Page 95 - 2019-20 NJCAA Handbook - May, 2020

ARTICLE X
POLICIES GOVERNING THE AWARDING OF NJCAA CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS

Section 1 - Definitions
A. An Intercollegiate sport is defined as a team represents the institution and competes against outside competition.
B. Recognized Sport: 15 or more institutions declare intent to participate in five regions
C. Emerging Sport: Any sport currently “recognized” by the NJCAA as a sport but does not include a national championship.
D. Championship Sport: Any sport currently sponsored by the NJCAA that follows all rules and regulations and includes official NJCAA
national championship competition.
Section 2 - Process to Establish Sport Definitions by the NJCAA
A. Recognized Sport: Through regional leadership, a request must be passed petitioning the NJCAA national office to send out a
membership survey asking the body of interest in establishing the sport. Request for survey of the membership must be approved by the
Board of Regents prior to distributing to the membership.
1. Regional leadership must provide written support for sport by the national sport organization to include startup costs, general
costs associated with conducting the sport, general rules of the sport, and suggested perimeters such as season of participation,
number of participants, and any other information supporting its feasibility.
2. Survey must be written by the region, submitted to the national office for distribution and include the following:
a. Interest in adding the sport in a specific academic year
b. Interest even if there was no national championship
c. Scholarship or non-scholarship
d. Interest in the next five years
e. Interest in hosting a national championship for the sport
3. Survey results will be analyzed by the Board of Regents at their January meeting to determine if the survey results support adding
the recognized sport and the sport supports the mission of the NJCAA.
4. If approval is granted, the sport will be assigned an ad-hoc committee to establish sport procedures and recommend rule
adoption on official published rulebook.
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

3.
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.