The Association begins its second century January 5 in Orlando when its 101st annual Convention opens amid a theme of leadership and change.

The legislative agendas in Divisions I, II and III will be interesting, with topics ranging from the regulation of text messaging in Division I to consideration of a second football championship in Division II to slowing membership growth in Division III.

But the theme for this year’s event — "An Association Providing Leadership in Changing Times" — may be best exhibited through a powerful set of Association-wide and division-specific "menu" presentations meant to stimulate discussion on the issues of the day. Those sessions will focus on the spectrum of intercollegiate athletics issues, including social, technical and administrative topics.

Among them will be a rollout of the Association’s SCORE and GOALS studies. The SCORE examination will provide new information about long-term outcomes for individuals who have participated in college athletics. GOALS will assess how currently enrolled student-athletes regard their experience.

As usual, the Convention will be about more than just business. Former National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue will be recognized at the Honors Celebration January 7 with the Association’s highest honor, the Theodore Roosevelt Award, while Christine Grant, the longtime University of Iowa women’s athletics director, will receive the NCAA President’s Gerald R. Ford Award at the January 6 opening business session.

A new feature for this year will be a January 5 reception hosted by the national office’s President’s Cabinet and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. That event will feature saxophonist Roger Cox, a former San Francisco State University basketball student-athlete, and violinist Janelle Engle, a field hockey player from Old Dominion University. Cox has been featured prominently in NCAA public service announcements while Engle was one of nine finalists for the 2006 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

The 2007 Convention also will be marked by a return of daily editions of The NCAA News that will be delivered to the hotel room of every registered delegate the mornings of January 5-8.