REPORT OF THE NCAA DIVISION I MEN'S COMMITTEE JULY 21-22 AND AUGUST 9, 2021, VIRTUAL MEETINGS

KEY ITEMS.

1. Automatic qualification. Six conferences receive automatic qualification privileges for the 2022 championship.

2. Day off between rounds during regional competition. Beginning with the 2022 championship there be a day off between the regional semifinals and finals.

ACTION ITEMS.

1. Legislative items.

• None.

2. Nonlegislative items.

a. Automatic qualification.

(1) Recommendation. That the following six conferences receive automatic qualification privileges for the 2022 Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship: Atlantic Hockey Conference, , ECAC Hockey Conference, Hockey East Conference, National Collegiate Hockey Conference and Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

(2) Effective date. 2022 championship.

(3) Rationale. All eligible conferences are being recommended for automatic qualification.

(4) Estimated budget impact. None.

(5) Student-athlete impact. None.

b. Day off between rounds during regional competition.

(1) Recommendation. That with the 2022 championship there be a day off between the regional semifinals and finals.

(2) Effective date. 2022 championship.

(3) Rationale. The day off will provide rest for the eight regional final teams and protect student-athlete health and safety. As the season progresses, the need for additional time for the student-athletes to rest and recover is necessary. Along with the Report of the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee Annual Meeting July 21-22 and August 9, 2021 Page No. 2

necessary rest, this provides more equity for all the teams when it comes to the game times. With the day off, a team that may play the later game in the day has a day to recover versus turning around and playing again the next day.

(4) Estimated budget impact. $44,400 for the extra day of per diem for the eight teams that advance to the regional finals.

(5) Student-athlete impact. The day off will positively affect the student-athletes and give their bodies an extra day to recover at the most important time of the season.

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.

1. Review agenda and meeting schedule. The committee reviewed the agenda and meeting schedule and made no adjustments.

2. Review of 2021 championship.

a. Review of the championship. The committee reviewed all rounds of the championship and commended all involved for conducting a successful tournament. With all the policies in place and the ever-changing landscape, the fact that a national champion was crowned defined success.

For the 2022 championship, the committee wants to continue working with the regional sites on making sure the ice conditions are top-notch. The committee will continue planning with the regional sites to have the ice skated on prior to the teams arriving.

The committee noted that from a media coordination standpoint, the use of virtual press conferences this year provided an option that may have some merit going forward. The potential for a hybrid option for the media is being considered across all sports for the 2021-22 championships.

b. Committee calls. The committee will continue working with the AHCA and be a part of the association’s monthly calls, which during this past season enhanced communication and transparency. With the selection process being different this year due to the limited number of nonconference games that were played, the constant dialog was extremely helpful to all involved.

c. Selection process. For the 2022 season, the committee will use the same selection process that is currently in place without the adjustments that were made due to COVID.

Report of the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee Annual Meeting July 21-22 and August 9, 2021 Page No. 3 ______

The committee did discuss the potential of revisiting the percentages in place for overtime and will monitor the criteria this year to determine how things play in in a normal year. This will be on the committee’s agenda for the 2022 annual meeting.

5. Committee composition. There will be no roster changes for the 2021-22 year. Mike Kemp will continue to serve as chair in his final year on the committee.

6. Annual meeting dates. The 2021 annual meeting will take in June. Staff will work with the other ice hockey committees to determine the best suitable date for the meeting.

7. Television. The committee met with representatives from ESPN to review the championship. The group thanked ESPN for the continued commitment to making the championship the best for the student-athletes. The group noted that the committee will be moving the intermissions from 18 minutes to 15 minutes for the 2022 championship. The committee also asked that ESPN review the current timeout format and explore creative ways to reduce the overall timeout length during games. Staff will continue working with ESPN on this for the 2022 championship.

8. 2022 Frozen Four. Staff noted that planning for the 2022 Frozen Four has begun. Staff will meet with the Boston host staff to review the current status, and a site visit will be planned for mid-fall once the NHL season has started.

9. Conference commissioners. The committee met with the ice hockey conference commissioners and discussed the current state of the sport. The commissioners fully supported the day off at regionals to enhance the student-athlete experience. The commissioners also provided feedback on the television talent and will work with staff to provide names of emerging talent that can be passed along to ESPN.

3. 10. Officiating Review. The committee met with Frank Cole to review officiating for the 2021 championship. The officials relayed that through all the pandemic-induced changes, the overall experience of officiating in the NCAA championship was a positive. The contingency plans in place to allow for changes in officiating that might happen due to COVID were very beneficial.

Committee Chair: Mike Kemp, University of Nebraska Omaha; National Collegiate Hockey Conference Staff Liaison(s): Kristin W. Fasbender, Championships and Alliances

Report of the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee Annual Meeting July 21-22 and August 9, 2021 Page No. 4

Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee July 21-22 and August 9, 2021, Videoconferences Attendees: Bob Daniels, Ferris State University. Michael Cross, Penn State University. Mike Kemp, University of Nebraska, Omaha. Rick Gotkin, Mercyhurst University. Mike Schafer, Cornell University. Jeff Schulman, University of Vermont Guests in Attendance: Meg Aronowitz, ESPN. Red Berenson, Big 10 Conference. Bob DeGregorio, Atlantic Hockey Conference. Josh Fenton, National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Steve Hagwell, ECAC Hockey Conference. Andy Green, ESPN. Don Lucia, Central Collegiate Hockey Association. Steve Metcalf, Hockey East Conference. Dan Margulis, ESPN. Greg Overstrom, ESPN. NCAA Staff Support in Attendance: Tommy Barrett, Championships and Alliances. Mark Bedics, Championships and Alliances. Julie Kimmons, Championships and Alliances. Chad Tolliver, Championships and Alliances.

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