MAAC Unveils 2020-25 Strategic Plan

2/14/2020 10:00:00 AM

Click here or the image below for a PDF version of the 2020-25 MAAC Strategic Plan.

Edison, N.J. (Feb. 14, 2020) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced a bold and ambitious strategic plan to position the conference as a regional and national leader in athletics and academic success for the next half decade.
The new plan features updated mission and vision statements with a commitment to conducting men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletics programs within a context that holds paramount the academic programs of MAAC member schools and inspires and empowers student-athletes to be champions in academics, competition and life.
The plan is constructed around the following strategic focus areas:

Academic and Personal Development;
Innovation in Governance and Operations;
Broadcasting, Media Engagement, Marketing and Revenue Generation;
Prioritize Basketball Success;
Inclusive Excellence; and
Stewardship.

Each strategic focus area includes action steps holding conference members and the conference office accountable for success. The accompanying tactics and metrics reflect a comprehensive effort from the conference office to collaborate with the MAAC membership on identifying objectives and determining achievable outcomes in each area.

“Strategic plans are only as good as an organization’s commitment to implementing them,” said MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. “We believe we have the presidential leadership within our member institutions and a commitment to excellence from all of our athletics departments to ensure this plan is effective for the long term.

“MAAC members believe in their roots, but we’re also a collection of contemporary institutions on the move toward building a better world.”

The plan represents a collective effort among MAAC chancellors and presidents, athletics directors, athletics administrators, coaches and staff, faculty members and student-athletes to prepare student-athletes for success not only in their athletics endeavors but also in the classroom and in life beyond their college years.

“The intercollegiate athletics landscape, as well as higher education itself, is constantly evolving, and our new strategic plan is designed to create innovative approaches that prepare student-athletes as leaders in a multicultural society,” said Gregory G. Dell’Omo, President of Rider University and President of the MAAC Board of Directors.

The plan builds on the MAAC’s longstanding reputation in men’s and women’s basketball to provide an expanded breadth of opportunities in all sports.

“We’re proud of the experience we offer student-athletes at our MAAC championships staged at top-level arenas, stadiums and natatoriums, such as Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City for our basketball championships over the next three years and Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for our fall sports championships and golf championships in the spring,” said MAAC Senior Associate Commissioner Jessica Grasso, who coordinated the strategic planning efforts. “We’re also proud of the exposure we offer student-athletes through the continued development of the ESPN MAAC Broadcast Network on ESPN3 and ESPN+.”

Niagara University President Rev. James J. Maher, Vice President of the MAAC Board, said the new plan keeps the MAAC on the cutting edge of an ever-changing and multicultural society.

“This plan not only celebrates our stability in membership over time but also keeps us nimble and proactive as issues in athletics and higher education emerge and evolve,” Maher said. “We are committed to enhancing student-athletes’ intercollegiate experience in everything we do, from game day to graduation day and beyond.”

Components of the 2020-2025 MAAC Strategic Plan

Mission: The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference conducts men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletics programs within a context that holds paramount the academic programs of member schools and inspires and empowers student-athletes to be champions in academics, competition and life.

Vision: The MAAC will be a premier NCAA Division I conference known for its breadth of competitive opportunities and for its ability to be proactive in an ever-changing intercollegiate landscape to create innovative approaches that prepare student-athletes as leaders in a multicultural society.

Strategic Focus Areas:

Academic and Personal Development – MAAC member institutions support student-athlete academic success from admission through graduation, including postgraduate opportunities, in an environment that fosters student-athletes’ physical, mental and social well-being.
Innovation in Governance and Operations – We commit to maintaining a progressive and service-oriented governance structure that effectively directs Conference affairs, responsibly manages resources and positions the MAAC as an influential voice within the NCAA.
Broadcasting, Media Engagement, Marketing and Revenue Generation – We will use the MAAC Broadcast Networks to enhance name recognition of the Conference and our member schools, optimize the admissions and branding efforts of member institutions and elevate the MAAC’s position as a leader both regionally and nationally in intercollegiate athletics and higher education.
Prioritize Basketball Success – We will use our presence and standing in the sport to increase the MAAC’s brand awareness through strategic Conference and nonconference scheduling opportunities, and we will allocate resources to provide incentives for meeting agreed-upon scheduling benchmarks.
Inclusive Excellence – We promote a cohesive identity among member institutions that embraces diversity and fosters a positive, energetic and inclusive culture rooted in the MAAC’s core values.
Stewardship – We commit to managing available financial, governance and staff resources effectively, efficiently and responsibly when pursuing goals stated in the strategic plan.

About the 2020 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships:
The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships return to New Jersey on March 10-14, 2020 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. To stay up to date on MAAC basketball, visit maacsports.com/basketball and follow @MAACHoops on Twitter.

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) is in its 39^th year of competition during the 2019-20 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.