The NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification has announced decisions concerning the certification status of 14 Division I member institutions that have undergone the Association's second cycle of athletics certification.

The following universities were certified:

Belmont University

Coastal Carolina University

Kansas State University

Long Island University-Brooklyn Campus

Manhattan College

Mercer University

Niagara University

University of Notre Dame

San Jose State University

University of South Carolina, Columbia

A designation of certified means that an institution operates its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the Division I membership.

In addition, four Division I institutions were certified with conditions:

University at Buffalo, the State University of New York

Chicago State University

University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Rider University

Being certified with conditions means that the institution is considered to be operating its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the NCAA's Division I membership. However, problems identified during the course of the institution's self-study and the peer-review team's evaluation were considered serious enough by the Committee on Athletics Certification to cause it to withhold full certification until those problems have been corrected.

The purpose of athletics certification is to ensure integrity in the institution's athletics program and to assist institutions in improving their athletics departments. NCAA legislation mandating athletics certification was adopted in 1993.

The certification process, which is a self-study led by an institution's chief executive officer, includes a review of governance and commitment to rules compliance, academic integrity, fiscal integrity, equity, welfare and sportsmanship.

The second round of athletics certification is being completed on a 10-year cycle rather than the five-year cycle used during the initial certification process. All 325 active Division I members participate in the certification process.

The Division I Committee on Athletics Certification preliminarily reviews an institution's certification materials and provides a list of issues identified during the evaluation. The university then has a period of about one year to respond in writing to the issues before a final certification decision is rendered. An institution's failure to satisfactorily respond to the committee may negatively impact certification status.

The certification process is separate from the NCAA's enforcement program, which investigates allegations of rules violations by NCAA member institutions. A decision of certified does not exempt an institution from concurrent or subsequent enforcement proceedings.