Actions might speak louder than words, but one new Division I governance group is banking that a regular and healthy exchange of words will translate into coordinated and strategic action that will positively impact the division.

The Division I Communications and Coordination Committee, formed when the division restructured its governance this past fall, was created to ensure that cabinet chairs played a role in formulating and guiding the vision of the division. Led by Leadership Council Chair and Georgia Athletics Director Damon Evans, it is composed of the chairs of the six cabinets and the chair of the Legislative Council, the Big East’s Joe D’Antonio. The committee meets before and after each round of cabinet meetings.

More than just an information and idea exchange, the Communications and Coordination Committee is critical to the success of the division’s new structure, said Amateurism Cabinet chair Mike Rogers, the faculty athletics representative at Baylor.

“It is essential, because one of the things we lost when the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet was broken into these more specialized cabinets is our ability to convene the then-subcommittees that now might be separate cabinets,” said Rogers.

Meeting before and after each cycle of cabinet meetings allows the committee to stay on top of issues and share ideas and information, Rogers said. He sees the opportunity to speak directly to the chairs of the Leadership and Legislative Councils about amateurism issues as an added benefit, and the setup gives him and the rest of the chairs a chance to comment on issues outside of their particular cabinets’ purviews.

The Communications and Coordination Committee represents a departure from the way the previous structure operated. Carolyn Callahan, chair of the Academic Cabinet and the faculty athletics representative at Virginia, said that in her role as the former chair of the AEC Cabinet, she had no formal interaction with other cabinet chairs. Rather, there were opportunities within her conference to report out on her cabinet as well as other cabinets. The Communications and Coordination Committee, Callahan said, is a more formalized structure to ensure that information will be shared – at least among cabinet chairs.

Early reaction to the committee is positive. The Legislative Council’s D’Antonio cautioned that the councils and cabinets are still settling into the new structure, but he believes the committee is heading in the right direction, in part because each cabinet has a growing understanding of the others’ purpose, issues, concerns and goals.

“We have very talented individuals chairing the councils and cabinets,” said D’Antonio. “Everyone has a clear understanding that if this is going to be successful, then all of these groups indeed need to be on the same page.”