The spring post-season will feature DI and DI Elite teams together. •
There is a new post-season pathway for women’s colleges, and it reintegrates the DI Elite teams into the DI competition. The top 16 teams across DI Elite and spring-based DI conferences will merge during the spring Round of 16 (April 21-23, 2017). The quarterfinal victors will advance to the DI Elite final four, while quarterfinal losers will advance to the DI spring semifinals on May 5-6, 2017.
The restructure was necessary after only six teams designated themselves as “DI Elite” this year. With Central Washington moving to NIRA, and Indiana withdrawing, a stand-alone DI Elite competition wasn’t feasible. Johnathan Atkeison of USA Rugby’s Women’s College Competition Committee (WCCC) circulated the following to affected parties:
We’re trying build a competition structure that allows us to achieve several goals:
– To continue to offer our most competitive and well-resourced clubs a growing and robust competition against the best teams in the country.
– To give our other D1 clubs the chance to play-up against the best teams in the country, while also building a tier of competition that encourages teams to move up from D2 to D1 to compete.
– To build a structure that showcases our best teams in the playoffs.
So while Penn State, BYU, Life, Lindenwood, New Mexico and Stanford are still classified as “DI Elite,” the designation essentially means they’re declaring their intent for the spring Round of 16. Technically, these DI Elite teams will have to apply for at-large bids, but they were initially grouped in the higher tier because of their programs’ successes. Still, a team like New Mexico, which took a hit after a coaching change, shows that evaluations for post-season inclusion are still needed.
Teams from DI’s Florida, Gold Coast, Mason Dixon and Pacific Mountain conferences will join DI Elite teams in the spring Round of 16. When the competition divides after the quarterfinals, the DI portion will name a spring champion, while the DI Elite will name a national champion. Both of these semifinal competitions will occur on May 5-6, 2017, and there will not be a DI national champion.
“It’s unfortunate, and reflective of where our membership is going right now based on the division between fall and spring teams,” said Atkeison, who champions the return of the DI and DII national championships.
Stay tuned for further details from USA Rugby. Also look for information on how college teams will, potentially, be classified as DI or DII in the future (DI Elite and DIII/NSCRO to follow). The WCCC has polled college conference commissioners and will look toward the public during round two of feedback.
RECAP
December 3-4, 2016
DI Fall Championship (final only)
DII Fall Championship (semifinals & final)
April 21-23, 2017 (4 sites)
DI Elite & DI Spring Round of 16 & Quarterfinals (combined)
May 5-6, 2017
DI Elite National Championship (semifinals & final)
DI Spring Championship (semifinals & final)