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National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics

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DI Collaboration

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Introduction:
Amid the significant and impactful changes taking place in intercollegiate sports, athletics directors, commissioners, and student-athletes are collaborating to chart a way forward for Division I Athletics. This collaboration is a two-phase project supported by the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) and DI-AAA (non-football playing institutions) Athletics Directors Associations through National Association for Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). The National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) and the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A) recently joined the Phase 2 Working Group. This Working Group submitted recommendations for a new governance structure to the NCAA on November 22, 2024. Links to the recommended Enhanced Educational Model along with the transmittal covera letter can be accessed in the Resources Information box below. 

The Working Group is operating from the fundamental premise that a deeper and more intentional connection to the educational mission will provide greater benefits to student-athletes and preserve the principles of intercollegiate athletics.

All input is welcomed and can be directed to Co-Chairs, Janet Cone, Director of Athletics at University of North Carolina Asheville (I-AAA) at jcone@unca.edu or Tom Michael Director of Athletics at Eastern Illinois University (FCS) at trmichael@eiu.edu .
PHASE 2 
A second working group was formed to identify which elements of the Phase 1 model may help the NCAA re-imagine Division I governance and create a more legally defensible model of intercollegiate sport. Phase 2 Working Group is proposing a model in which the national governing body would focus primarily on fair, equitable, and safe competition and the administration of national championships, along with oversight and distribution of national athletics revenues. The proposal includes two Division I Subdivisions that would have independent authority over a larger set of rules, and each would incorporate the three core elements of the Education Centric Model (previously named Division I Next Generation Educational and Student-Athlete Centric Model) to fit their philosophical approach to athletics. The three core elements are:
  1. Connecting athletics to educational outcomes;
  2. Employing a set of guidelines to reduce unnecessary control of student-athlete time and activities while preserving the vitality and principles of college sports; and,
  3. Understanding, articulating, and measuring how student-athletes and institutions benefit from the athletics program.
Below is a list of the working group:
  • FCS - Mark Benson, Albany; Bill Chaves, North Dakota; Tom Michael, Eastern Illinois;
  • AAA - Dan Butterly, Big West; Janet Cone, UNC Asheville; Steve Watson, Loyola Chicago
  • Commissioners - Michael Cross, SoCon; Josh Fenton, Summit League; Jen Heppel, Patriot League; Sherika Montgomery, Big South
  • Student-Athletes - Anthony Egbo, DI SAAC; Meredith Page, DI SAAC
  • NAAC - Carly Grimshaw, Ohio State; Shoshanna Engel Lewis, NAAC; Michael Sainte, A-10
  • N4A - Ursula Gurney, UMKC; Mike Meade, Oklahoma; Ron Moses, ODU
  • The PICTOR Group – Sandy Hatfield Clubb, Hope Bender, Gabe Feldman, 
  • Ex-Officio - Peyton Barish, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
 Resources and Information
 
PHASE 1
In November 2023, the DI-AAA ADA and FCS ADA collaborated to contract with The PICTOR Group to draft a position paper to clarify and gain consensus on the distinguishing factors of both subdivision's financial model and operational philosophies. The goal is to create specific actionable strategies to help the subdivisions chart a course forward to play a distinctive role and actualize the important value within Division I athletics.

Below is a list of the Committee members:
  • DI-AAA - Janet Cone, UNC Asheville; Brian Barrio, UMBC; Dan Butterly, Big West; and Lenny Kaplan, NJIT
  • FCS - Ryan Ivey, Stephen F. Austin State; Tom Michael, Eastern Illinois; Chris Robinson, Arkansas Pine Bluff; Sherryta Freeman, Lafayette
  • Commissioners - Noreen Morris, Northeast; Josh Fenton, Summit League
All work products from this group are found below. 

During Phase 1 of the project, the "Division I Next Generation Educational and Student-Athlete Centric Model," was to ground the athletics experience more deeply in education, reorient control of student-athlete time and activities, enhance and formalize student-athlete benefits, and to center the athlete's relationship to the institution as a student.

This model embodies two important distinguishing factors of intercollegiate athletics. First, athletics is part of the social sector and is not fundamentally a commercial business sector enterprise. Within that context, athletics serves a public purpose, a greater good that contributes positively to society. Second, the core of intercollegiate athletics is education and therefore the student-athlete experience must remain holistically grounded, and become even more deeply embedded, in education.
 
DIVISION I NEXT GENERATION EDUCATIONAL AND STUDENT-ATHLETE CENTRIC MODEL
 
ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATORS
 
STUDENT-ATHLETES

I-AAA and FCS student-athletes are invited to attend an important presentation of the DI-AAA and DI FCS Collaboration Division I Position Paper. Your input is important to the future of Division I athletics. Please make it a priority to attend one of the following sessions:

If you have any questions related to this endeavor, please contact DI-AAA ADA President Janet Cone (jcone@unca.edu) or FCS ADA Past President Tom Michael (trmichael@eiu.edu). Any questions related to the survey should be directed to The PICTOR Group President Sandy Hatfield Clubb (shclubb@thepictorgroup.com). 
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