CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY CHANNEL ISLANDS. Models and Considerations for Beginning an Intercollegiate Athletics Program

Transcription

1 CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY CHANNEL ISLANDS Models and Considerations for Beginning an Intercollegiate Athletics Program Final Version Submitted: January 2015

2 Table of Contents Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 BACKGROUND 3 SCOPE OF STUDY 4 SECTION ONE: PROGRAMMATIC IMPLICATIONS 5 National Affiliation Options 5 Demographic Compatibility 7 Conference Affiliation Options 9 SECTION TWO: TIMELINE AND REQUIREMENTS 13 Timeline 13 NCAA and NAIA Requirements and Expectations 15 StudentAthlete Experience and Opportunities 20 Costs and Funding 22 Conference Competitiveness 27 SportSpecific Analysis 30 Men s Sports 30 Women s Sports 32 Individual Sports 34 Scheduling 36 Title IX, CSU/Cal NOW Consent Decree Compliance 43 SECTION THREE: APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS 47 Application Requirements 47 NCAA Division II Model Athletics Program 51 Page 1 of 57

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Channel Islands (CI) conclusions in 2006 regarding intercollegiate athletics are still viable. The best fit for the university remains NCAA Division II, as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Three approaches could be used: 1. Begin 11 sports at once beginning , apply to join NCAA Division II in February, Achieve full active NCAA membership status by fall, Use a phasein approach, with an accelerated timeline for bypassing membership in the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Begin 11 sports over a two year period, apply to join NCAA Division II in February, Achieve full active NCAA membership status by fall, Phase sports sponsorship over a number of years, and join the NAIA as an independent member, followed by a fouryear transition to NCAA Division II and the CCAA. The entire process could require 810 years to complete. All options are viable, depending on factors such as funding and facilities. Another consideration is how long the window of opportunity for NCAA Division II membership will remain open and what the standards will be. The Division II Membership Committee has made it clear that standards for being admitted into the process will continue to become more stringent and that growth will be limited by the resources available to Division II. In addition, while the CCAA is interested in CI joining the conference, how long this opportunity will be available to CI is also unknown. National Affiliation Affiliation with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II would align Channel Islands with other California State Universities and with the recognizable NCAA brand. Institutions typically report that they have greater regional name recognition as a result of NCAA membership and prospective students and studentathletes seem to equate NCAA membership with some level of institutional prestige. If CI were to begin its athletics program as a member of the NAIA, the affiliation should be viewed as a place holder as the university prepares to meet NCAA requirements. The NAIA s Champions of Character programming and simpler rules compliance requirements make it an attractive option for small startup programs. Also, immediate access to postseason play would provide championship opportunities for Channel Islands studentathletes that would remain unavailable for three years were the university to move directly to NCAA Division II. In an NCAA Division II environment, studentathletes would benefit from more study time and less time on the field than is typical in an NAIA environment. If CI were to choose to move directly to NCAA Division II, the university should expect to see better academic performance by studentathletes than by general students as a result of more stringent NCAA academic requirements. Studentathletes graduate Page 2 of 57

4 at rates 10% higher than their nonathlete counterparts and have an average Academic Success Rate of over 70%. Because of their datadriven approach, Division II presidents are able to structure eligibility, recruiting and playing and practice season rules to improve academic success. Conference Affiliation When considering options for conference affiliation, Channel Islands should take into account that its NAIA conference options are very limited. The Golden State Conference (GSAC) is one of the NAIA s strongest and most stable conferences, but it is comprised of small, faithbased private schools. Based on its current makeup, it is unlikely to be interested in CI as a conference member. The other NAIA conference in California, the California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac), is based in the San Francisco bay area. It has public institutions as members but no members in Southern California. The third option, taken by CSU San Marcos when it began its sports program over a decade ago, is to join the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.), a conference that is made up of 22 independent NAIA institutions, 18 of which are full members and four of which are associate or provisional members. None of the conference options is particularly desirable, but some affiliation will be necessary should CI choose the transitional approach. The California Collegiate Athletic Association has already expressed an interest in CI and is the NCAA conference that is the most logical for CI, both in terms of geography and type of institution. It is currently comprised of 12 California State University members and one University of California member. California State University San Marcos was recently accepted into the NCAA Division II membership process and is on schedule to become a full active member in The CCAA currently sponsors championship competition in all the sports Channel Islands is interested in offering. BACKGROUND California State University Channel Islands (CI), founded in 2002 with an enrollment of 1320 during its inaugural year, is the youngest of the 23 California State University campuses. By fall 2013 enrollment grew to 5080 students and in fall 2014 enrollment was over In 2003, CI began exploring the possibility of beginning a recreation, intramural and intercollegiate athletics program. Since that time, several attempts have been made at gathering information related to the structure and potential cost of an intercollegiate athletics program at CI, including what sports should be offered and what is the optimal conference and national affiliation for intercollegiate athletics. A comprehensive report was drafted by Dr. Wm. Gregory Sawyer, VicePresident for Student Affairs, in 2003 that included a Mission Statement for Intercollegiate Athletics as well as a listing of traditional sports, meaning those sports offered at other institutions against which CI may compete. The report included an overview of both the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as potential national affiliations for CI s intercollegiate athletics program. Page 3 of 57

