Important Dates
JULY 21: Today is the deadline to submit nominations for at-large positions reserved for female and/or minorities to NAIA councils and committees. Click here for more details regarding the roles and responsibilities.

OCTOBER 3-4: NAIA Fall Meetings in Kansas City, Mo.
News
NEW: Seeking Nominations for the Collegiate Student-Athlete of Character Award

The NAIA is seeking nominations for the Collegiate Student-Athlete of Character Award, which recognizes a student-athlete for a specific of act of character displayed during competition or practice that reflects at least one of the five Champions of Character® core values. Teams are also eligible to be nominated for this award. One overall winner will be chosen and recognized at the Champions of Character Foundation Luncheon on November 9. To nominate an individual or a team, click here.

Please email Kalyn Kastelic or call 816.595.8101.
NEW: NAIA Members at the Tokyo Olympics

Multiple NAIA members, including current student-athletes, alums, coaches, and athletic trainers, will be participating in various capacities in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Between the 13 known NAIA members participating, they will be representing five different countries.
NEW: NAIA ADA Mentorship Program

It's not too late to sign up to be a part of the NAIA ADA Mentorship Program. Just fill out this application questionnaire and someone will be in touch with you about the next steps.
NEW: NAIA National Office New Hires

Austin Bennett has been named the NAIA's new director of championships. Bennett joined the NAIA national office in 2012 and has served in a variety of roles in the championships department, including the management and oversight of the NAIA Showcase events. Most recently he served as the director of special events and sports sponsorships. Bennett graduated from the University of Kansas where he was also a member of the Jayhawks' football team.

Madeline Westergard recently transitioned to a new role within the NAIA as the associate marketing manager. Westergard served as the manager of athletics communications since 2019. Previously, she served as a graduate assistant for the sports information department at Grand View University. Westergard was a student-athlete for the Grand View Vikings where she also earned her degree in public relations and journalism and her master’s in sport management.  
Lester Newman Elected COP Chair

Jarvis Christian College President Lester Newman was elected as the new chair of the Council of Presidents. Dr. Newman has been a member of the COP for five years and the COP Executive Committee for four years, as well as served as the chair of the audit review committee. He is the first president from a Historically Black College and University to serve as chair of the COP.
Championships
NEW: Facility Certifications for Opening Rounds Due September 1
September 1 is the deadline to submit a facility certification to host an opening round in any sport.


For the full list of 2021-22 approved opening round facilities, click here.
Bid Open for 2021 and 2022 Men's Soccer National Championship
The NAIA is opening the men's soccer national championship for bids with a deadline of July 31, 2021. Early bid submissions are strongly encouraged. This bid will be for both the 2021 and 2022 national championship events.

Click here for more details about submitting a bid.
 
Please contact Anthony Goetz if you have any questions. 
Eligibility
NEW: July 2021 PlayNAIA Release Notes
Updates to PlayNAIA – which include improvements to the mobile styling, inclusion of direct URLs for students to request transcripts from schools that utilize Parchment, the ability for ADs to submit urgency requests prior to a student’s ready date, and more – were deployed on Friday, July 9. Please see the release notes for full details. 


NEW: EC New Hires

The eligibility center recognizes the advancement of the following team members:
  • Josh Bohr, who served the eligibility center from document processing to domestic eligibility over the past seven years, was recently promoted to business analyst.
  •  Josh Smith started with the eligibility center’s domestic team six years ago and most recently was responsible for the processing of international records. Josh has been promoted to team lead overseeing the domestic break and transfer student process.
  • Gillian Cutter and Kayla Smith have each joined the team full-time after one year of seasonal employment. 


NEW: EC by the Numbers

The following numbers reflect the eligibility center’s processing status as of July 20, 2021.
  • About 13,000 students are currently within the eligibility process*.
  • 28,579 students have begun registration for the 2021-22 academic year so far, 15,451 of whom have already received a decision.
*This includes students who have registered but not yet submitted their profiles, need to make payment, are in line for review and students whose reviews are currently underway.
 
For the past two weeks:
All (domestic and international) freshmen without a break.
  • We are issuing decisions for these students in an average of 0.23 business days from their ready date.
  • We are currently working on freshmen students without a break who became ready on 7/20/2021.
Domestic students with a break and transfers
  • We are issuing decisions for these students in an average of 3.5 business days from their ready date.
  • We are currently working on break/transfer students who became ready on 7/19/2021.
International students with a break and transfers
  • We are issuing decisions for these students in an average of 11.68 business days from their ready date.
  • We are currently working on international break/transfer students who became ready on 7/19/2021.
InCred
NEW: InCred New Hire

InCred is pleased to announce the addition of team member Glenn Kelley McCabe, joining as an International Credentials Evaluator. 
Sponsors
NEW: NAIA Partners with Stan Johnson and Associates

Stan Johnson and Associates is now the NAIA’s Official Consultant on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Stan will play a key role in helping the NAIA execute its DEI strategic pillar. Johnson and Associates is a dynamic, diversified consultancy with extensive experience in human resource development.
NAIA Pricing from Ball Sponsors

The NAIA's ball sponsors are offering a variety of deals for our member institutions. Click on the links below for details.

NAIA Partner Connect Page

Remember to visit the NAIA Partner Connect Page to learn about NAIA partners, their programs tailored for you, and special NAIA pricing.
Return on Athletics®
Year-end ROA Data Collection System Opened Monday, July 12

Schools can now begin submitting their 2020-21 year-end report information. The deadline to finalize the data is December 1. 
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