The Division II Executive Board approved nearly $4.2 million in enhancements for the 2027-30 championships budget cycle, which begins Sept. 1.
The NCAA said the investments are designed to increase participation opportunities and improve the student-athlete experience. The package expands championship fields, enlarges travel parties and adds money for administration and presentation.
The changes widen access in several sports. The men’s soccer bracket will increase by four teams, and the men’s wrestling field will add 20 qualifiers. Women’s golf will add one individual qualifier to the finals.
The men’s and women’s indoor track and field championships will increase individual event fields from 18 to 20 participants. The outdoor track and field championships will also expand the fields for the combined events.
Travel parties will grow in baseball, men’s lacrosse, women’s rowing, swimming and diving, track and field, and men’s wrestling. Football and women’s lacrosse will get larger squads and travel parties. Men’s and women’s golf will receive regional travel and larger regional travel parties.
The board also changed several championship schedules. Basketball will move to a three-weekend format. Men’s wrestling will add a day to its super regional, and the men’s and women’s indoor track and field championships will run three days instead of two.
Women’s volleyball will add a day of rest between the semifinal and final matches at regional and finals competition. Women’s soccer will shift to a super regional bracketing format.
Softball will get a national coordinator of officials. Men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field will get competition managers. Video boards will be provided at men’s and women’s cross country regional competitions, and officiating coverage will increase in baseball, football, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s golf.
The enhancements include more funding for signs, banquets, participant gifts, officiating fees, streaming and game presentation. All members of the official travel party will receive championship medallions and patches. Trophy allocations will be adjusted to create greater consistency across sports.
The board previously allocated approximately $7.6 million to the base championships budget for the three-year cycle. The approved requests leave approximately $3.4 million in reserve for the ongoing bracketing principles review and future championship initiatives.
The board reelected Sandra Woodley, president of The University of Texas Permian Basin, as chair. It reelected Tim Collins, president of Walsh, as vice chair. Their one-year terms will begin at the conclusion of the 2027 NCAA Convention.
Lorrie Clemo from D’Youville was elected to represent the East region through Jan. 2029. The board reelected Ed Hjerpe to a second two-year term as an independent member.
The board ratified the election of Jen Flowers, director of athletics at Winona State, as chair of the Division II Management Council. It ratified the reelection of Kristina Ortiz, senior woman administrator at Georgian Court, as vice chair. Both one-year terms will begin at the conclusion of the 2027 Division II business session.
The board also ratified 10 elections to the Management Council, including representatives of seven conferences and three at-large members.