5 The 2003 report was followed by the appointment of a committee to assist in the design of an athletics program for CI. The university engaged the services of Dr. Cedric Dempsey in June 2005 to work with CI s Athletics Advisory Committee. The Committee s report, which was published in 2006, included the following recommendations: Ø That Division II is the best level of competition for CI in the next decade. Ø That CI submit an application to the California Collegiate Athletic Association, noting that the CCAA is comprised of primarily sister CSU institutions. Ø That while intercollegiate athletics, club sports, intramural and recreational programs should be administered by the director of athletics, there should be separate budgets for intercollegiate athletics and for the other programs. Ø That the intercollegiate athletics program consist of the following sports [Note: A Financial Plan developed by CI in 2013 includes all of the sports below with the exception of tennis]: o Women s individual sports (in order of priority): Tennis, Cross Country, Golf o Women s team sports (in order of priority): Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, Softball o Men s individual sports (in order of priority): Golf, Cross Country, Tennis o Men s team sports (in order of priority): Soccer, Basketball, Baseball Ø That a master plan for intercollegiate athletics facilities and recreational facilities for all students should be developed in the immediate future. Ø That the Director of Athletics report to the Vice President for Student Affairs on daily operational issues and to the President on policy matters. The structure also included the appointment of a Senior Woman Administrator (SWA). Discussion about starting an intercollegiate athletics program has continued since the 2006 report and in 2013 a Research Group was appointed to assist with presenting alternatives for starting an intercollegiate athletics program. The group reviewed national and conference affiliation options and discussed the benefits of starting as a member of the NAIA before moving to the NCAA. To assist with consideration of its options, CI engaged the services of Strategic Edge Athletic Consulting, LLC (Strategic Edge) to present two models 1) Beginning as a member of the NAIA and after a period of time applying for NCAA Division II membership and 2) Making application for membership in NCAA Division II without having been a member of the NAIA. SCOPE OF STUDY Given the options CI is considering, it is important to understand the differences between the NAIA and the NCAA and the context for each. This threepart report consists of comparative information the university can use in its assessment of the NAIA and the conference options available compared with NCAA Division II and the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Section One includes programmatic implications of membership in the NAIA when compared with membership in NCAA Division II. Section Two presents timelines and requirements for CI should it choose to either fully implement its athletics program immediately, choose an accelerated approach to NCAA and CCAA membership, bypass the Page 4 of 57

6 NAIA, or use a transitional approach, beginning with NAIA membership followed by a move to NCAA Division II. The timelines and requirements section of the study addresses relative operating expenses and sources of income, rules compliance and studentathlete eligibility standards. It also provides templates for CI s potential for competitive success as a member of the CCAA, potential impacts on the studentathlete experience and opportunities for studentathletes, including travel, missed class time, and championship opportunities. Section Three addresses NCAA Division II expectations for prospective members and provides a set of actions CI would need to take to be a viable applicant for NCAA Division II candidacy. SECTION ONE: PROGRAMMATIC IMPLICATIONS National Affiliation Options Of the roughly 2,870 fouryear degreegranting institutions in the United States 1, 1,389 sponsor intercollegiate athletic programs 2. Of those, 253 are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. 3 There are over 1,000 active member schools in the NCAA membership 347 in Division I, 300 in Division II and 446 in Division III. 4 The NCAA also has more than 100 member conferences in all three divisions. Other small associations, such as the National Christian College Athletic Association, account for the others. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) The NAIA serves approximately 57,340 5 studentathletes and hosts 23 national championship events in 13 sports each year. The NAIA men's basketball tournament has become the longestrunning basketball tournament in the country, celebrating 75 years in The NAIA has tried to differentiate itself from the NCAA by stressing its simple structure and its focus on building character. The NAIA Way Bigger isn t always better. Life s many challenges are best met by a simple, straightforward approach that recognizes and expects individual honesty and responsibility. Education is the true purpose of sports in the college setting. Sport offers limitless opportunities to teach lessons for life, standards higher than victory. One of the NAIA s most important programs, Champions of Character, is grounded in five core values. The program is designed to instill an understanding of character in sport and provide studentathletes, coaches, and parents with handson training to know the right thing, do the right thing, and value the right thing, inside and outside of the sports setting. 1 National Center for Education Statistics, Fast Facts, 2 Source: EADA Report- NCAA, NAIA, NCCAA 3 Source: NAIA Website 4 Source: Report of NCAA Membership (Report run ) 5 Source: EADA Report 6 Source: NAIA Website About Us, EADA Report Page 5 of 57

