Page 99 - (FINAL!) UPDATED 13.0) 2020-2021 HANDBOOK - SEPTEMBER 2020 EDITION_Neat

5. Official notification will be presented to the Board of Directors for a vote in April with
official start date and all work completed by the ad-hoc committee.
B. Emerging Sport: A recognized sport becomes an Emerging Sport once 15 teams and 5
regions participate. A sport will be considered “emerging” for three years and no national
championship play will occur.

1. An Official Sport Committee will be created for the emerging sport.

2. The sport committee must officially request in writing to become a championship
sport to the Board of Regents and Championship Events Committee after one year
and must include a sport handbook.
3. If approved, the national office will solicit bids for hosting the national tournament.

C. Championship Sport: An Emerging Sport becomes a championship sport after the three-
year period as an Emerging Sport and sent forth by the Championship Events Committee to
the Board of Directors for approval. The number of teams and regions participating remain
the same or increase and all five regions must commit to participating
Section 3 – Divisional Status Definitions
A. Divisional Sports
1. An NJCAA National Championship Tournament is defined by having both 40
teams and seven (7) regions participating within the division of the sport.

2. Divisional sports that drop below 20 teams or seven (7) regions in a given year
will automatically drop to a non-divisional championship following a one-year
grace period.
B. Non-Divisional Sports
1. An NJCAA National Championship may be held by a sport with a minimum of 15
participating teams and five (5) regions within that sport upon approval of the
NJCAA Championship Events Committee at the prior year’s NJCAA Meeting.
2. Sports falling below 15 participating teams and/or five (5) regions, will no longer be
a recognized sport of the NJCAA and will have a one-year grace period to
determine if participation or region numbers increase.
C. Minimums for Divisional Status
1. Team Sports Individual Sports
2 Divisions = 150 teams & 10 regions 2 Divisions = 75 teams & 10 regions
3 Divisions = 225 teams & 16 regions 3 Divisions = 150 teams & 16 regions

2. Two (2) Divisions is defined as DI and DIII. Three (3) Divisions is defined as DI, DII and DIII.

Team Sports
Beach
Baseball Football Soccer Volleyball
Court
Basketball Lacrosse Softball Volleyball
Individual Sports
Swimming &
Bowling Golf Tennis Diving
Cross Half Track &
Country Marathon Field Wrestling

4. At each declaration cycle, the Board of Regents shall review the divisional
commitments and may allow variation in status for reasons such as Title IX.