an auto-qualifier who competes at the Super Regional have to finish in the top 3 in his/her auto-qualifying event in order to compete at the Final Round of the Championships in the Dall Proposal?

No.

Does an auto-qualifier who competes at the Super Regional and finishes in the top 3 in his/her auto-qualifying event change the qualifying positions in that event in the Dall Proposal?

Yes. For example, if an auto-qualifier wins his/her auto-qualifying event at the Super Regional, the qualifying slots would go to second, third, and fourth place in the event.

Does an auto-qualifier who competes in a different event (not the event in which he/she is auto-qualified) at the Super Regional and advances to the Final Round have to compete in both events at the Final Round of the Championships in the Dall Proposal?

Yes, with the exception of relay events. Declarations made for the Super Regional carry through to the Final Round of the Championships.

Do performances at the Super Regional affect the list of auto-qualifiers to the Final Round of the Championships in the Dall Proposal?

No. The list of auto-qualifiers in each event is set prior to the Super Regional Championships. Performances achieved at the Super Regionals do not move student-athletes onto the auto-qualifying list.

Over how many days would the Super Regional be conducted in the Dall Proposal?

Two days.

FINAL ROUND OF THE CHAMPIONSHIPS FORMAT

How many total student-athletes would compete in the Final Round of the Championships in each event in the Dall Proposal?

16 student-athletes in each individual event (four automatic qualifiers, plus three qualifiers from each of four Super Regionals); 16 men’s decathlon qualifiers and 16 women’s heptathlon qualifiers from a season-ending national descending order list of declared competitors).

12 relay teams in each relay event (four automatic qualifiers, plus two qualifying teams from each of four Super Regionals).

Over how many days would the Final Round of the Championships be conducted in the Dall Proposal?

Three days.

CHAMPIONSHIPS CALENDAR

Does the Dall Proposal affect the current date of the last weekend of conference Outdoor Track & Field championships?

No.

What would the Championships calendar look like under the Dall Proposal?

The Super Regional would be held on the weekend of the current last day to qualify. The Final Round of the Championships would be held two weeks after the Super Regional. This is one week later than the current Championships formula.

What would be the advantages of the changes to the Championships calendar under the Dall Proposal?

The proposal would place both rounds of the Championships on weekends that do not conflict with current NCAA Division I and NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships rounds. This would increase the availability of meet officials for the Championships, as well as enhance opportunities for publicity for the Championships.

When could the Dall Proposal go into effect if approved?

Competition sites have been determined through the 2022 Outdoor Track & Field Championships. If approved, the working assumption is that the Dall Proposal would be implemented for the 2023 season.

Who would be responsible for establishing the effective date of implementation for the Dall Proposal, if approved?

The Dall Proposal would have to be approved by the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Committee, the NCAA Division II Championships Committee, and the NCAA Division II Management Council, which would be responsible for determining the effective date of implementation.

CHAMPIONSHIPS SITES

Do facilities exist that would be able to host the Super Regional Championships in each of the four
Super Regions in the Dall Proposal?

Yes.

How will the sites of the Super Regional Championships and the site of the Final Round of the Championships be selected in the Dall Proposal?

The sites of the Super Regional Championships and the site of the Final Round of the Championships would be selected through the standard NCAA Championships Bid and Selection process as per NCAA Championships Policy.

Who will decide the sites of the Super Regional Championships and the site of the Final Round of the Championships at the conclusion of the NCAA Championships Bid and Selection process?

The NCAA Division II Track & Field Sport Committee would make a recommendation on host sites for the Super Regional Championships and a host site for the Final Round of the Championships based on bids submitted.

CHAMPIONSHIPS FUNDING

Would the NCAA pay for hosting and conducting the Super Regional of the Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the Dall Proposal?

Yes.

Where will the NCAA funding come from for the hosting of the Super Regional of the Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the Dall Proposal?

The reduced field size at the Final Round of the Championships in the Dall Proposal will make funding available for hosting and conducting the Super Regional of the Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Will the NCAA pay for travel and per diem for the Super Regional of the Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the Dall Proposal?

The goal of the Dall Proposal is to pursue a travel stipend for the Super Regional, as is done in other NCAA Division II sports, with the long-term goal of having travel and per diem funded for the Super Regional at some point in the future.

How would the Dall Proposal impact institutional expenditures for housing student-athletes who qualify to the Final Round of the Championships?

Student-athletes who qualify to the Super Regional would need to be housed until the Super Regional, which is one additional week past the current last date to qualify. However, this added expenditure would be offset for many institutions by ending the qualifying period one week earlier than the current scheduling formula.

In addition, while the Dall Proposal would extend the Championships postseason by placing the Final Round of the Championships one week later than the current Championships, the additional expenditure to institutions to house qualifying student-athletes would be reduced by the lower numbers of student-athletes who qualify to the Final Round of the Championships versus the current Championships format.

What other NCAA Division II sports use Regional and/or Super Regional qualifying format

The following sports use Regional and/or Super Regional qualifying formats:

Sport Men Women
Baseball Regional —
Basketball Regional Regional
Field Hockey — Regional
Football Super Regional —
Golf Regional (combined regions) Super Regional
Lacrosse Regional*< Regional*
Soccer Regional/Super Regional# Regional/Super Regional#
Softball — Regional/Super Regional
Tennis Regional^ Regional^
Volleyball — Regional

*Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse have two regions. The Preliminary Round (First and Second Round) of the Championships is conducted as a regional round, in which teams are selected within a region to compete against one another.

#Men’s and Women’s Soccer do not use the terms “Regional” or “Super Regional” to describe their tournaments, but the tournaments follow a regional/super regional model in which teams are first selected within a region to compete against one another, followed by competition between regions, followed by competition between super regions.

^Men’s and Women’s Tennis use the term “Preliminary Round” to describe the first round of their tournaments. The Preliminary Round is conducted as a regional round, in which teams are selected within a region to compete against one another.