7 Champions of Character Core Values Respect Responsibility Integrity Servant Leadership Sportsmanship The program s immediate focus is to reach and penetrate a broadbased understanding of Champions of Character among NAIA coaches and studentathletes. The NAIA s online education program, Character Driven Coaching is an example. Over the last 15 years, the NAIA has lost over 180 members. Fiftynine institutions have been admitted for membership in the NAIA since Those institutions have median undergraduate enrollments of approximately 790 students. The NAIA now has only 50 members with undergraduate enrollment over 2,000. New members closely parallel current members with regard to their public/private mix. Currently, 18% of the members are public institutions and 82% are private. 7 The percentage of small, private, faithbased institutions appears to be rising in the NAIA as larger institutions seek membership in the NCAA. Along the West Coast, thirteen institutions have left or are in the process of leaving the NAIA. They include California Baptist University, which became an active NCAA Division II member in September 2013, and Asuza Pacific University and Point Loma Nazarene University, which became active NCAA Division II members in September Concordia (Portland), California State University San Marcos and Concordia Irvine all were accepted into the NCAA Division II candidacy process beginning this fall (2014). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA is the most recognized brand in college sports. The NCAA is a much larger organization than the NAIA serving over 430,000 studentathletes. The NCAA is divided into three divisions each with its own statement of philosophy. The Association administers 89 championships in 23 sports for its member institutions. More than 40,600 male and female studentathletes compete annually in these events for national titles. Active NCAA Division II members sponsor an average of 6.9 sports for men and 7.9 sports for women 8. Fifty percent of Division II members are private institutions 9. Enrollments vary tremendously across the division. They tend to be larger than NAIA members. Only 30 have enrollments under 1, NCAA Division II, which serves nearly 100,000 studentathletes, has sought to differentiate itself from Divisions I and III by developing the I Chose Division II branding campaign. The campaign stems from empirical data that indicated studentathletes are choosing Division II schools because a balance exists 7 Source: EADA Report 8 Source: Division II Facts and Figures, Source: Division II Facts and Figures, Source: EADA Report Page 6 of 57

8 that emphasizes both academic excellence and athletics achievement. In June 2005, chancellors and presidents of Division II member institutions agreed to implement a comprehensive strategic study related to the division s defining characteristics and key attributes. This datadriven process was designed to create a proactive position that clearly identified the defining characteristics and aspirations for the member institutions of Division II. This effort was initiated with the goal of enhancing the regional awareness and local engagement of Division II members and the constituencies they serve. The result was the development of a Strategic Positioning Platform for Division II. A priority identified for the Division in is to enhance and expand the Division II brand; NCAA Division II has hired Blacktop Creative to assist with these efforts. Division II Strategic Positioning Platform, Life in the Balance Higher education has lasting importance on an individual s future success. For this reason, the emphasis on the studentathlete experience in Division II is a comprehensive program of learning and development in a personal setting. The Division II approach provides growth opportunities through academic achievement, learning in highlevel athletic competition and development of positive societal attitudes in service to community. The balance and integration of these different areas of learning opportunity provide Division II studentathletes a path to graduation while cultivating a variety of skills and knowledge for life ahead. Division II Attributes Learning: multiple opportunities to broaden knowledge and skills Service: positive societal attitude through contributions to community Balance: emphasis on collective knowledge; integration of skills Passion: enthusiastic dedication and desire in effort Resourcefulness: versatile skill set drawn from broad range of experience Sportsmanship: respect for fairness, courtesy; ethical conduct toward others NCAA Division II has used these six attributes to shape its Community Engagement and Game Environment initiatives as well as the Model Division II Athletics Program. Division II requires prospective new members to embrace these initiatives as a condition of admission to candidacy and active membership. Demographic Compatibility The NAIA can serve as a viable national affiliation option for new athletics programs. The NAIA has minimum requirements and expectations much lower than those found in NCAA Division II. The sports programs of the newest NAIA members are half the size of the average in the NAIA and their budgets are less than a third of the average among NAIA members. They sponsor, on average, three sports each Page 7 of 57

