Today’s guest columnist is Dr. Brendan Kelly, president of the University of West Georgia.
No matter where you are on the spectrum of sports fandom, it is impossible to escape the constant barrage of news on the significant changes taking place in and around intercollegiate athletics. From the new marketplace created by players’ abilities to earn revenue based on their name, image and likeness (NIL) to transcontinental mega-conferences, there has never been a more fluid time in the history of sports at our institutions.
It is within this context that the University of West Georgia, of which I am honored to serve as president, announced last month that we will double down on the transformational impact of college athletics and elevate our enterprise to NCAA Division I and join the Atlantic Sun Conference, effective July 1, 2024.
Since that announcement, a notable current of excitement has pervaded our university community. While the rationale behind our decision was apparent to us, I have received inquiries from friends and peers at other institutions who have asked about the impetus behind our elevation. At UWG, we follow the data and rely on well-researched processes to navigate decisions of any magnitude—particularly those that fundamentally alter a university’s position, like reclassification and conference realignment.
Although a transition to Division I may not align with the strategic priorities of all Division II institutions, I thought offering some details on why we made the move may be illuminating for those who are evaluating their trajectory amid this rapidly evolving landscape.
- Alignment with Our Strategic Plan: After joining UWG as president in March 2020, one of our first significant initiatives was to launch a stakeholder-based strategic planning process (while also grappling with the myriad challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic). What resulted from that process was our current strategic plan, titled Becoming UWG, which charges us with committing ourselves to the dedication of a first-choice university. Alignment around the plan’s three priorities—relevance, competitiveness and placemaking—creates a filter for every decision we make, and the increased visibility that will result (and has already resulted) from this elevation is critical to enlivening these priorities in service to our students and communities. Careful alignment with an institution’s strategic plan must be the first step in any evaluation process of this magnitude in athletics.
- Enhanced Student-Athlete Experience: A key question I had for Jason Carmichael, our director of athletics, as we contemplated this move was how the decision would affect the quality of life for our current and future student-athletes. Our goal was to create an opportunity for them to compete at a high level without sacrificing academic excellence or the opportunities for other activities that make the college experience special. The student-athlete experience and their well-being was always top-of-mind, from our conference choice to which sports we would add to our portfolio (we chose men’s indoor and outdoor track and field, women’s beach volleyball and women’s stunt, elevating our championship cheerleading program to a new level). Every decision we made was considered through the lens of enhancing the experience of our student-athletes as they serve as ambassadors for our university.
- Enhanced Student and Alumni Experience: Extending beyond our athletes, we considered whether this is the right opportunity for our entire student body and alumni population. Three days after announcing the transition, we gathered with nearly 1,000 students, alumni and supporters in our Coliseum, and I was struck by the level of excitement, energy and enthusiasm for the move. Our students are positioned to leverage new opportunities for engagement and purpose-driven work because of this elevation, and alumni will find a compelling reason to deepen—or rekindle—their connection to their alma mater. Our entire university community—whether they reside near our campuses or live on the other side of the world—will enjoy seeing our Wolves on the world’s biggest stage, thanks to the ASUN’s partnership with ESPN. This will fundamentally transform the way UWG is perceived by everyone who is connected to the university.
- Financial and Facilities Stewardship: A pivotal question for many institutions looking at this decision revolves around the financial implications. UWG has carefully steered its finances and made smart capital investments in facilities, which ensured we were ready to meet Division I expectations. Significantly, we opted against imposing supplementary student fees to facilitate this transition, instead building our model for increased revenue from conference distributions, ticket sales, game guarantees, licensing and philanthropic support. This strategic financial model is designed to defray the costs inherent in the transition and accommodate the provision of additional scholarships for athletes.
These four points represent the core of our rationale, but it is essential to acknowledge that our path may not be universally applicable. As leaders in higher education navigating the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics, we had to undertake the rigorous task of introspection regarding every facet of our institution before looking outward. It is only through this analysis and self-reflection that we arrived at the best course of action for the future of our university, our students and our community.
Although the economic, academic and athletic backdrop when we initiated this evaluative process differed greatly from our current scenario, we stand unwavering in our conviction and look forward to competing in NCAA Division I athletics as members of the ASUN Conference starting in 2024.
Brendan B. Kelly, Ph.D., serves as president of the University of West Georgia, beginning his tenure in March 2020. Since becoming UWG’s eighth president, Kelly—who was named one of Georgia’s Most Influential Leaders for 2022 by Georgia Trend—has led innovation in programming both inside and outside the classroom with an emphasis on creating valuable life and career outcomes for students in an environment that inspires belonging and connectedness for everyone. Kelly is a practiced academic leader, previously serving as chancellor of the University of South Carolina Upstate, appointed interim president of the University of South Carolina, and vice president of university advancement at the University of West Florida.