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: Division I Board of Governors
In addition to explaining NCAA terms and definitions, the Term-In-Ology series seeks to reveal and explain pieces to the Division I governance structure, and there is no more powerful or influential entity in the Division I governance landscape than the Division I Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors shall serve as the overall governing body for Division I, with responsibility for strategy, policy, legislative oversight and management oversight.
Specifically, the Board shall:
Address future issues, challenges, opportunities and outcomes, focusing on strategic topics in intercollegiate athletics and its relationship to higher education;
Review and set parameters that guide and determine present and future decisions, embracing general goals and acceptable procedures;
Monitor legislation to ensure it does not conflict with basic policies and strategic goals;
Ratify, amend or defeat academically related legislation adopted by the Council and, at its discretion, adopt academically related legislation otherwise addressed by the Council;
Rescind or adopt other legislation addressed by the Council in order to prevent an extraordinary adverse impact on the Division I membership;
Adopt legislation or grant relief from the application of legislation in circumstances in which significant values are at stake or the use of the regular legislative process is likely to cause significant harm or hardship to the Association or the Division I membership because of the delay in its effective date;
Delegate to the Council responsibilities for specific matters it deems appropriate;
Appoint members of the Committee on Infractions, Infractions Appeals Committee, Independent Resolution Panel, Council and Committee on Academics;
Review and approve policies and procedures governing the infractions program and revise the operating procedures of the independent accountability resolution structure in consultation with the Independent Accountability Oversight Committee;
Determine whether legislation proposed as an area of autonomy is consistent with the scope and nature of the applicable area of autonomy as set forth in Constitution 5.3.2.1.2;
Ensure that there is gender and ethnic diversity among its membership and the membership of each of the other bodies in the administrative structure;
Require bodies in the administrative structure to alter (but not expand) their membership to achieve diversity;
Approve an annual budget;
Approve regulations providing for the expenditure of funds and the distribution of income consistent with the provisions of Constitution 4.01.2.2;
Collaborate with NCAA staff, as necessary, to determine how the national office can best to serve the Division I membership;
Advise the Board of Governors concerning the employment of the NCAA president and concerning the oversight of his or her employment;
Conduct biannual assessments to evaluate the operation of the governance structure and to monitor membership standards and criteria affecting Division I and sub-divisional membership; and
Elect institutions to active Division I membership.
Giving due weight to gender and ethnic diversity per the Division I Constitution, the Board of Directors shall include 24 members and shall be comprised of 20 presidents or chancellors, one director of athletics, one senior woman athletics representative, one faculty athletics representative and one student-athlete.
The members of the Board shall include:
One (1) institutional president or chancellor from each of the following conferences:
American Athletic Conference; Mid-American Conference; Atlantic Coast Conference; Mountain West Conference; Big 12 Conference; Pac-12 Conference; Big Ten Conference; Southeastern Conference; Conference USA; and the Sun Belt Conference.
Five (5) institutional presidents or chancellors from among the following conferences (limited to one president or chancellor from any one conference):
Big Sky Conference; Ohio Valley Conference; Big South Conference; Patriot League; Colonial Athletic Association Southern Conference; The Ivy League; Southland Conference; Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference; Southwestern Athletic Conference; and the Northeast Conference.
Five (5) institutional presidents or chancellors from among the following conferences (limited to one president or chancellor from any one conference):
America East Conference; Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference; Atlantic Sun Conference; Missouri Valley Conference; Atlantic 10 Conference; The Summit League; Big East Conference; West Coast Conference; Big West Conference; Western Athletic Conference and the Horizon League.
The chair of the Division I Council.
An institutional Division I member of Women Leaders in College Sports, appointed by the Executive Committee of Women Leaders in College Sports.
A Division I member of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Athletic Representatives Association, selected by the Executive Committee of the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association; and
The chair of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
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.