9 for men and women with an average of 53 men and 35 women competing. Their average spending on athletics, based on the most recent EADA data available, was approximately 602, NCAA Division II expects new members to look very much like its current members. Active NCAA Division II members that do not sponsor football average 7.1 sports for men and 6.6 sports for women. Average budgets for new Division II members average approximately 2.9 million as reported at the time they joined. NUMBER OF SPORTS SPONSORED NAIA NCAA D.II Average All Members Average New Members Average Members w/o FB Average New Members Men s Sports Women s Sports Source: EADA, NAIA, NCAA Division II Facts and Figures, 2014 It is important to note, as one compares the average sports sponsorship of each institution joining the NAIA and NCAA, that the requirements of each organization are very different. NAIA institutions can count a sport like golf or cross country with one or more participants who compete in one or more contests. The NAIA does not have minimum participant or contest requirements to be a countable sport. The NCAA requires minimum participants and contests in order for a sport to be considered a sponsored sport and count for NCAA membership. Analysis The NAIA offers great institutional flexibility with regard to sports sponsorship and scholarships. Its members sports sponsorship and participation numbers are trending downward. The size and scope of NAIA athletics programs had been determined solely by member institutions and conferences. NCAA Division II will not allow a prospective member to make application until it has met minimum sports sponsorship requirements (10 sports, five each for men and women or six for women and four for men) for a period of at least one year. NAIA members are immediately eligible for postseason play after acceptance for membership. NCAA Division II applicants must wait three years. If CI were to decide to join NAIA first, and apply for NCAA Division II membership later, it is important to note that the NAIA places postseason restrictions on institutions that make formal application to the NCAA. The NAIA rules handbook states, NAIA institutions that make formal application for NCAA membership shall not be allowed to participate in NAIA postseason contests beginning with the second full academic year after application for NCAA membership has been made, unless a waiver is granted by the National Administrative Council. If the institution withdraws from the NCAA membership application process, the institution will be allowed to participate in NAIA postseason competition, provided the institution maintains NAIA 11 Source: EADA Report Page 8 of 57

10 membership. NCAA conferences seeking new members have attempted to ease the impact of this restriction by allowing new members access to conference championships and by recognizing the accomplishments of their studentathletes as allconference performers during the candidacy period when they are not eligible for NAIA or NCAA championships. Another consideration is how long the window of opportunity for NCAA Division II membership will remain open and what the standards will be when applying. The Membership Committee has made it clear that standards for admission into the process will continue to become more stringent and growth will be limited by resources available to Division II. Conference Affiliation Options National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The two NAIA conferences in the same geographic region as CI are the California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). As illustrated in the charts below, the GSAC is comprised exclusively of private institutions, all of them faith based. Seven of the nine institutions in the Cal Pac are private institutions. Average total enrollment in the Cal Pac is 1,855 and average enrollment in the GSAC is 2,176. GSAC Member Institutions Characteristics 12 Public/ Private Enrollment % Undergrads Total Under Grad Male Female Arizona Christian Private Biola Private Concordia (Irvine) Private Hope International Private San Diego Christian College Private The Master s College Private Vanguard Private Westmont Private William Jessup Private Tuition and Fees Cost of Attendance InState OutofState InState OutofState Arizona Christian 21,832 21,832 35,382 35,382 Biola ,142 46,624 46,624 Concordia (Irvine) 29,630 29,630 43,550 43,550 Hope International 26,050 26,050 39,537 39,537 San Diego Christian College 25,888 25,888 40,252 40,252 The Master s College 28,800 28,800 42,147 42,147 Vanguard 29,250 29,250 43,076 43,076 Westmont 38,510 38,510 53,670 53,670 William Jessup 24,040 24,040 38,447 38, Source: National Center for Educational Statistics Page 9 of 57

11 Cal Pac Member Institutions Characteristics 13 Public/ Enrollment % Undergrads Private Total Under Grad Male Female California Maritime Academy Public EmbryRiddle (AZ) Private La Sierra Private Marymount California University Private Menlo College Private Pacific Union College Private UC Merced Public Simpson University Private Soka University of America Private Tuition and Fees* Cost of Attendance* InState OutofState InState OutofState California Maritime Academy 6,536 17,696 21,102 32,262 EmbryRiddle (AZ) 31,034 31,034 46,314 46,314 La Sierra 29,103 29,103 41,490 41,490 Marymount California University 30,579 30,579 47,961 47,961 Menlo College 37,100 37,100 53,834 53,834 Pacific Union College 27,480 27,480 39,852 39,852 UC Merced 13,160 36,038 33,499 56,377 Simpson University 23,300 23,300 35,324 35,324 Soka University of America 29,144 29,144 43,128 43,128 The other NAIA option would be to compete as a member of the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.), a conference that is made up of 22 independent NAIA institutions, 18 of which are full members and four of which are associate or provisional members. This is the option CSU San Marcos was forced to take due to the fact that the GSAC was not interested in them and the Cal Pac had no Southern California members. Because the A.I.I. is made up of independent institutions, its membership is extremely diverse and; for the most part, the schools are not in close proximity to each other. Later in the report we will present a scheduling model for CI as if it were a member of the A.I.I. Association of Independent Institutions Member Institutions Characteristics 14 Public/ Private Enrollment % Undergrads Total Under Grad Male Female Allen University (SC) Private Ashford University (IA)* Private 1,000 ** ** ** CSU San Marcos Public 11,300 10, Fisher College (MASS) Private Fisk University (TN) Private Georgia Gwinett College Public Indiana University Northwest Public Johnson and Wales University (CO) Private Morris College (SC) Private Source: National Center for Educational Statistics 14 Source: National Center for Educational Statistics Page 10 of 57

