A. INTRODUCTION

This section focuses on the issues of institutional mission, policy, and priority as UTSA explores the near-term sponsorship of Division I-AA football with additional considerations of Division I-A football.

As a part of considering this advancement for UTSA Athletics, the University will review internal policies affecting its response to external mandates, such as Title IX compliance and NCAA Division I Certification. The possible addition of football and thus a move to membership in Division I-AA and then I-A would increase the complexity of the multiple markets in which an intercollegiate athletics program operates and these dynamics must be addressed. Therefore, to more clearly define its market position, the University should identify and benchmark with peer institutions, especially those involving potential conference membership.

In preparing this section, the Consultants gained information from UTSA staff and documents as well as NCAA and conference sources. The Consultants' conclusions and recommendations are stated at the close of the section.

B. MISSION AND VISION

As UTSA considers the feasibility of the sponsorship of Division I-AA football, the primary questions being addressed are as follows:

1. Given the University's Vision and Mission, what is the best way to accomplish Institutional goals through UTSA Athletics? What is our long term future as a Division I-AAA athletics program in Texas? What would we gain by sponsoring football in Division I-AA as compared to Division I-A.?

2. Given that a successful Athletics Program in NCAA Division I-AA or I-A requires increased levels of fan support and raises the certainty of additional institutional expense, how widespread is the interest and potential financial support for the move on our campus and in our support market(s)? What tangible expressions of that support have been demonstrated? To what extent can the University and its student body afford to fund a NCAA Division I-AA or I-A Athletics Program with its costs for enhanced Support Systems and potential Title IX requirements?

The University intends to address these and other questions during the academic year 2006-2007, although an exact time line has not been established. The University of Texas System Board of Regents, based upon a recommendation from the President, will make the final decision.

C. PEER INSTITUTIONS

A university has many ways to measure its growth and relative stature within higher education. For a university's intercollegiate athletics program, measurement of success is focused on several categories: advancement of the institutional mission, rules compliance, graduation rates of its student-athletes, fiscal stability, quality of athletics facilities and competitive success; the visibility and intensity of external scrutiny of those measures is multiplied in NCAA Division I-AA and even more so in Division I-A.

UTSA's selection of and benchmarking with "Peer Institutions" will affirm or challenge the University's perceptions of peer relationships; this activity provides UTSA a proper sense of context for remaining as a Division I-AAA institution (without football) or adding football and moving to NCAA Division I-AA and possibly to Division I-A. These decisions will define UTSA's options for future conference membership. Further, they will assist in identifying UTSA's goals and strategies for either option regarding the future of its Athletics Program.

D. UTSA MAJOR POLICY INITIATIVES

As stated in its "Compact with the University of Texas System FY 2006 through 2007," the University's strategic plan framework is designed to support and embrace its vision of becoming an institution that provides access to excellence and pursues becoming a top 100 research university. Four current major policy initiatives at UTSA with certain and perhaps great impact on Athletics are as follows:

Student Life Initiative
Consistent with its strategic plan, the University is making a concerted effort to "Strengthen opportunities for student involvement in campus life." This emphasis led to an increase in student fees effective in January 2006 through a "Student Life Referendum," which called for the addition of two sports for women and exploring options for adding other sports, in addition to making improvements in Student Affairs and funding an expansion of the Recreation Center. This exploration is focusing on the feasibility of adding football and has resulted in this study by Carr Sports Associates Inc.

Special Campaign for Athletics Facilities
While UTSA has not to date conducted a capital campaign for the needs of the overall University, it may conduct a special campaign to solicit corporate, public sector and other major funding and gifts totaling around $60 million to fund the Proposed Athletics Complex. The Athletics Department has reorganized staff responsibilities to allow greater cooperation with the President's Office and the office of the Vice President for University Advancement to build a coalition of public and private sector support for the Proposed Athletics Complex.

Convocation Center Renovation
An architect has been hired to assess necessary renovations to the Convocation Center to accommodate existing programs and future growth. This plan will complement the master plan for all University Athletics facilities including the Proposed Athletics Complex and an on-campus Athletics Academic Center.

UTSA Strategic Planning Initiative
UTSA President Romo has identified 2006-2007 as a year of strategic planning for UTSA with the goal of charting steps to become a Tier 1 research university. A part of the planning process will be the identification of an appropriate NCAA division for UTSA Athletics. Appropriate funding mechanisms will be identified to move the Athletic Department to anticipated new levels.

E. TITLE IX COMPLIANCE

Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is a federal law applicable to all universities receiving federal funding; the law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in all programs and activities, including athletics. The tenets of this law are consistent with UTSA's Core Values. Regardless of whether or not UTSA adds football, the University must consider Title IX compliance in every decision of institutional policy and resource allocation pertaining to Athletics.

UTSA's current Title IX compliance status is reviewed in detail in Section VII of this Study.

