The proposal submission process for grants to help market Division I women’s basketball programs will be available beginning October 13.

The application process, to be administered completely online this year, must be completed by February 1, 2009.

All grant specifications and requirements, as well as the grant application template, will be available online beginning October 13 at the following location: http://web1.ncaa.org/wbbgrants/exec/OrganizationLogin.

The grant program was established last year to encourage institutions and conferences to submit marketing proposals designed to grow women’s basketball “from the inside out and at a grass-roots level.”

Submissions must include current regular-season attendance and projected attendance growth goals, project goals and objectives, and a detailed explanation of the grant’s management model. Applicants also must note the target audience and a projected timeline for results.

National office staff and representatives from the NCAA women’s basketball marketing consultant firm Hawkeye Sports and Entertainment will evaluate the proposals and make the selections.

Last March, the NCAA selected 12 institutions and five conferences to receive funds ranging from $15,000-$100,000 as part of the 2008-09 grant program. The recipients were selected from more than 70 applicants for the annual grant financial resources.

Last year’s institutional grant recipients were Arizona State, Arkansas, Columbia, East Tennessee State, Florida State, Louisville, Maryland, Oklahoma, San Diego State, Texas Tech, Washington and Western Kentucky. Conferences selected were the Patriot League, Conference USA, the Big Ten Conference, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and the Northeast Conference.

Those conferences and institutions will implement their grant plans to increase attendance at women’s basketball games this year, which is the primary goal of the grant program.

“Even though the 2008-09 women’s basketball season has not begun, we are receiving great feedback from the grant recipients regarding the success they are experiencing in increased ticket sales and public awareness of their women’s basketball programs,” said NCAA Vice President for Division I Women’s Basketball Sue Donohoe. “We look forward to engaging the process for the 2009-10 grant program and anticipate a great deal of interest from the membership.”

For additional information regarding the program, call (317) 917-6505 or e-mail sdonohoe@ncaa.org.