National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Center already set for service
When the NCAA Eligibility Center was announced in January, it was billed as an effective and efficient service that consolidates initial-eligibility and amateurism certification and allows for enhanced customer service to the NCAA membership, prospective student-athletes and their parents.
Six months later, the staff continues to make significant progress as we prepare for the transition of the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse to the NCAA Eligibility Center at the end of October. We are approaching 40 employees and on July 16 completed our move to facilities about two miles north of the NCAA national office. We are excited about the impact we can make working with member institutions and prospective student-athletes, and while our long-term plans are well underway, I want to focus on the steps we are taking to ensure institutions are well served right now as we prepare for the transition later this year.
First and foremost, we will base our work on the needs of our member institutions and prospective student-athletes. To accomplish that objective, we have heard firsthand a number of ideas for both the near and long term. Some we have implemented and others are scheduled for deployment later this year when we are fully in control of the operational system. The NCAA Regional Rules Seminars, conference workshops, the Black Coaches and Administrators meeting and the Junior College Relations Panel are a few of the ways through which we have heard constituent needs. In addition, we are in the process of launching a conference-outreach program to ensure customer service remains at the forefront during this transition period.
Through that program, NCAA Eligibility Center staff will communicate regularly with conferences to hear firsthand their specific needs. The initiative is not intended to handle specific cases; rather it is to ensure we are keeping the lines of communication open during the transition and sharing timely information. In addition, channels already are in place to provide information, including the Listserv, the Division II Commissioners Update and the CACCA Update. Those wishing to receive those materials should e-mail ecinfo@ncaa.org.
We are beginning to build the NCAA Eligibility Center call center, with new hires training this month. Our call center team will be available to support the Clearinghouse call center staff in some areas if needed during the transition. Questions regarding prospects’ academic status should be directed to the Clearinghouse at 319/337-1492 until October 29. All amateurism certification cases are processed by the NCAA Eligibility Center. For questions along those lines, call 317/917-6222. By the end of July, institutional personnel will also be able to access an amateurism customer-service support team through the membership services lines at 317/917-6003. Effective October 29, the Eligibility Center will process both academic and amateurism certification cases.
The early certification process Divisions I and II approved in April resulted in 37,111 prospects being granted an initial-eligibility waiver. When combined with the certification review performed by the Clearinghouse in the traditional manner, that has resulted in 49,365 final certifications. Of those, 25,639 were on institutional request lists.
Currently, the amateurism certification team has processed and certified more than 78,834 prospective student-athletes. That team continues to certify prospects on a priority basis, which includes fall-sport participation and active-recruitment status. It is our goal that no student-athlete will miss practice or competition as a result of the amateurism certification process.
Shared responsibility is fundamental to the success of the amateurism certification initiative. Prospective student-athletes, member institutions and the amateurism certification staff must all work together to ensure timely and accurate outcomes. One of the stated objectives for moving the amateurism certification process into the national office was to bring a level of consistency and equitable treatment to the amateurism review process for prospective student-athlete and member institutions.
Member schools also can assist by updating their IRLs and reminding prospects to request final amateurism certification by signing the affirmation statement on the Clearinghouse Web site. In addition, as coaches stop actively recruiting certain prospects or as prospects decide to pursue a different path, it helps to remove those individuals from the IRL.
For help with any of these needs during the transition period, contact any of the following directors of the NCAA Eligibility Center, or Jennifer Fraser, associate director of client relations at jfraser@ncaa.org.
Lori Williams, director of academic certification
Bill Saum, director of amateurism certification
Lisa Mills, director of high school review
Greg Dana, director of client relations
Gary deCastro, director of operations and performance management
I will update the membership in September as we prepare for the full launch of the Eligibility Center in Indianapolis. Not too much will change at the time of the transition, as we will use the computer system currently used by the Clearinghouse to process cases and will plan to have the future operating model in place before next summer’s certification season. We look forward to working with you this summer and into the future.
Todd Leyden is president of the NCAA Eligibility Center.
