31.3.3.1.3 Grace Period.
A period for two consecutive academic years after the date the conference falls
below the seven required institutions but maintains at least four institutions (they must be core institutions
for multisport conferences), in the particular sport. Continued automatic-qualification eligibility shall be as
follows: (Adopted: 1/9/06 effective 8/1/06, Revised: 4/19/06, 5/5/06, 4/13/10)
(a) A conference shall remain eligible for automatic qualification in the particular sport if, by the expiration
of the grace period, the conference has a minimum of seven institutions (for multisport conferences,
at least four shall be core institutions) that sponsor the sport on a varsity intercollegiate basis
and that are eligible for the NCAA Division III championship.
(b) A conference that fails to satisfy Bylaw 31.3.3.1.3-(a) by the expiration of the grace period shall
no longer be eligible for automatic qualification in the particular sport until it again satisfies all
requirements for automatic qualification, including the two-year waiting period set forth in Bylaws
31.3.3.1.1-(a) and 31.3.3.1.1.1-(b).
31.3.3.1.4 Core Institution.
For purposes of Bylaw 31, a core institution is an active NCAA Division
III member institution that is a member of an NCAA Division III conference and participates in that conference
in more than one conference-sponsored sport. An institution may be a core institution in only one
multisport conference. An institution that was considered a core institution in more than one multisport
conference prior to September 1, 2011, may continue as a core institution in those conferences until it is no
longer an active member of the particular conference. (Adopted: 4/13/10, Revised: 1/14/12 effective 8/1/12
for the 2012-13 academic year)
