The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- April 26, 1999

High schools to join NCAA Online advertising site this fall

A powerful new resource for individuals seeking positions in amateur athletics will be available starting this fall.

The NCAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) have announced a joint effort to provide their members with the opportunity to advertise job openings nationally.

The effort will be an expansion of the current NCAA News online classified advertising site (www.ncaa.org).

"We have been very excited with the NCAA membership's use of our current online advertising, and I believe this is a logical next step," said David Pickle, NCAA director of printed communications.

NFHS Executive Director Robert F. Kanaby said the site fulfills a long-time objective of the high-school federation.

"We have studied the possibility of a job-listing service for the nation's high schools in the past, but we did not have the resources to make it happen," Kanaby said. "With the Internet, however, as well as the expertise and experience with classified advertising offered by the NCAA, we believe this will prove to be a great service to individuals seeking to fill positions at the high-school level, as well as those people looking for jobs.

"We look forward to working with the NCAA is the exciting new venture."

The improved site will feature separate advertising areas for high schools and colleges. Those using the NFHS's Web site (www.nfhs.org) will be able to link directly to the News classified site.

"This is an important service because in many instances the college and high-school job markets are really the same one," Pickle said. "High-school administrators and coaches are often looking for college positions, and the reverse is true for many college administrators and coaches.

"This new arrangement will provide them with 'one-stop shopping' while at the same time giving high schools and colleges a reasonably priced opportunity to fill their positions from a national pool of applicants."

Pickle said the basic features will be the same for both sites.

Those interested in placing an advertisement will be able to access the classified site and call up a template that will permit them to submit the copy for the ad, along with billing information. The cost will be 75 cents per word.

Those interested in reading the advertisements will be able to access them in two ways. The first will be by position, which is how the NCAA site has been structured since it was established last fall. Readers may click on a directory of administrative and coaching positions to access whatever advertisements have been posted in that area.

Beginning this fall, the site also will list the advertisements state-by-state for both high schools and colleges. That feature may be especially helpful for those seeking high-school jobs since some of those positions may be more likely to be filled regionally rather than nationally.

The high-school advertising site will take effect September 1. The NFHS will use the time between now and then to inform its membership of the new service and to promote its benefits.

The NCAA will administer both the high-school and college sites with existing staff. Part of the revenue from the high-school ads will go directly to the NFHS. The remainder will go to the NCAA to help with administrative costs.

Print advertising

While the rate of 75 cents per word will remain the same for NCAA online classified advertising, the rate for space in the printed version of The NCAA News will increase effective with the September 13 issue. At that time, the cost for general classified advertising will become 85 cents per word, an increase of 10 cents a word. The cost of display advertising will become $50 per column inch; the current cost is $37.50.

"We regard NCAA News classified advertising as a service more than anything else, so we are cautious about raising rates," Pickle said. "In fact, the new prices still will be only half as much -- or less -- than other national alternatives.

"Still, there are expenses involved with producing this sort of advertising and those expenses have to be covered."