Officials also have selected a theme for the 2007 Convention to remind attendees that the NCAA is one Association.

The theme — "An Association Providing Leadership in Changing Times" — reflects the Association’s collective resolve to bring about change not only in intercollegiate athletics but also in higher education and society at large. The theme will be reflected in the Association-wide programming planned for the Convention, with sessions on topics ranging from technology and its influence on athletics to the realities of student-athlete culture.

The 2007 Convention will take place January 5-8 in Orlando.

John Johnson, NCAA director of promotions and events, said a theme unifies the event and allows for a focus beyond the legislation and other business.

"This is a chance to bring more identity to the Convention. It’s more than just business sessions," Johnson said. "It is the one time a year we come together as one association and have meaningful dialogue not only about athletics administration but also about other aspects of our lives. At the Convention, we want people to regard themselves as members of the Association more than members of one of its divisions."

That is at least somewhat the way the Association used to be until each division gained the autonomy to restructure its governance in 1997. Divisions II and III retained the one-school/one-vote system, but Division I chose a different model that keyed on an April adoption period for proposals instead of January. That diminished the need for nonvoting Division I members to attend a January gathering.

The Association-wide sessions and other programming have helped regain some of that audience, and the thematic approach, Johnson said, fortifies that common-cause element for Convention-goers.

The concept of unifying the Convention thematically took hold in NCAA President Myles Brand’s first two Conventions in 2003 and 2004. The first was grounded in Brand’s two pillars of his presidency — advocacy and reform — and the second focused on fiscal responsibility. That led to the Centennial-based theme at last year’s Convention, "Celebrating the Student-Athlete."

The staff currently uses feedback from surveys, the Divisions II and III Management Councils, and on-site conversations with membership and staff to plan future events. For the 2008 Convention in Nashville, NCAA staff will work with a steering committee drawn from members of all three divisions to help develop programming and enhancements by spring 2007.

"We’re working to make the Association-wide sessions more interactive," Johnson said. "We want more of the membership to be involved as moderators and subject-matter experts."

Creating a theme is about more than just the one week in January, Johnson said. He wants the event to be essential for athletics administrators in all divisions — the place for education, networking and camaraderie — where people go to be with those who share a common interest.

"We want our membership to think of the Convention in a different context," he said. "We want the membership to feel like they need to be there, that they want to be seen, heard and to participate."

With that in mind, future themes will be designed to provide a "rallying point" or a "point of resonance" for the membership as a whole.

"Themes are designed to provide focus and unification," Johnson said. "Hopefully it resonates."