National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Jun 15, 2010 8:26:43 AM

The Division II Membership Fund Selection Committee recently awarded more than $30,000 in funding to three conferences to promote new member development, stabilize current membership or prevent the loss of existing members.

The committee, which met earlier this month via conference call, awarded grants to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, Conference Carolinas and the Gulf South Conference.

"There were exceptional applications submitted, and the committee was impressed with each application's desire to enhance Division II membership," said committee chair Charles Dunn, president emeritus at Henderson State.

Details on the applications that were accepted:

• Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference ($21,500): The money will fund a broad study to assist the CACC in meeting its membership objectives. The study will review the needs, concerns, interests and viability of current CACC members (including current sport sponsorship, plans for expansion of sports within the conference and suggestions for new prospective members). It also will research, identify, contact and assess other possible member institutions with comparable missions that may be viable additions to the Eastern region of NCAA Division II. Ultimately, the study would lead to recommendations based on the research for the expansion of CACC membership and provide recommendations to the NCAA of those schools that may be interested in Division II membership but are not compatible with the CACC.
• Conference Carolinas ($2,200): The money will fund visitation-committee expenses to two prospective conference members. The Conference Carolinas visitation committee travels to each prospective member for a one-day meeting with presidential leadership, athletics administrators, coaches and support personnel. The committee then prepares a recommendation for conference members, which vote on membership of the schools to the conference.
• Gulf South Conference ($9,000): The funding will assist the conference in continuing its work with a consultant to assess potential new members and to provide a final report of findings. The selection committee approved $9,000 of the $18,000 requested by the conference on its January 2010 teleconference and agreed to award the remaining $9,000 after reviewing an assessment of the first stage.

The committee also agreed to update the principles for the Division II Membership Fund to include more specific examples of the type of activities or initiatives that have been funded.  The committee also agreed to clearly articulate that if a funding recipient does not spend its dollars in the manner requested, the committee could request return of the money. Click here to review frequently asked questions about the Division II Membership Fund.

The next date for membership fund applications is October 1, with the committee considering the requests in November.

Information about the Division II membership fund, including the application, may be found under the resources section of the Division II homepage.