12 Northern New Mexico College Public Rochester College (MI) Private State U of New York College of Tech at Delhi Public Texas A&M Texarkana Public University of British Columbia (Vancouver) University of Houston Victoria Public University of Victoria (BC) 20, ,000+ Walla Walla University Private West Virginia Tech University Public *Ashford University is a forprofit university headquartered in San Diego, CA. While a majority of the student population is enrolled in online courses, the University has nearly 1,000 students enrolled at their campus location in Clinton, IA. ** Data not available Tuition and Fees Cost of Attendance InState OutofState InState OutofState Allen University (SC) 11,940 11,940 20,300 20,300 Ashford University (IA) 10,312 10,312 22,575 22,575 CSU San Marcos 6,649 17,809 23,162 34,322 Fisher College (MASS) 27, ,840 46,840 Fisk University (TN) 20,449 20,449 35, Georgia Gwinett College 5,246 14, ,144 Indiana University Northwest 6,739 17,778 19,221 30,260 Johnson and Wales University (CO) 27,456 27,456 41,461 41,461 Morris College (SC) 11,087 11,087 21,481 21,481 Northern New Mexico College 4,060 11,523 18,787 26,250 Rochester College (MI) 19,920 19,920 28,890 28,890 State U of New York at Delhi 7,200 11,370 21,090 25,260 Texas A&M Texarkana 5,578 14,002 16,078 24,502 University of British Columbia ,000 27,000 17,800 22,100 36,300 42,200 University of Houston Victoria 6,248 16,868 18,118 28,738 University of Victoria (BC) 5,159 9,028 16,700 24,000 ** ** Walla Walla University 25,377 25,377 35,670 35,670 West Virginia Tech University 5,808 14,616 17,673 26,481 **Data not available NCAA Conference Options The CCAA is the most reasonable and logical NCAA Division II conference option for CI. The CCAA is currently comprised of 12 California State University members and one University of California member. This includes California State University San Marcos, which was recently accepted into the NCAA Division II membership process and will become a full active member in if it proceeds through the membership process on schedule. The CCAA currently sponsors six men s and six women s sports: men s and women s cross country, men s and women s soccer and women s volleyball in the fall; men s and women s basketball in the winter; and men s golf, men s and women s outdoor track and field, softball and baseball in the spring. The CCAA sponsors championships in men s and women s cross country, men s and women s soccer, men s and women s basketball, men s golf, men s and women s track and field, softball and baseball. Page 11 of 57

13 CCAA Member Institutions Characteristics 15 Public/ Enrollment % Undergrads Private Total Under Grad Male Female Cal Poly Pomona Public California State Dominguez Hills Public California State East Bay Public California State Los Angeles Public California State Monterey Bay Public California State University San Bernadino Public California State University San Marcos Public California State University Stanislaus Public California State Chico Public Humboldt State University Public San Francisco State University Public Sonoma State University Public University of California San Diego Public Tuition and Fees Cost of Attendance InState OutofState InState OutofState Cal Poly Pomona 6,350 17,510 22,571 33,731 California State Dominguez Hills 6,100 17,260 21,286 32,446 California State East Bay 6,550 17,710 22,312 33,472 California State Los Angeles 6,344 17,504 21,705 32,865 California State Monterey Bay 5,963 17,123 19,210 30,370 California State San Bernadino 6,550 17,710 20,377 31,537 California State San Marcos 6,649 17,809 23,162 34,322 California State Stanislaus 6,491 17,651 22,433 33,593 California State Chico 6,972 18,132 22,362 33,522 Humboldt State University 7,144 18,302 22,556 33,716 San Francisco State University 6,450 17,610 23,828 34,988 Sonoma State University 7,234 18,394 23,295 34,455 University of California San Diego 13,271 36,149 30,470 53,348 Analysis The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) has expressed an interest in CI and is the NCAA conference that is the most logical for CI, both in terms of geography and type of institution. As a member of the CCAA, CI would be in a conference comprised entirely of public institutions. All but one are a part of the California State University system. CI s enrollment can be expected to grow to the middle of the range for the conference. CI s tuition and fees should remain similar to institutions in the CCAA. Its cost of attendance for both instate and outofstate will also be similar. Such factors are significant when competing with conference rivals for prospective studentathletes. As noted earlier in this report, there are three paths CI can take to become a member of NCAA Division II. If CI chooses to begin as a member of the NAIA rather than take the steps necessary to begin as a member of NCAA Division II, its most likely first home will have to be the Association of Independent Institutions. 15 Source: National Center for Educational Statistics Page 12 of 57

