University President Steven Knapp is the chair of the Atlantic 10 Conference Council of Presidents for the 2012-13 season, chosen at the group’s annual spring meetings this week.

Knapp will replace outgoing chair Xavier President Rev. Michael Graham, and was selected by the group, comprised of the leaders of each university represented in the A-10. Knapp is responsible for the oversight of the council’s business meetings next year.

The council also completed various tasks in its spring meeting, chief among them beginning procedures to officially bring Butler and VCU into the conference July 1. The league’s 2012-13 operating budget was approved, and the council also established a conference-wide men’s basketball sportsmanship pre-game protocol.

The council also made changes to league schedules and championship formats. The championship field in men’s and women’s soccer was expanded to eight teams each and the field for the baseball championship to a seven-team tournament. Echoing the change made to the men’s basketball schedules, the council also announced that the conference schedule for women’s basketball will increase from 14 to 16 games beginning with the 2013-14 season.

Lastly, the council adopted a policy that would make a program ineligible for Atlantic 10 championships if that school was ineligible for NCAA Championship participation due to Academic Progress Rate penalties.