INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Council Coordination Committee approved contingency plans for the 2020-21 NCAA Division I winter and spring championships (other than basketball), as well as National Collegiate Championships conducted during the 2021 spring semester. The plans will be implemented only if conditions are such that winter and spring championships could not be conducted or completed at full capacity.
In team sports, the bracket sizes will remain unchanged, if more than 50% of all automatic-qualifying conferences are participating in the sport.
If participation for automatic-qualifying conferences falls to 50% or lower, the bracket sizes for those sports will be adjusted to 75% capacity. All automatic qualifiers will be accommodated, and the balance of the field will be designated for at-large selections.
The national participation percentage will be determined 30 days before selections for each winter and spring championship.
In a similar fashion, the field sizes for individual sports will remain unchanged if more than 50% of schools are participating in the sport. If school participation levels drop to 50% or lower, field sizes for those sports will be adjusted to 75% of capacity.
Division I Competition Oversight Committee members, who moved this concept forward, believe this contingency plan is the best way to accommodate all automatic-qualifying spots in a championship bracket. The remaining spots in the brackets will be filled by at-large selections.
Release courtesy National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