14 SECTION TWO: TIMELINE AND REQUIREMENTS Timeline Because it is not possible to predict how many more years NCAA Division II will be considering applications from new members and because the requirements both to be admitted to the membership process and to advance to full Division II membership are becoming more stringent, it would be prudent for CI to make application to join NCAA Division II as soon as it is feasible. There are three options. One would be to start an eleven sport program immediately (Note: The number of eleven sports aligns with the sports outlined in the Financial Plan developed by CI). The second approach introduces sports over a three to four year period, with membership in the NAIA prior to transitioning to the NCAA and the CCAA. The third outlines an accelerated timeline for bypassing membership in the NAIA. Possible timelines for each approach are set forth below. Admittedly both the timeline for immediate implementation and for bypassing the NAIA are aggressive and may not be feasible. They are presented here in order to address the issue cited above with regard to uncertainty about how long the window of opportunity for Division II membership will remain open. Implementation Timeline Three Options Immediate implementation of an eleven sport athletic program: o o Identify golf club for practice and competition; make arrangements for use of the club. Hire head golf coach. Recruit studentathletes for men s and women s golf. Develop Schedule for Identify area for cross country practice and competition. Hire head cross country coach. Recruit studentathletes for cross country. Develop schedule for Identify facilities for soccer, basketball, volleyball, softball and baseball. Develop schedule for Hire head men s soccer coach and head women s soccer coach. Recruit student- athletes for men s soccer and women s soccer. Develop schedule for Hire head men s basketball coach and head women s basketball coach. Recruit studentathletes for men s basketball and women s basketball. Develop schedule for Hire head women s volleyball coach. Recruit studentathletes for women s volleyball. Develop schedule for Hire head softball coach. Recruit studentathletes for softball. Develop schedule for Hire head baseball coach. Recruit studentathletes for baseball. Develop schedule for : Compete with a full complement of eleven sports. Page 13 of 57

15 o : Apply for membership in NCAA Division II in February 2019 o : NCAA Division II Provisional Year One o : NCAA Division II Provisional Year Two o : NCAA Division II Provisional Year Three o : Full NCAA Division II membership (this assumes the requirements and deadlines for NCAA Division II membership remain the same and that CI is accepted into and progresses through the membership process on schedule) Bypass the NAIA and go directly to NCAA Division II: The accelerated timeline is required due to the fact that CI would not be a member of a conference during this time period, thereby making scheduling difficult. It is possible that the CCAA would agree to schedule CI during this time period, but it is doubtful that this would result in a full CCAA schedule. o Identify golf club for practice and competition; make arrangements for use of the club. Hire head coach for men s and women s golf. Recruit studentathletes for men s golf and women s golf. Identify area for cross country practice and competition. Hire head men s and women s cross country coach. Recruit studentathletes for men s cross country and women s cross country. Hire head men s soccer coach and head women s soccer coach. Recruit student- athletes for men s soccer and women s soccer. o : Start Men s and Women s Cross Country, Men s and Women s Golf, and Men s and Women s Soccer. Hire head women s volleyball coach. Recruit studentathletes for women s volleyball. Hire head softball coach. Recruit studentathletes for softball. Hire head baseball coach. Recruit studentathletes for baseball. Hire head men s basketball coach and head women s basketball coach. Recruit studentathletes for men s and women s basketball. o : Start Women s Volleyball, Baseball, Softball and Men s and Women s Basketball Continue full complement of sports. o : Apply for membership in NCAA Division II in February 2020 o : NCAA Division II Provisional Year One o : NCAA Division II Provisional Year Two o : NCAA Division II Provisional Year Three o : Full NCAA Division II membership (this assumes the requirements and deadlines for NCAA Division II membership remain the same and that CI is accepted into and progresses through the membership process on schedule). Page 14 of 57

16 Beginning as a member of the NAIA: o : Identify golf club for practice and competition; make arrangements for use of the club. Hire head golf coach. Recruit studentathletes. Identify area for cross country practice and competition. Hire head cross country coach. Recruit studentathletes. o : Start Men s and Women s Cross Country and Men s and Women s Golf Hire head men s soccer coach and head women s soccer coach. Recruit student- athletes for men s soccer and women s soccer. Apply for NAIA membership October 2017 (to become effective in August 2018 if approved). Note: The institution must complete one year of membership from the date of acceptance before becoming eligible for NAIA postseason competition. o : Start Men s Soccer and Women s Soccer Apply for membership in the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.). Hire head softball coach, head women s volleyball coach and head baseball coach. Recruit studentathletes for softball, women s volleyball and baseball. o : Start Softball, Women s Volleyball and Baseball. Hire head men s basketball coach and head women s basketball coach. o : Start Men s Basketball and Women s Basketball. Continue full complement of sports as a member of the NAIA and the A.I.I. o : Apply for membership in NCAA Division II in February 2022 o : NCAA Division II Provisional Year One o : NCAA Division II Provisional Year Two o : NCAA Division II Provisional Year Three o : Full NCAA Division II membership (this assumes the requirements and deadlines for NCAA Division II membership remain the same and that CI is accepted into and progresses through the membership process on schedule) NCAA and NAIA Requirements and Expectations When considering all options for gaining entry into NCAA Division II, which include the possibility of beginning as a member of the NAIA, it is important to understand the differences between the requirements and expectations of the NCAA and the NAIA. Rules Compliance and Academic Standards The NAIA relies on a trustbased system that places primary responsibility with the institution to investigate potential rules violations and enforce standards of conduct and ethics. The NAIA has Page 15 of 57

