The NCAA is awarding $750,000 in grants to 14 Division I women’s basketball programs and four conferences as part of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Grant Program.

The grant program, entering its second year, is designed to increase awareness and exposure for women’s basketball and increase attendance.

The 2009-10 grant recipients are:

• Auburn
• Big South Conference
• Cornell
• East Tennessee State
• Eastern Michigan
• Hartford
• Iowa State
• Kansas
• Miami (Florida)
• North Carolina
• Patriot League
• San Diego State
• South Carolina
• UCLA
• UC Riverside
• UC Santa Barbara
• West Coast Conference
• Western Athletic Conference

A total of 75 member schools and conferences submitted proposals in the second year of the pilot program. National office staff and representatives from the NCAA women’s basketball marketing consultant firm Hawkeye Sports and Entertainment evaluated the proposals.

NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Vice President Sue Donohoe noted the success of many of last year’s grant recipients and is excited to see what these new recipients are able to achieve.

“When resources are allocated and efforts are focused to promote women’s basketball, it can provide a meaningful return on the investment,” she said.

East Tennessee State, the Patriot League and San Diego State received a grant for the second straight year.

Among success stories last year were Texas Tech doubling its student attendance, Florida State increasing season-ticket sales by 63 percent and generating a 55 percent increase in overall attendance for women’s basketball, and East Tennessee State increasing its average attendance by 231 percent. Many other grant recipients set record single-game attendance marks.

The program will be evaluated after its second year to determine if the objectives are being met.  Grants are awarded on a one-year basis and are not automatically renewed.