MAAC Council of Presidents Engages with Knight Commission on Transformation of NCAA DI
MAAC Council of Presidents Engages with Knight Commission on Transformation of NCAA DI
EDISON, N.J. (Dec. 15, 2020) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Council of Presidents had their annual fall semester business meeting via Zoom, highlighted by a presentation from Dr. Nancy Zimpher, co-chair of the Knight Commission, Amy Perko, CEO of the Knight Commission and Jeff Orleans, former Executive Director of the Ivy League and current consultant to discuss the Knight Commission’s recent report:
Transforming the NCAA DI Model Governance.
The MAAC presidents interacted with Knight Commission representatives on their proposed changes to the NCAA Governance as it relates to FBS football and providing all 32 NCAA Division I conferences equal governance authority for all other sports. The MAAC presidents were supportive of the proposed action, and will be engaged in developing supportive communication to assist with the process of trying to move the proposal into the legislative/governance process of the NCAA.
New business:
- The MAAC Council of Presidents supported the Committee on Athletic Administration (COAA) recommendation for conference only competition in the spring (team sports).
In addition, the MAAC Council of Presidents also:
- Reaffirmed the Feb. 1 start date for fall sports into spring, and spring sports practice (20 hrs./week).
- Reaffirmed the restriction on spring trip travel for training or competition.
- Reaffirmed the four-team championship model for spring team sports championships.
- Supported the sport committee considering limited expansion of playing dates for spring teams within the conference.
- Suggested spring sport committees build a make-up week into schedules, given the likelihood of cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Voiced concern about the overall management of the fall and spring competition if infection rates continue at current levels.
The Council also received a detailed report from MAAC SAAC Chair Turner Dirrigl (Canisius College) and Vice Chair Jamie Smith (Iona College) on the MAAC United for Social Justice program - including fall semester efforts on voter registration. The voter registration drive saw 3,410 student-athletes and 169 teams become fully registered to vote. MAAC SAAC also noted its NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Social Media Campaign, which included three-days of messaging from Oct. 27-29:
Day 1: “My Story Matters”
Day 2: “I’ve Got Your Back”
Day 3: “Together We Rise”
The Council thanked the SAAC representatives for their efforts, and President Chris Gibson (Siena) and Rev. James Maher (Niagara) offered to chair a session with the new MAAC SAAC Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) celebrates its 40
th year of competition during the 2020-21 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.