17 established an Eligibility Center to assess initial eligibility; ongoing eligibility certification rests with the Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) at each NAIA member institution. NCAA Division II requires a stringent rules compliance structure including regular institutional self- studies and compliance reviews. On most NCAA campuses, compliance is coordinated by a fulltime staff member who has compliance as their only responsibility. In the case of institutions applying for Division II candidacy, a fulltime compliance officer is a requirement. In NCAA Division II, departments and individuals outside athletics assume compliance responsibilities, described as a shared responsibility involving athletics staff members, the Registrar s office, Financial Aid, Admissions, Academic Advising, and the FAR. The NCAA requires detailed documentation of all compliance areas and holds members accountable for providing the records when violations are alleged. Eligibility For NAIA eligibility, an entering freshman must be a graduate of an accredited high school or be accepted as a regular student in good standing as defined by the enrolling institution and meet two of three entry level requirements: Achieve a minimum of 18 on the Enhanced ACT or 860 on the SAT. Achieve a minimum overall high school grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale Graduate in the top half of the high school graduating class To remain eligible, a studentathlete must make normal progress toward a degree and maintain a grade point average to remain a student in good standing as defined by the institution. The studentathlete must be enrolled in 12 credit hours at the time of participation. The NAIA also has a 24hour rule to maintain eligibility. NCAA Division II has defined initial eligibility requirements for freshmen and transfers, and continuing eligibility standards for all studentathletes. To be eligible, a freshman studentathlete must graduate from high school and complete these 16 core courses: 3 years of English 2 years of math (Algebra 1 or higher) 2 years of natural or physical science 3 additional years of English, math, or natural or physical science 2 years of social science 4 years of additional core courses (from any category above, or foreign language, nondoctrinal religion or philosophy) The student must earn a gradepoint average or better in the core courses and earn a combined SAT score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68. Based on its ongoing longitudinal study of academic outcomes, Division II has adopted legislation that would establish a sliding scale index and minimum high school gradepoint average of for those studentathletes initially enrolling in a collegiate institution on or after August 1, Page 16 of 57

18 Division II also requires that member institutions certify that studentathletes have fulfilled continuing eligibility requirements including declaration of major, completion of at least 6 credit hours during the previous semester, at least 24 credit hours between seasons of competition, at least 75% of the credit hours were earned during the regular academic year, and minimum GPA and progress toward degree requirements. Division II adopted legislation at the 2014 NCAA Convention to increase the term credit hour requirements and modify the gradepoint average requirements. The new legislation will require for certifications of progress toward degree for fall 2016 and thereafter studentathletes to maintain a gradepoint average while earning ninesemester/eightquarter hours on a termbyterm basis (not including summer sessions). Studentathletes would need to earn 18semester or 24quarter hours during the regular academic year to remain eligible. Academic Success NCAA Division II s comprehensive program of learning and development and researchbased initial and continuingeligibility standards result in Division II studentathletes consistently graduating 10 to 15 percentage points higher than the general student body. This past year, Division II studentathletes on average graduated at a six percent higher rate than the total student population at Division II schools. 16 Studentathletes in the entering cohorts posted a sixyear graduation rate of 71 percent as calculated by the Academic Success Rate, far above the 54 percent using the federal graduationrate methodology that does not take transfers or nonscholarship studentathletes into account. 17 The NAIA has not introduced a comparable method for measuring academic achievement. Eligibility Centers One of the core NCAA principles is to ensure a level playing field for all competitors. One of the ways it does this is by ensuring incoming studentathletes meet established academic and amateurism standards. High school, twoyear college, homeschooled and international students who want to compete at the Division I or II level must be certified as initially eligible per NCAA academic and amateurism standards. The NCAA Eligibility Center staff makes these certification decisions. Approximately 180,000 prospective studentathletes submit their credentials each year. Of that number, aapproximately 90,000 have their eligibility certified by the Eligibility Center, and the vast majority of those go on to compete in Division I or II. 18 In September 2009, the NAIA Council of Presidents voted to establish an NAIA Eligibility Center. The NAIA Eligibility Center is responsible for determining the eligibility of firsttime NAIA studentathletes. Any student playing NAIA sports for the first time must have his or her eligibility determined by the NAIA Eligibility Center, and all NAIA member schools are bound by the center s decisions. The NAIA Eligibility Center was created to comply with the competitive experience rule. The competitive experience rule ensures that there is a consistent application of NAIA rules across member schools, and that NAIA athletes will be competing against other athletes with similar playing experience. The Eligibility Center 16 Source: 2014 Division II Facts and Figures 21 Source: 2014 Division II Facts and Figures 18 Source: Information received from NCAA Research Staff (July 2013) Page 17 of 57

