Progress made on the Gender and Diversity Issues Audit Report was a primary topic of discussion at the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics meeting October 17 in Indianapolis. The committee went through the audit report and heard a number of presentations regarding changes that had been made in response to its findings.

The committee heard a presentation from the NCAA marketing, licensing and promotions staff, and the committee was pleased that significant strides had been made regarding gender equity in those areas previously identified in the audit.

For 2000-01, there will be 10 NCAA Welcome Centers at championships -- five at men's championships and five at women's championships. Promotional efforts for championships also have been reclassified into red, blue and white levels. The championships promoted on the red level include an equal number of men's and women's events (five each).

The championships promoted at the blue and white levels are dictated by whether the site is predetermined, since many activities are possible at predetermined sites that simply could not take place if the site was not known in advance. The white level (predetermined sites) has 35 men's and 30 women's championships. The blue level (nonpredetermined sites) has three men's and seven women's championships.

The committee also noted that NCAA staff had developed a distribution strategy to increase broadcast services opportunities. Broadcast production of women's basketball games had increased from 1999 to 2000, with 12 of the 20 broadcaster positions being held by women. The addition of Internet selection shows will result in one selection show (Division I field hockey) available this year via "Yahoo!" on the World Wide Web, while seven NCAA women's championship selection shows will be Webcast in 2000-01. And, a television program featuring women's sports will be broadcast by Oxygen Media Network in December.

Additional initiatives

NCAA staff noted that hospitality services and products provided by corporate partners for the men's and women's championships were comparable in 1999-00, and the licensing staff is in the process of adding three minority- or women-owned NCAA licensees.

The committee also noted that the NCAA Hall of Champions had added a significant historical exhibit honoring the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). The two-panel exhibit depicts the history of women's intercollegiate athletics before NCAA sponsorship of women's championships.

C. Dennis Cryder, NCAA vice-president for marketing, licensing and promotions, gave a presentation on the upcoming NCAA contract with CBS Sports. Cryder explained the rights "bundling" concept, noting that additional opportunities to promote women's sports had been created through the agreement.

In other action related to the audit report, the committee reviewed championships opportunities, noting that many issues had been addressed by adding championships, expanding brackets and increasing travel squad sizes.

In other action, the committee asked committee chair Cheryl L. Levick, director of athletics at Santa Clara University, to send a letter to NCAA President Cedric W. Dempsey, clarifying the committee's position on a senior woman administrator (SWA) for the Association.

The committee strongly recommended that the NCAA identify a female vice-president to serve as the NCAA SWA, similar to what is done on college campuses and in conference offices. The committee also recommended that the SWA's duties be formally placed in the vice-president's job description, that the individual be a member of the newly organized President's Cabinet, and that the SWA participate in key decisions within the NCAA national office. The committee also expressed its desire that the individual have a background in intercollegiate athletics.

(Since the committee's meeting, the Association hired Judith M. Sweet as vice-president of championships. Her duties will include serving as the SWA. See story, page 1.)

Funding priorities

The Executive Committee Subcommittee on Gender and Diversity Issues had asked the Committee on Women's Athletics and the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee to forward separate and joint lists, prioritizing a five-year budget plan for the committees' initiatives. Based on this prioritization, the subcommittee recommended an annual funding plan to the Executive Committee, which endorsed the idea and forwarded the proposal to the Executive Committee Budget Subcommittee.

The committee recommended the expansion of the NCAA's funding of the NACWAA/HERS program by $250,000 in order to create an additional site for the existing program and to develop a new executive-level program. The committee also recommended, in conjunction with the MOIC, the increased funding of NCAA internship opportunities for women and ethnic minority men.

Additional recommendations included revising the NCAA SWA brochure, conducting a more comprehensive study of gender and diversity of sports officials, developing public service announcements promoting women in sports and highlighting the positive aspects of Title IX and a professional development program for coaches' associations targeting women and ethnic minorities.

In other action, the committee:

Heard a presentation from Danita V. Edwards, NCAA vice-president for public affairs, and Wallace I. Renfro, director of public relations, regarding the NCAA Public Affairs Plan and how the CWA can assist with promoting positive images of the student-athlete.

Recognized Divisions II and III for their ongoing efforts toward addressing the issues of diversity and gender equity in athletics.

Held a joint meeting with the MOIC and discussed shared initiatives and budgetary recommendations. The groups heard a presentation on the audit report from Daniel Boggan Jr., NCAA senior vice-president, as well as plans for a second minority women summit in February 2001. The preliminary agenda for the summit includes focusing on the hiring, training and retention of minority women coaches.