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By Todd Leyden
NCAA Eligibility Center
NCAA Eligibility Center
When the NCAA Eligibility Center was announced in January, it was billed as an effective and efficient service that consolidates initial-eligibility and amateurism certification and allows for enhanced customer service to the NCAA membership, prospective student-athletes and their parents.Six months later, the staff continues to make significant progress as we prepare for the transition of the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse to the NCAA Eligibility Center at the end of October. We are approaching 40 employees and on July 16 completed our move to facilities about two miles north of the NCAA national office. We are excited about the impact we can make working with member institutions and prospective student-athletes, and while our long-term plans are well underway, I want to focus on the steps we are taking to ensure institutions are well served right now as we prepare for the transition later this year.
First and foremost, we will base our work on the needs of our member institutions and prospective student-athletes. To accomplish that objective, we have heard firsthand a number of ideas for both the near and long term. Some we have implemented and others are scheduled for deployment later this year when we are fully in control of the operational system. The NCAA Regional Rules Seminars, conference workshops, the Black Coaches and Administrators meeting and the Junior College Relations Panel are a few of the ways through which we have heard constituent needs. In addition, we are in the process of launching a conference-outreach program to ensure customer service remains at the forefront during this transition period.
Through that program, NCAA Eligibility Center staff will communicate regularly with conferences to hear firsthand their specific needs. The initiative is not intended to handle specific cases; rather it is to ensure we are keeping the lines of communication open during the transition and sharing timely information. In addition, channels already are in place to provide information, including the Listserv, the Division II Commissioners Update and the CACCA Update. Those wishing to receive those materials should e-mail ecinfo@ncaa.org.
We are beginning to build the NCAA Eligibility Center call center, with new hires training this month. Our call center team will be available to support the Clearinghouse call center staff in some areas if needed during the transition. Questions regarding prospects’ academic status should be directed to the Clearinghouse at 319/337-1492 until October 29. All amateurism certification cases are processed by the NCAA Eligibility Center. For questions along those lines, call 317/917-6222. By the end of July, institutional personnel will also be able to access an amateurism customer-service support team through the membership services lines at 317/917-6003. Effective October 29, the Eligibility Center will process both academic and amateurism certification cases.
The early certification process Divisions I and II approved in April resulted in 37,111 prospects being granted an initial-eligibility waiver. When combined with the certification review performed by the Clearinghouse in the traditional manner, that has resulted in 49,365 final certifications. Of those, 25,639 were on institutional request lists.
Currently, the amateurism certification team has processed and certified more than 78,834 prospective student-athletes. That team continues to certify prospects on a priority basis, which includes fall-sport participation and active-recruitment status. It is our goal that no student-athlete will miss practice or competition as a result of the amateurism certification process.
Shared responsibility is fundamental to the success of the amateurism certification initiative. Prospective student-athletes, member institutions and the amateurism certification staff must all work together to ensure timely and accurate outcomes. One of the stated objectives for moving the amateurism certification process into the national office was to bring a level of consistency and equitable treatment to the amateurism review process for prospective student-athlete and member institutions.
Member schools also can assist by updating their IRLs and reminding prospects to request final amateurism certification by signing the affirmation statement on the Clearinghouse Web site. In addition, as coaches stop actively recruiting certain prospects or as prospects decide to pursue a different path, it helps to remove those individuals from the IRL.
For help with any of these needs during the transition period, contact any of the following directors of the NCAA Eligibility Center, or Jennifer Fraser, associate director of client relations at jfraser@ncaa.org.
Lori Williams, director of academic certification
Bill Saum, director of amateurism certification
Lisa Mills, director of high school review
Greg Dana, director of client relations
Gary deCastro, director of operations and performance management
I will update the membership in September as we prepare for the full launch of the Eligibility Center in Indianapolis. Not too much will change at the time of the transition, as we will use the computer system currently used by the Clearinghouse to process cases and will plan to have the future operating model in place before next summer’s certification season. We look forward to working with you this summer and into the future.
Todd Leyden is president of the NCAA Eligibility Center.
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