Greetings from the NAIA national office, or more accurately, from my home office. Your team here in Kansas City continues to be hard at work making sure we are on solid ground financially and strategically thinking about ways we can support you and your students. We are doing our best to manage the present while positioning the association and our members for the future.
I want to give you a brief update in two specific areas: fall sport planning and Return on Athletics
®
(ROA).
Fall Sports
As we collectively plan for the future, the fall of 2020, both in terms of academics and athletics, is obviously on our minds. We all want clarity and assurance in an environment in which both are in short supply. In fact, predictions seem to change daily as to when we might return to some sense of our normal way of life and the resources needed to resume sports.
We know competition in the fall for your student-athletes will be a critical component in the recovery process. As a result, when institutions are able to re-start athletics, the NAIA will be ready.
In the coming weeks, I will share more details regarding our decision making process. Today, I can share with you some of the questions that are being discussed:
- How do we adjust if students return to campus later than normal?
- What if some parts of the country allow sports to resume before others?
- What minimum length of season do we need?
- Can we push back championships, if needed?
Our current plan is to conduct a fall sport season, culminating in fall championships. But given the uncertainty that will be with us for some time, our plan must be flexible and fiscally responsible, while prioritizing the health and safety of our students. We will continue to work closely with the Council of Presidents and National Administrative Council to explore options and make decisions at the appropriate times.
Return on Athletics
As we consider fall sports, the NAIA is also hard at work building out and improving
ROA
. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, I have been surprised to see NCAA Division II and Division III members announce the elimination of some sports. I understand the need to cut costs, but providing athletic opportunities for prospective students is now more important than ever.
The ROA Insights analytics tool was developed to help you understand how athletics can help drive enrollment, improve finances and address student success on your campus. The underlying premise is that your challenges and opportunities are specific to your institution and ROA can provide a level of detailed analytics that may be able to move the needle in this uncertain time.
While the next scheduled ROA data submission is not until December 1, we are now offering the opportunity for institutions to submit their data if they would like access to Insights to help guide decisions for the 2020-21 academic year. If interested, please contact
Alan Grosbach
a
t
816.595.8120.
We are in this Together
Even in these uncertain times, the NAIA can and will provide a path forward. We are a resource for you as you plan for the future on your campus. After all, organizations like the NAIA exist in order to accomplish things together that individuals cannot do alone. In other words, we will get through this together!
Please email me at
jcarr@naia.org
if you have questions or want to discuss ways in which the NAIA can assist your institution.
Be well and be safe,
Jim
