March 16, 2022: The Division I Women’s Basketball Championship kicks off with the inaugural First Four competition as the bracket expands to 68 teams. March 16, 2022 50
Jan. 20, 2022: Representatives from campuses and conferences in all three divisions approve a new constitution for the Association at the NCAA Convention. The new constitution provides significant authority to the three divisions to reorganize and restructure. January 20, 2022 48
Jan. 19, 2022: The NCAA Board of Governors adopts a sport-by-sport approach to transgender participation, which calls for transgender participation to be determined by the policy for the national governing body of each sport. If there is no national governing body policy for a sport, that sport’s international federation policy would be followed. If there is no international federation policy, previously established International Olympic Committee policy criteria would be followed. January 19, 2022 52
Aug. 10, 2021: The NCAA Board of Governors announced its appointments of 23 members representing all three divisions to the Constitution Committee, which will identify the core principles that define college sports and propose a new governance model that allows for quicker change without sacrificing broader values, while either reaffirming or redefining those values. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, one of five independent members of the Board of Governors and former president at Texas A&M, was named committee chair. August 10, 2021 52
July 30, 2021: The Board of Governors vote to convene a special constitutional convention in November, with action expected to be taken at the NCAA’s scheduled Convention in January 2022. The Special Convention is intended to propose dramatic changes to the NCAA constitution to reimagine aspects of college sports so the Association can more effectively meet the needs of current and future college athletes. July 30, 2021 42
June 30, 2021: Governance bodies in all three NCAA divisions adopt a uniform interim policy suspending name, image and likeness rules for all incoming and current student-athletes in all sports, effective July 1. June 30, 2021 45
June 21, 2021: The Supreme Court upholds a lower court decision that the NCAA can’t limit education-related benefits that colleges can offer student-athletes. June 21, 2021 47
March-April 2021: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all rounds of the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship are held in Indianapolis, and all rounds of the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship are held in San Antonio, marking the first time each tournament is played entirely in one geographic region. April 1, 2021 40
March 2020: A COVID-19 advisory panel is created to help inform the Association about the emerging COVID-19 virus. The idea was to create an expert team representing diverse perspectives that could deliver the most up-to-date information to the NCAA membership, address complex questions and provide recommendations. March 20, 2020 41
August 2018: The NCAA Board of Governors and Division I Board of Directors adopt a series of changes in response to the Commission on College Basketball recommendations. Changes include adding independent members to the Board of Governors, providing college basketball players more flexibility to decide their futures, making the investigations and infractions process more efficient, and setting stronger penalties for those who break the rules. August 1, 2018 45
