National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

July 21, 1997

USOC grants aid emerging, endangered college sports

Grants awarded by the United States Olympic Committee June 28-29 have given a boost to collegiate wrestling, men's gymnastics and women's rowing programs.

The grants are part of an $8 million, four-year USOC program to assist NCAA member conferences and associations with funding for Olympic sports.

The money is intended to enhance endangered sports -- those that have fallen below the minimum sponsorship criteria for NCAA championships -- and emerging Olympic sports, as well as increase the number of athletes, varsity intercollegiate programs and conference championships in those sports.

The USOC executive committee, meeting in Indianapolis, awarded 13 grants totaling $5.4 million in 11 Olympic sports that are considered endangered or emerging at the collegiate level.

The grants are a result of an agreement between the USOC and the NCAA to provide financial assistance to Olympic sports facing extinction or an inability to get started in financially pinched college athletics departments.

"This is a new standard of cooperation between the NCAA and the USOC," said William Hybl, USOC president. "It's going to make a difference, not only in opportunities but in quality and the ability to earn medals."

NCAA Executive Director Cedric W. Dempsey said the funding would have a solid impact on the sports.

"I was excited about the number of the proposals," he said. "To me, one of the best features of the agreement was the relationship between the national governing bodies and the collegiate development system. I feel the dollars will make a difference, a real impact on the groups that were funded."

The programs marks a new spirit of cooperation between national governing bodies and the conferences, which will be building partnerships to enhance and ensure the future of athletics programs at both the collegiate and Olympic level. The national governing bodies will benefit through upgrading of coaches, better training, increased participation and quality competitions.

The USOC received 40 requests from 29 conferences and associations in 19 Olympic sports, asking for a total of $23.9 million in grants.

Under the grant program, the Eastern College Athletic Conference will receive $1.5 million to stabilize existing men's gymnastics programs and add one new program; upgrade equipment, coaches and scholarships; create booster clubs; provide outreach to inner cities; and upgrade the conference championship.

Four conferences -- the Big Ten, Big Twelve and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conferences and the Eastern Wrestling League -- will share a $1 million grant for wrestling, contingent on changes to the proposal requested by the USOC. The funds will be used to help with new formats for all-star meets with conferences, leading to a possible international event against a major international wrestling power. The proposal includes provisions for television coverage and promotions to attract spectators and introduce the sport to more youth.

Women's rowing will receive $990,000 through grants to two conferences -- the Atlantic 10 and Atlantic Coast Conferences.

The Atlantic 10 grant will be used to upgrade five clubs to varsity status and hire coaches, to enhance existing programs through new equipment, and to upgrade the championships by purchasing quads to allow sculling to be added. The ACC grant will fund new varsity women's rowing programs at four schools, enhance the program at the University of Virginia, and provide funds to hire more coaches and to initiate a conference championship.

Other grants awarded:

  • Women's ice hockey -- $400,000 to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to be used as matching grants to schools to upgrade club programs to varsity status and add new programs, and for a conference championship in 1998-99. Also, $160,000 to the National Women's Collegiate Hockey Association to organize a new conference, establish a national tournament and develop coaches and officials.

  • Synchronized swimming -- $235,000 to the ECAC to enhance existing programs, add new schools and establish a conference championship.

  • Men's and women's water polo -- $400,000 to the ECAC to establish men's and women's championships, start new programs and upgrade club programs to varsity status.

  • Cycling -- $145,000 to the Collegiate Cycling Association to enhance existing programs and upgrade club programs to varsity.

  • Team handball -- $500,000 to the Southeast Team Handball Conference to establish a conference, initiate club sports in team handball that can develop into varsity teams and conduct an annual championship.

    Other grants to be awarded contingent on proposal changes are:

  • Men's and women's fencing -- $200,000 to the Northeast, Middle Atlantic and Western Athletic Conferences to establish national training fencing clinics, enhance existing program, improve training for collegiate and elite athletes, upgrade coaching, and create regional and national NCAA team fencing championships and enhance existing individual events.

  • Men's and women's rifle -- $300,000 to the Mid-Atlantic Rifle and Ohio Valley Conferences to address gender-equity needs; upgrade equipment, coaching and training; improve facilities; enhance conference championships; recruit new member schools; enhance existing programs and add or upgrade women's teams; and increase scholarships and add new member schools.

  • Men's and women's track -- A currently unspecified amount depending upon input from the incoming executive director of U.S. Track and Field. Grants will be evaluated and awarded when priorities and plans are formed by the organization.