The Division I Board of Directors has appointed a task force consisting of NCAA and National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) representatives that will clarify and expedite the collection of data for an economic study in Division I.

The study, which the Board of Directors requested last year in order to better understand spending trends for Division I athletics programs, has provided preliminary results, but the way expenditures are reported vary among institutions. The NCAA has invested considerable efforts to develop a standardized reporting method (EADA) and a set of reports with standardized definitions. However, the recent economic study highlighted problems with the reported data.

The Board's NCAA/NACUBO task force will explore a more consistent means of accounting for and reporting on athletics finances, particularly in overall compensation from all sources and capital expenditures, areas of specific interest to the Board of Directors.

The new task force, which includes Big 12 Conference Commissioner Kevin Weiberg and several chief financial officers from Division I institutions, will be charged with collecting, in a reliable manner, financial data that fully describes the financial position of intercollegiate athletics programs, and key information that will be valuable for Division I CEOs to measure trends and develop benchmarks for athletics programs.

Task force members also will try to eliminate any duplication of effort required to report to the NCAA and the federal government, and ensure that the data collected are as comparable among institutions as possible. The group is expected to develop an electronic means of data collection. Members also are hoping to develop an annual report that accurately reflects the current financial status of NCAA athletics programs and assists the Division I Board in establishing key priorities to address any issues at the national level.

The task force already has established subcommittees to work on specific areas. Those groups will provide recommendations at a full task force meeting in March. The task force should be in a position to provide final recommendations to the Board of Directors at its August meeting.

NCAA/NACUBO group members

Members of the group appointed by the Division I Board of Directors to assist in an economic study in Division I:

Craig Becker, assistant vice-president for finance, Seton Hall University

Dan Fulks, accounting program director, Transylvania University

Charley Gillispie, vice-president for administration and finance, Valparaiso University

Anne Gross, assistant vice-president, National Association of College and University Business Officers

Mernoy Harrison, executive vice-president for administration and finance, Arizona State University

Katie Hill, senior associate athletics director, Clemson University

Julie Karns, vice-president for finance and treasurer, Rider University

Peter Orszag, senior director, Brookings Institution

Judy Palmer,vice-president and chief financial officer,Indiana University, Bloomington

Kevin Weiberg, commissioner, Big 12 Conference

Steve Whitworth, director of business operations and accounting sevices, Oklahoma State University

Jim Isch, vice-president for finance and information services, NCAA

Keith Martin, managing director of finance and business operations, NCAA

Todd Petr, director of research, NCAA

Maria DeJulio, consultant, NCAA