F. NCAA DIVISION I CERTIFICATION

If UTSA moves to NCAA Division I-AA and then to I-A by sponsoring football, the University would have the same requirements regarding NCAA Division I Athletics Certification. In the Certification process, the University conducts an institutional self-study that is verified and evaluated through external peer review. UTSA first completed NCAA Athletics Certification in 1998 and also conducted an Interim Review in 2003; at that latter date, the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification identified four expectations for UTSA Athletics related to NCAA operating principles, required of all member institutions. During its second cycle of NCAA Certification beginning in 2006-2007, UTSA must be prepared to demonstrate an appropriate response to the four expectations, which deal with compliance, graduation rates of student-athletes, five-year goals for gender equity and five-year goals for minority opportunities for student-athletes and athletics staff.

G. MULTIPLE MARKETS CONSTRAINTS OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

The environment of NCAA intercollegiate athletics is extremely fluid and filled with constraints originating in four distinctive markets: Higher Education, Commercial, Athletics Competitive and Socio-Economic. Each university’s athletics program operates at the vortex of these cross-pressured dynamics, but as a member of the NCAA I-AAA, UTSA Athletics has experienced relatively minimal effects. If UTSA adds football and moves to NCAA Division I-AA and later to Division I-A, it will contend with greatly intensified pressures from Market Constraints.

The Multiple Markets Constraints and CSA's comments regarding their possible effects on UTSA are described as follows:

1. The Higher Education Market, which includes three levels:

a. The national academy in which institutions establish and cultivate their relationships and benchmark achievements with peer institutions; it also includes similar relationships with and comparisons against institutions with whom a given university aspires for peer status.

b. The regulatory agencies featuring national requirements such as compliance with Title IX and the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) as well as regional standards such as those set by educational accrediting agencies. Rulings by federal and state courts continue to redefine these constraints, which significantly impact intercollegiate athletics.

c. The internal or local campus environment in which intercollegiate athletics adds value to achieving the institutional mission through its educational and social guidance role with student-athletes; it is here that the NCAA has focused major programs such as Academic Performance Rate (APR), Graduation Success Rate, NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills, Student Athlete Opportunity Fund, Academic Enhancement Fund, etc. Of increasing significance is the fact that in this campus environment today all but a select few athletics programs compete for limited institutional resources.

Possible effects on UTSA: The initiative for UTSA sponsoring football at the Division I-A level is primarily an issue of elevating the peer structure of the entire University. The most basic question for the University is, "Given our location in the state of Texas whose people have an extraordinary interest in college football, will UTSA ever be considered a leading university without sponsoring a successful and visible football program?"

In either NCAA Division I-AA or I-A, UTSA would be exposed to heightened demands on and scrutiny of its compliance with Title IX as well as the academic performance of its student-athletes. Is UTSA prepared to invest sufficiently in its support systems to accommodate those requirements?

2. The Commercial Market: The program seeks financial support, game attendance, media exposure and positive public image. Often this commercial dynamic is referred to erroneously as "the market" of intercollegiate athletics since the visibility and wealth produced by television have predominantly shaped Division I by funding many institutional operations as well as most NCAA initiatives in the last three decades.

Possible effects on UTSA: UTSA anticipates that Division I-AA and especially I-A competition would draw increased support from alumni, the corporate sector and the community at-large. Increased media exposure should enhance the University's image and recognition.

3. The Athletics Competitive Market, which includes two levels:

a. The organizational environment in which the university vies against other universities, first for the opportunity to be a part of desirable groupings such as national organizations (NAIA, NCAA, etc.) with levels or divisions of membership, athletic conferences (Southland Conference, Conference USA, Big XII Conference, etc.) and other alliances; for example, the Bowl Championship Series. This organizational dimension of the athletics competitive market is extremely difficult to influence regarding legislative issues, scheduling and conference membership.

b. The athletics competitive market also involves the actual sports contests. The strong desire to win and gain recognition drives the upward spiral of emphasis and expense in salaries, capital outlay and operations. Few institutions remain as independents because conference membership benefits include equity in athletics competition (often referred to as "the level playing field") plus access to scheduling and championships.

Possible effects on UTSA: UTSA's membership in the Southland Conference provides an attractive location for Division I-AA conference football competition, if UTSA chooses to compete at that level for an extended period of years. The complexities of the Athletics Competitive Market increase the need for Division I-A conference membership to gain optimal scheduling and championship opportunities. Further, non-conference scheduling in Division I-A would provide opportunities for strategic associations with "aspiring peer" institutions. Of the many challenges facing UTSA in advancing successfully to Division I-A, the most formidable is gaining membership in the optimal Division I-A conference.

4. The Socio-Economic Market in which the athletics programs operates. This begins with the characteristics of the local population and economy plus their support and expectations of the athletics program. The University gains stature when the athletics program's events provide a major economic impact locally as well as a primary structure for the social participation of its external constituents.

Possible effects on UTSA: UTSA's connection with the local community needs to continue to grow. A move to Division I-AA would increase the University's local profile and economic role while strengthening the University's relationships with all constituencies. Further, a move to Division I-A would attract a much greater following and level of support.