19 looks at competitive experience after high school in an effort to determine if athletes engaged in elite- level competition and/or received remuneration. If so, they will be charged with a season of eligibility. As noted in the NAIA Talking Points document provided to members: Athletes who compete outside the traditional college setting can gain an unfair advantage. The competitive experience rule states that competition outside the college setting counts, just as it does for students competing in college. Most students are not impacted by this rule if they graduate from high school, go directly to college, and continue to compete in their sport throughout their college careers. Transfers The NAIA offers flexibility to allow studentathletes to transfer to a NAIA member school without missing a season of eligibility. NCAA rules are more restrictive. Division II has higher academic requirements for twoyear transfers who have not graduated from a twoyear institution. Aside from legislated transfer exceptions (the most common exception is the onetime transfer exception) for transfers from fouryear schools, Division II requires that fouryear transfers serve an academic year in residence before they are eligible for competition. Playing and Practice Seasons The NAIA provides maximum opportunity to participate in practice activities, regular season contests, and postseason championships. The NAIA has a restriction on each team s length of season based on weeks, but does not have daily and weekly limits for playing and practice commitments nor does it have a specified start date for any sport. Consistent with its Life in the Balance principle, Division II restricts contests and practice activities. Division II has specified starting dates for countable athleticallyrelated activities during the academic year and restrictions on these activities during vacation periods. It also has limits on the number of contests, daily and weekly limits on athleticallyrelated activities, and requires studentathletes to have at least one day with no athletic activity per week. At the 2010 NCAA Convention, Division II presidents introduced a series of legislative proposals that included reductions in the number of contests in basketball, baseball, softball and golf, delayed reporting dates for fallsport studentathletes, shortened seasons, reduced contests in several fall sports, and added a sevenday dead period during the winter holiday break. At the 2011 Convention, they refined the legislation to restrict start dates for weight training, conditioning, and skill instruction. Financial Aid More than 90 percent of NAIA institutions offer athletic scholarships. NAIA financial aid rules provide motivation for high academic achievement. All or a portion of institutional aid awarded to individual studentathletes may be exempted based on academic performance. For example, aid to continuing students with a 3.60 cumulative grade point average or who are in the top 10 percent of their class does Page 18 of 57

20 not count against financial aid limits. The NAIA has maximum institutional aid limits for each varsity sport, but they do not apply to junior varsity teams. The NCAA has more restrictive financial aid limitations. Basically, all institutional financial aid is countable when a studentathlete receives any athleticallyrelated financial aid. There is one exception for academic awards that meet specificallydefined academic standards. Many schools transitioning from the NAIA to NCAA Division II find that they are overawarded in some sports, based on Division II standards. Recruiting The NAIA has fewer recruiting restrictions than the NCAA. Coaches are not required to maintain recruiting records or to document contacts with prospects. In fact, the NAIA devotes less than one page in its Policy Handbook to recruiting. The NCAA expects institutions to document all recruiting activities (e.g. phone calls, contacts, evaluations, official visits) so that an institution, if questioned, can provide documentation to verify a violation did not occur. Or, in an instance where a violation has occurred, the institution must be able to show it has systems in place to monitor recruiting activities and discover violations when they occur. An example of how the NCAA membership demonstrates concern for prospective studentathletes was legislation to eliminate texting during the recruiting process. The legislation was proposed and endorsed by the National Divisions I and II StudentAthlete Advisory Committees and was approved by the membership of both divisions. The ability to text prospects has since been restored for NCAA Division II. Rules Education and Interpretation The NAIA relies on its member institutions to provide rules education and interpret rules. It makes online resources available to members including case studies and a Rules Education Resource Bank. It also produces a monthly Rules Education Newsletter. The NCAA provides its members with a number of ways to obtain rules interpretations. The Legislative Services Database (LSDBi) provides interpretations and case studies to assist with rules and regulations. The NCAA provides a means for conference staff to request interpretations and who can, in turn, provide interpretations for their member institutions. The NCAA also sponsors regional rules seminars at two sites annually. The seminars are designed so that participants with different backgrounds, experience, and responsibilities can benefit. Technology The NAIA does not require detailed records to document adherence to rules and does not provide technology/software to assist institutions with the monitoring of compliancerelated tasks. The NCAA provides its members with Compliance Assistant (CA), a webbased tool designed to help administrators ensure that their athletic department and studentathletes are in compliance with NCAA Page 19 of 57