INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA Division II Presidents Council approved the implementation of a financial study that will analyze the costs and expenses of schools moving from Division II to Division I at its October 28 meeting held at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis.

The goal of the study is to present findings that will help Division II schools being pressured to look at reclassifying to Division I.  The research will center on case studies of schools that have reclassified to Division I and schools that considered reclassification, but opted to stay in Division II.  The NCAA will commission an outside agency to conduct the study, with preliminary results to be reviewed at the April Presidents Council meeting.  

“Every Division II institution is concerned about the most efficient use of its resources, and athletics is no exception,” said George Hagerty, president of  Franklin Pierce College and chair of the Division II Presidents Council.  “We want to provide the highest quality of intercollegiate programs for student-athletes and this study will enlighten all of our Division II members as to the range of true costs in the Division II community.”

The Council also endorsed the creation of a Chief Executive Officer Summit to take place in June 2005.  The 2-3 day summit will be similar to an executive retreat and will provide presidents with an opportunity to discuss Division II intercollegiate issues at more length.  The Council also hopes to provide presidents with the final results of the financial study at the CEO Summit.  The location, agenda and dates of the summit will be announced at a later time.

The presidents approved suggested expenditures to reduce a $3.8 million surplus from the 2003-04 Division II fiscal budget.  The surplus was the result of lower than anticipated championship and travel costs for the year.  Suggestions for utilizing the excess funds included:  upgrading student-athlete championship mementos; assisting with current championship travel expenditures; earmarking additional funds for future Division II Sports Festivals; increasing student-athlete championship per diem; increasing funds for the Coaching Enhancement Grant Program; providing funds to enhance the 2005 CEO Summit; and providing a $3,000 supplemental check to every Division II school to be used for student-athlete wellbeing.  

In other news, the 2004 Division II Spring Sports Festival was voted the best collegiate multisport event by readers of SportsTravel magazine.  The award was presented to Joan McDermott, athletics director at Metropolitan State College of Denver and former chair of the Division II Championships Committee October 23, at a banquet in Houston.  The NCAA will host another spring sports festival in 2008, and is considering a fall sports festival for 2006.

The Council approved Kathryn Martin, chancellor at the University of Minnesota Duluth, as the chair-elect for the Division II Presidents Council.  Martin takes office at the conclusion of the 2005 NCAA Convention.  Paul Englemann, professor of economics at Central Missouri State University, was approved as Division II Management Council chair-elect.  Englemann will assume his duties as chair at the conclusion of the Convention. 

The Council also voted to continue supporting the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in its community outreach project involving the Make-A-Wish Foundation.   The 2004-05 goal is to raise $10,000.

The Council meets again in January at the NCAA Convention in Dallas.