Athletics Veritas is a weekly series aimed at helping higher education executives, faculty, and other stakeholders stay tuned in on trending national issues impacting college athletics, especially NCAA Division I. Athletics Veritas is created by senior DI athletic administrators around the nation.
Term-in-Ology: Proposing a ‘Senior Minority Administrator’ Designation
One proposal in the current Division I legislative cycle would codify a new designation in the college athletics realm – the senior minority administrator. The person designated in this role would be considered “the highest-ranking ethnic minority administrator involved in the conduct, decision-making, supervision and policy processes of a member institution's intercollegiate athletics program or, for a conference office, the highest-ranking ethnic minority involved in the conduct, decision-making, supervision and policy processes of a member conference's office."
This proposal will eventually go in front of the Division I Council for a vote and it was originally co-sponsored by the Division I Men's Basketball Oversight Committee, the Division I Women's Basketball Oversight Committee and the NCAA’s Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee.
The published rationale behind this proposal stated:
“According to 2020 NCAA research, the percentage of ethnic minority NCAA Division I administrators at the senior associate athletics director title was 12 percent and the percentage at the assistant athletics director title was 15 percent, including administrators at historically Black colleges and universities. This lack of representation is more glaring when compared to the 77 percent (men's basketball), 63 percent (football) and 69 percent (women's basketball) of participants who are ethnic minority student-athletes. It is important that ethnic minority student-athletes see athletics administrators who look like them and who may be able to better relate to the experiences of ethnic minority student-athletes.”
The designation, per the rationale, could also serve as an aspirational professional development goal for ethnic minority student-athletes who are interested in a career in athletics administration.
The existing designation of ‘senior woman administrator’ was referenced in this proposal as a proven catalyst for positive change. Specifically, data has demonstrated that the implementation of the senior woman administrator (designation) has significantly impacted the professional representation of female leadership roles and opportunities in collegiate athletics.
The rationale statement concluded that the adoption of a definition of senior minority administrator would be a novel approach to address leadership limitations and opportunities currently and historically impeding professional success for people of color throughout the Division I collegiate athletics administrative structure.
If adopted in the current legislative cycle, the senior minority administrator proposal would take effect August 1, 2022, unless this proposal is tabled at the next Division I council meeting.
Athletics Veritas is presented for information purposes only and should not be considered advice or counsel on NCAA compliance matters. For guidance on NCAA rules and processes, always consult your university’s athletics compliance office, conference office, and/or the NCAA.
