Intercollegiate athletics carr sports associates, inc
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- Table B
- Radford University Averages
- NACDA Cup Standings 1994-2004
- Radford Peer Group Conference Memberships, 2005-06
- Trends for Radford Peer Group
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Note: In the “Average Annual Finish” row on Table A above, the first number is the average standing and the second number is the number of schools who scored points that year in the NACDA Cup. Thus, the second number is the worst possible position in that year’s standings for a team that advanced to NCAA post-season competition. A score 1 digit higher than the second number indicates that the school had no team appearances in NCAA post-season competition that year. For further comparisons, the 11-year average standing of Radford, the BSC, the Atlantic Sun Conference, the Southern Conference and the Colonial Athletics Association are shown on Table B on the next page.
Table C follows on the next two pages showing the 11 year standings in the NACDA Cup of each member of the other conferences examined in this study: the Atlantic 10, Southern and Colonial. Table C NACDA Cup Standings 1994-2004
Note: Florida Atlantic and Troy move to the Sun Belt Conference in 2005-2006 Table C NACDA Cup Standings 1994-2004
At Exhibit 5, the Consultants present their comparison of each Radford sport with the potential conferences along with recommendations to achieve greater competitive success. At Exhibit 7, the Consultants present the number of sports sponsored by each member of the four conferences and also the number of sports sponsored by members of the Radford peer group described in the response to Question 3. 3. What are the trends in intercollegiate athletics at an institution similar to RU? Are those trends sport specific? What impact does the size of the school, specifically schools under 15K students, have on its athletic programs? Also, what impact does proximity to major media markets have on an athletic program? A. What are the trends in intercollegiate athletics at an institution similar to RU? Peer Group for Radford University Radford did not present a list of peer institutions; therefore, to identify trends of similar institutions, the Consultants selected a peer group of twenty-two (22) schools (including Radford) from U.S. News and World Reports’ listing of Southern Master’s Universities. The group is comprised of a wide range of institutions with varying missions and goals, both academically and athletically. Each meets one or both of the following criteria: Master’s Classification public institutions with NCAA sport sponsorship or Master’s Classification public and private institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Exhibits 6A – 6B present profile information on these peer group institutions: University of Richmond, James Madison University, Citadel Military College of SC, University of Mary Washington, Appalachian State University, College of Charleston, Murray State University, UNC-Wilmington, UNC-Charlotte, Winthrop University, Longwood University, Tennessee Tech University, Marshall University, UT-Chattanooga, Western Kentucky University, Radford University, Western Carolina University, University of North Florida, Georgia Southern University, UT-Martin, Troy University-Main Campus, and Morehead State University. The conference memberships of these institutions are shown below: Radford Peer Group Conference Memberships, 2005-06
Trends for Radford Peer GroupThe Consultants identified the following trends for the Radford Peer Group: 1. Changes in conference or divisional classification. These institutions display the identifiable trend of being fluid with their respective conference(s) or NCAA divisional classification. Within the last five years, eight of the twenty-two have changed their basic affiliation, and of those eight, five sponsor football on either the Division I-A or I-AA level. Of the three remaining schools that have shifted, two of them (Longwood and North Florida) are moving from Division II to Division I. This is an emerging trend across the county as the NCAA Division I membership continues to grow. The final school of the peers, (UNC-Charlotte, a I-AAA program) is making the move in 2005-2006 from Conference USA (whose members will all sponsor I-A football) to the Atlantic 10 Conference, which is a better home for its strong men’s basketball program. Thus, of the eight schools in the peer group that changed affiliation in the last five years, UNC-Charlotte was the only school with a similar sport sponsorship to RU. In large part, the upward mobility for Charlotte is based on its history of success in men’s basketball since the 1970’s; therefore, Charlotte has enjoyed a higher-level conference affiliation than Radford. The other peer schools either sponsor the sport of football or were making a move from Division II to Division I. 2. Effects of football, regardless of sponsorship. Today, the pursuit of ideal structures for football competition has led to increased instability in conference membership. Often, shifts in other higher-level conferences (Division I-A or I-AA) trigger I-AAA conference realignment scenarios later on and the exact circumstances cannot be predicted. As a member of the Big South Conference with I-AA and I-AAA members, Radford is significantly affected by football competition, even without sponsoring the sport. Also, future conference options for Radford are defined by the absence of football sponsorship. Issues involving football have been at the forefront of the latest round of conference realignment. From the peer group, Marshall University has made the most remarkable transformation; it has moved from Division I-AA in 1997 to Division I-A and the Mid-American Conference and effective 2005-2006, to Conference USA. This was all done for the betterment of its football program and for the University to build from that success. Troy University is in the process of making very similar strides.
Especially in Division I-A conferences, most of the decision-making process centers on the placement of an institution’s football and/or men’s basketball program. These two sports are usually the only ones generating significant revenues and public profile for an institution; thus, the university wants them to have an attractive conference schedule that will be financially and competitively beneficial. In turn, a potential conference will focus on the success and history of these sports in any given university before extending an invitation. Each institution must examine its goals for its athletic program and consider changes in conference affiliation with those desired outcomes in mind. For example, a school that wishes to sponsor a broad based sports program with the full financial support of the institution will have a different objective than one putting pressure on its athletic department to become self-supportive. Obviously, a group of conference schools all having similar missions and available resources for its athletic department is ideal but difficult to attain. The schools listed in the peer group all have the same Carnegie Classification but have varying objectives for their athletics programs; this is demonstrated by the differences in the total number of sports sponsored and the absence or varying classifications of football programs. There appear to be the following sports specific trends or a notable absence of trends among the peer group not related to conference realignments:
C. What impact does the size of the school, specifically schools under 15K students, have on its athletic programs? Directory: NewsPub NewsPub -> Johnny O'Connell Biography NewsPub -> For Release: September 26, 2007, 12: 01 a m. Edt NewsPub -> Chemical industry of chongqing status of Chemical Industry in Chongqing NewsPub -> Petascale Systems Integration into Large Scale Facilities Workshop Report Download 1.41 Mb. Share with your friends:
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