The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- December 7, 1998

NACDA umbrella to expand with admission of National Collegiate Licensing Association

The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has announced the creation of the National Collegiate Licensing Association (NCLA).

NACDA will serve as administrator of this newly formed association.

This is the sixth association NACDA administers.

The others are the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators, the National Association of Athletic Development Directors, the National Association of Athletic Compliance Coordinators, the Division I-AA Athletics Directors Association and the Division II Athletics Directors Association.

Additionally, NACDA provides assistance to the National Alliance of Two-Year Collegiate Athletic Administrators.

NCLA was initiated by licensing professionals to enhance communication in the field of intercollegiate licensing. It is a higher education association whose membership will be composed of licensing administrators from college bookstores, institutional business offices, intercollegiate athletics departments and conferences, university legal counsel and other areas associated with the collegiate licensing profession.

"For some time, collegiate licensing practitioners have expressed an interest in establishing an organization that can serve as an open forum to discuss the salient issues associated with the collegiate licensing industry," said Finus Gaston, the NCLA's president and the senior associate director of athletics at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.

"This new Association will provide licensing administrators with a cohesive professional organization that is representative of the entire collegiate licensing arena. NCLA is an exciting and needed addition to the collegiate licensing industry that should pay great dividends to all involved in the organization."

NCLA's mission is to strengthen the awareness of collegiate licensing on campuses and in surrounding communities and to enhance the spirit of community, cooperation and communication within member institutions and with participating businesses throughout the licensing industry. To achieve this mission, NCLA will provide educational opportunities to increase the knowledge and skills of its members; establish a forum for the exchange of meaningful dialogue to increase understanding of relevant industry issues and initiate and disseminate industry research, data and trends to enable licensing personnel to be better informed.

In addition to Gaston, also elected to hold office in NCLA for 1999 were: Bob Hicks (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities), first vice-president; Chris Bahl (University of Nebraska, Lincoln), second vice-president; and Tammy Tuley (Georgia Institute of Technology), third vice-president.

"The members of NACDA have been requesting the formation of this Association," said Jim Livengood, NACDA's president and the director of athletics at the University of Arizona. "We are very pleased to add NCLA to the family of associations administered by NACDA. The services provided by NACDA will aid NCLA in their growth, accomplishing their goals and those of their members."

Founding members of the Board of Directors who helped initiate formation of the Association include Mark Abbott (University of Iowa), Judy Barnard (Oklahoma State University), Jim Earle (University of Pittsburgh), John Fairman (Kansas State University), Ken Goldberg (University of Florida), Mike Low (University of Arizona), Peter Pilling (Villanova University), Paul Vander Tuig (University of Kansas), Mark Whitworth (Southeastern Conference), Lee Workman (East Carolina University), Jim Wilkerson (Duke University) and Robert Vowels Jr. (Big Ten Conference).

Membership in NCLA is open to all individuals whose responsibilities include the regular implementation of campus policies regarding trademark and licensing administration. A membership drive will take place in early December. There are three levels of membership --college/university, affiliate/conference and student.

College/university memberships will allow all licensing participants at a college or university to join the association for an institutional fee of $195. One of those members will be designated as the primary contact and receive all correspondence and materials.

The affiliate/conference membership will allow individuals of licensees, law firms and other interested parties, as well as individuals from conferences, to become a part of NCLA for $375.

Finally, an integral component to the future of licensing, a student membership is only $50.

The term of membership is based on the calendar year and may be renewed annually.

NCLA will unveil its first workshop this spring, to be held in conjunction with the NACMA/NAADD Workshops in Reno June 11-13, 1999.