TUCSON --- More than three dozen NCAA university leaders convened June 9-10 to signal that the next stage of athletics reform will once again be led by presidents and chancellors.

A CEO task force, the same vehicle used to drive academic reform, has been assembled to take an even broader look at Division I athletics to ensure the health of the enterprise in the future.

The group — the Presidential Task Force on the Future of Division I Intercollegiate Athletics — met under the direction of University of Arizona President Peter Likins and emerged with two themes: strong presidential leadership will fortify the athletics enterprise; and intercollegiate athletics serves its highest purpose when it is fully aligned with the educational mission.

Composed of 46 standing Division I presidents and chancellors, two recently retired presidents and two members representing university board interests, the task force was established earlier this year by NCAA President Myles Brand.  Its charge is to examine the alignment of Division I athletics with the mission, values and goals of higher education in areas such as fiscal responsibility, presidential leadership and student-athlete well-being.

"We’re not just going to go away for 12 months and then come back and say, ‘This is our report,’ ” Likins said.  “We’re not alone in our continuing efforts to make sure athletics develops in healthy ways. We’ll have a continuing dialogue with other groups who are similarly disposed to the reform effort.”

Presidents clearly will lead the way, according to NCAA President Brand.

"We’ll have the substantive underlying directions determined by presidents, then work through the NCAA processes and have the concepts well-vetted with other constituents as well,” Brand said.  Among the groups to be consulted, Brand added, is the faculty-based Coalition for Intercollegiate Athletics, the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association, the Collegiate Commissioners Association and the Division I-A Athletics Directors’ Association.

"Presidents are poised and ready to lead,” Brand said. “The fact that so many agreed to serve on this task force proves the point.  We are in the middle of an academic-reform effort, which also was presidential-driven, and we have guideposts to follow through the NCAA strategic plan.  The time is right to have presidents set the agenda for future reform and change in intercollegiate athletics.”

The task force is dividing into four subcommittees to better address specific issues.  In addition to chairing the entire group, Likins also heads a subcommittee on fiscal responsibility.

The other three subcommittees are: Implications of Academic Values and Standards, chaired by University of Texas at Austin President Larry Faulkner; Presidential Leadership of Internal and External Constituencies, chaired by Southern Methodist University President Gerald Turner; and Student-Athlete Well-Being, chaired by Ohio State University President Karen Holbrook.