"I have been in conversation with a number of presidents from different parts of the country about the state of Division III athletics and the growing pressures which many of us regard as unhealthy," Lewis wrote in the letter of which the student obtained a copy.
New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) member colleges have also been considering the role of athletics in small colleges over the past few years.
"I am looking for liberal arts college presidents who might be interested in some fundamental rethinking of the landscape, perhaps in the form of a new division that would include institutions with a common focus on undergraduate, residential, liberal arts education, among colleges of more similar size, as well as similar mission, than is the case in the present Division III," wrote Lewis.
The Mellon Foundation presented information at the September NESCAC presidents meeting examining the conclusions of the recent book, "The Game of Life" by James L. Schulma and William G. Bowen, which describes how an emphasis on athletics can detract from a school's academic mission.
The Mellon study, which is being kept confidential until its release in the coming weeks, investigated statistics similar to those in the book but focused specifically on NESCAC schools. "The Game of Life," according to Gerety.
"Most of us are strong critics of the NCAA," said Gerety. "I think a Division IV [or Division III-A] would be a very helpful development." But he added that Amherst has only begun to consider the plan.
Gerety said that while Division III schools do not have athletic scholarships, many of them "are much more like Division I than they are like us."
Lewis' office plans to conduct a conference call with interested college presidents within the next few weeks.
Though Lewis has not yet contacted the NCAA about creating a new division, he has received positive responses from other college presidents, according to his executive assistant Jennifer Hantho.
Lewis listed some possible objectives and basic principles for a Division III-A in a supplement he sent with the letter. These included: "to get varsity athletics back into proper perspective," "to make certain that student athletes come from and represent the student body," "to level the playing field among institutions of similar philosophies and size" and "to minimize the bureaucracy, reporting requirements, and 'mandates' that now come from the NCAA."
The supplement also suggested "fewer games/matches/meets per sport per season," "no off campus recruiting," "no Sunday competition or practice" and shortened seasons: fall: Sept.1-Nov.1; winter: Nov.1-March 15; spring: March 1-May 15.
Trustee Colin Diver '65, chair of the College's athletics committee, would not comment on what exactly his committee will present at the Board of Trustees meeting on Oct. 19 but said that his committee had not discussed the creation of Division III-A.
"To date, the Committee has not directly considered whether Amherst should recommend creating a new NCAA division," said Diver. "Rather, we have focused on what we believe ought to be the rules and regulations of our conference [NESCAC]. I imagine, however, that the issue of a new division will come up at our next meeting."
Carleton College competes at the Division III level in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). The MIAC is composed of a wide variety of schools, some of which are significantly larger than Carleton, which has approximately 1,900 students. Other schools in the MIAC also have very different attitudes on the balance between academics and athletics, according to Hantho.
The NESCAC, in which the College competes, consists of 11 schools and was founded in 1971. According to NESCAC's mission statement, "Its members are committed first and foremost to academic excellence and believe that athletic excellence supports our educational mission."
Gerety said that a committee formed of the Little III schools has been charged to consider the role athletics plays on NESCAC campuses. "Are we true to our principles?" he asked. "It seems the more we separate it out, the less we can say we're true to our principles."
Jenny Rossman '04, a member of both the women's soccer and lacrosse teams, questioned the need to create a Division III-A because of the similarity of the NESCAC schools. She said that she was worried about the effect it might have on the postseason and the NCAA tournament.
"If postseason stays at the same level of competition, things will be fine," Rossman said. "However, it seems as though the level of competition will drop. Schools like Amherst and the other NESCAC schools attract students who are smart as well as being high-caliber athletes. So, if it is going to be a lower level of competition, those students might go to the Ivies where they know they will still receive a good education as well as play in a highly competitive league."
Justin Pitrack '03, a member of the men's hockey team, does not think that the creation of a Division III-A will make it more difficult for Amherst to attract quality athletes. "A lot of people who come to a place like Amherst really care a lot about academics to begin with and seek a balance with athletics," he said. "Unless our league was drastically weakened, I don't think it would affect recruiting or our national reputation athletically."
Pitrack is concerned, however, that the creation of Division III-A could force Amherst to compete against less talented teams. If inter-league play were prohibited, Pitrack said, "It would hurt us in the sense that we couldn't play tough competition. At one point last year [the men's hockey team was] number six in the country, so we can hold our own with anyone. If we are limited to NESCAC and academically elite schools, we wouldn't be able to play schools with lower academic standards and high athletic standards. It would get boring."
President William Adams of Colby College said that he is interested in Lewis' idea.
"There is some concern within Division III that there are differences in approach and philosophy to athletics among Division III [schools]," Adams said. "Perhaps the divide is getting so wide that the best way to deal with it is to split it up."