CLEVELAND — The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and its Affiliate Associations announced a membership dues waiver for the 2020-21 academic year, an effort that will collectively save its member institutions over $2 million.
 
"The decision exhibited by the leadership of NACDA and all of the Affiliates to save our member institutions in excess of $2 million with this dues waiver is very inspiring," said NACDA Chief Executive Officer Bob Vecchione. "This is a win/win for athletics directors as they can repurpose a line item in their budget and still enable their staff to engage and participate in the NACDA & Affiliates network and benefits, helping them to learn and grow both personally and professionally."
 
Current members for 2019-20 will have their memberships automatically renewed for 2020-21 and will not be charged for the annual dues. Individuals interested in joining an Association under NACDA's umbrella for the first time will need to create a membership account.
 
"This initiative by NACDA and its Affiliate Associations demonstrates the level of care and concern the leadership has for its members," said NACDA President Greg Byrne, director of athletics at The University of Alabama. "The NACDA family is committed to helping move the collegiate athletics industry forward by opening the door for administrators at all levels to expand and enhance their skill set."
 
The new membership cycle will officially begin on September 1, 2020 and run through August 31, 2021. Any questions regarding membership can be directed to Brian Horning in the NACDA Office (bhorning@nacda.com).
 
What Affiliate Association Presidents are saying…
 
CABMA
"During this unprecedented time, the CABMA Executive Committee has decided to follow the lead of NACDA and its Affiliates to waive the 2020-21 CABMA membership fee. The CABMA membership provides a platform to connect with peers, access educational resources, share model practices and discuss ways to navigate in our current environment. Please encourage your business professionals to take advantage of this waiver to become a member of CABMA."
Sharon Brummell
Senior Associate AD for Business & Finance/SWA
Georgetown University
 
CEFMA
"CEFMA is very excited to partner with NACDA and the rest of the Affiliate Associations in this initiative. Our members have shown a commitment to our organization in our 12-year existence - this is an opportunity, in a difficult time, to show our commitment to them. This waiver aligns directly with our recently announced #CEFMAGivesBack campaign, and solidifies our vision to be a resource for our members."
Matt Oberlin
Associate AD for Capital Projects, Facilities and Event Management
Central Michigan University
 
D2 ADA
"D2 ADA understands the economic challenges our institutions are facing across the country and it is important that we continue to be part of the solution. By waiving our dues for the 2020-21 membership year, we are assisting our colleagues in providing budgetary relief, while keeping them engaged nationally in best practice and idea sharing during these difficult times."
Chris Ratcliff
Director of Athletics
Rogers State University

D2 CCA
"On behalf of the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association, we are grateful for the NACDA leadership for providing us the opportunity to waive our membership dues for the 2020-21 academic year. During this challenging time, all organizations within intercollegiate athletics are looking for opportunities to control costs without impacting the student-athlete experience. D2 CCA is looking forward to a great year of partnership with NACDA navigating our 'new normal' together."
Erin Lind
Commissioner
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
 
FCS ADA
"I appreciate the leadership and vision of NACDA and the FCS ADA Executive Committee for recognizing these are uncertain times and making adjustments to membership fees for the upcoming academic year. At a time when budgeting is so difficult, this will allow administrators and departments the ability to access the great programming and support provided by the organization, yet remove that expense from their budgets."
Kent Haslam
Director of Athletics
University of Montana
 
DI-AAA ADA
"I'm incredibly grateful to NACDA and the DI-AAA ADA Officers and Executive Committee for the decision to waive all membership dues for the 2020-21 academic year. This is a challenging time for all of our member institutions, staff and student-athletes, and I look forward to Association discussions in the coming days, weeks and months to help us work through this unprecedented situation together."
Scott Leykam
Director of Athletics
University of Portland
 
ICLA
"ICLA recognizes the massive financial hardships that all of our universities and affiliate members are facing. We're proud to waive dues for our members for the upcoming year, while at the same time staying committed to our mission of education and development of collegiate licensing professionals. We need each other now more than ever as we figure out how to navigate our new reality."
Samantha Stevens
Director of Licensing
Michigan State University
 
