The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- July 19, 1999

Staff works to minimize relocation disruptions

BY DAVID PICKLE
STAFF WRITER

The relocation of the national office to Indianapolis will result in a brief interruption of a number of membership services.

Most of the disruption will relate to relocating the office's telephone and computer systems. Although the down time will be kept to a minimum, membership communication with the national office will be affected from 5 p.m. July 21 through 8 a.m. July 27.

"We are making every possible effort to maintain service continuously throughout the transition," said Daniel Boggan Jr., NCAA chief operating officer. "However, there is simply no way for our staff and equipment to be relocated to a site 500 miles away without some services being affected. We have timed the move so that much of the work will be done over the weekend, which should minimize disruptions."

Although staff availability will be affected during the July 21-27 period as employees relocate from Overland Park, Kansas, to Indianapolis, a telephone switchboard will be maintained in Kansas City to assist the membership. Beginning July 27, calls to the Overland Park number either will be forwarded to Indianapolis or callers will be given a recorded message advising them of the new number (317/917-6222).

When full telephone service begins at the Indianapolis facility July 27, the membership may experience delays or occasional misrouting of calls because the switchboard staff will be completely new. Also, the extension and direct-dial numbers for all staff members will be new, which will present another complication.

During the down time, the membership services staff will provide emergency assistance to the membership, should it be required. Non-emergency calls will be recorded and returned after the relocation is complete. The membership services staff will not be able to field calls from the general public from 5 p.m. July 21 until the office reopens in Indianapolis July 27.

Computers

The membership will not be able to access NCAA computer services between 5 p.m. July 21 and 8 a.m. July 27. This includes access to NCAA Online (and all of the services included therein) and electronic mail to NCAA staff members.

Sherry Neeb, NCAA technology specialist, said that e-mail that is sent to staff members during the down period will not be captured or forwarded to its destination. During the down time, individuals attempting to send an e-mail to the national office will receive an advisory that the mail was not deliverable if their mail service provider is configured to notify senders of undeliverable mail.

The membership also should expect NCAA Online service to be down between 5 p.m. July 21 and 8 a.m. July 27.

Individuals attempting to use NCAA Online will be routed to a message advising them that online services will resume July 27. Such services include the legislative services database, sports statistics, NCAA News online classified advertising and assorted information about the Association. No links will be provided from the temporary front page to any sites.

Neeb said that NCAA Online might appear functional before July 27. However, the reconstruction of the Web site is being done in phases and no assurances are being made that any particular segment of NCAA Online will be operational before July 27.

Classified advertising

The interruption of NCAA Online service will affect members attempting to post NCAA News online classified advertising.

Because the advertising is purchased in seven-day increments and because it cannot be assured customers can acquire advertising during the transition period that meets their timing needs, the service will provided for free from July 15 through 5 p.m. July 21.

During that period, advertisers will be able to post ads at no charge. Those ads may remain online through July 30. There will be no access to the advertising (either to post ads or read them) between 5 p.m. July 21 and 8 a.m. July 27. Beginning at 8 a.m. July 27, normal online classified advertising operations will resume.

Individuals needing to include advertisements in the printed version of The NCAA News should note that the new fax number for classified ads will be 317/917-6831, effective July 27.

The main fax number for the Indianapolis facility will be 317/917-6888. Although every effort will be made to assure the privacy of material faxed to that number, users should be advised that it is not a secure unit. They therefore may want to delay the transmission of highly privileged information until numbers for specific fax units are available.