MOAA
"As MOAA celebrates its 20^th year in 2020, we are overjoyed that we join NACDA and its Affiliate Associations in waiving membership dues for the upcoming year. As an organization, it is important to help give back during this time of uncertainty, while providing an avenue for administrators to connect and receive professional development opportunities."
China Jude
Senior Associate Athletics Director for Administration/SWA
University of Wyoming
 
N4A
"The N4A leadership remains committed to helping our current and future members navigate these uncertain and challenging times. We will continue to meet our members where they are by offering accessible and affordable professional development opportunities and services. N4A is thrilled to be a part of a larger NACDA initiative that fully recognizes the unprecedented and widespread impact of COVID-19 on the industry of intercollegiate athletics and supports industry professionals as we strive to move forward." 
Denise Poole
Director, Student Success Initiatives
Penn State University

NAAC
"This initiative by the Associations under NACDA's umbrella is unprecedented and we are fortunate to be able to give back to our current and future members. We continuously strive to provide professional development opportunities to help our industry grow and this will allow us to impact that many more compliance professionals."
Kristine Fowler
Senior Associate AD/SWA
Army West Point

NAADD
"The NAADD Executive Committee recognizes we are all facing challenging and unprecedented times, and this was a really important way for us to give back to our membership. We are working hard to provide relevant and unique programming for all types of members, including those that are new to fundraising and those that are veterans."
Sarah Baumgartner
Deputy Athletics Director
Rutgers University
 
NAATSO
"NAATSO is pleased to be able to join with NACDA and its Affiliate Associations in this initiative. We see this waiver as an opportunity to show our membership the commitment they have shown us in our early years of existence. Now more than ever, the ability to share ideas and best practices will be at the forefront and NAATSO can help members obtain those goals and maintain these important relationships."
Brian Broussard
Associate AD - Ticket Sales & Operations
LSU
 
NACMA
"NACMA has a 30-year history of supporting and investing in its membership, and this initiative is no exception. We are pleased to have the ability to offer a membership dues waiver for the upcoming year. This is a testament to the strategic and prudent financial planning from our past Officers, Board members and finance committees. We believe we have a great opportunity with this initiative to give every external administrator a peek into the extraordinary programming and assets a NACMA membership provides. We look forward to welcoming anyone who has ever had any interest at all in NACMA to join in 2020-21."
Ryan Ivey
Director of Athletics
Stephen F. Austin State University
 
NADIIIAA
"We are fortunate to be able to provide this opportunity to all Division III athletics administrators during the upcoming academic year. NADIIIAA is committed to continuing to provide meaningful development opportunities and resources to help navigate this current crisis, in addition to our usual networking and professional development opportunities."
Keri Alexander Luchowski
Executive Director
North Coast Athletic Conference
 
NAIA-ADA
"In just a few years under NACDA, the NAIA-ADA  has made great strides and is able to offer this dues waiver for the members. This year, we saw membership increase by 19%. Thanks to the support of the NAIA National Office and NACDA, this waiver will keep the momentum we have in membership growth moving forward as we strive to reach our goal of having every athletics director in the NAIA as an NAIA-ADA member." 
Kiki Baker Barnes
Director of Athletics
Dillard University
 
NATYCAA
"On behalf of the NATYCAA membership, I am so appreciative of this gesture. The waiver will enable our Association to re-invest in its own members during this unprecedented time. There is a lot of uncertainty within college athletics, at all levels, and to see NACDA step up and put its members first is very meaningful."
Michelle Ruble
Director of Athletics
College of Southern Maryland
 
About NACDA: NACDA, now in its 55th year, is the professional and educational Association for more than 15,700 college athletics administrators at more than 1,700 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 6,500 athletics administrators annually attend NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week. Additionally, NACDA manages 17 professional associations and three foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.