College Sports Information Directors of America

Joint Statement from CoSIDA and NCAA DII and DIII Leadership on Planned Academic All-America® Program Expansion

(June 28, 2010)

The leadership of CoSIDA and the NCAA Division II and Division III are most pleased to jointly announce that they have agreed in principle to fully pursue the creation of separate Academic All-America® award programs for those specific NCAA divisions as a major component of a joint desire to more directly acknowledge and recognize the academic achievement of student-athletes in those respective divisions.

The proposed program, which would begin with the start of the 2011-12 academic year, would result in CoSIDA’s current “College Division Academic All-America®” program growing from one award program to three. That current “College Division Academic All-America®” award program includes qualified student-athletes from all non- Division I schools. This agreement in principle would establish specific NCAA Division II and Division III Academic All-America® programs as well as a third college division program- yet to be named- that would encompass NAIA/Canadian/two-year institutions/other small colleges.

Full implementation of the agreement is contingent upon final approval of the governance structures in both NCAA Divisions II and III, which is expected during the next several months. NCAA divisional commitments would include significant funding to support the administration of the program expansion. Meanwhile, CoSIDA’s Academic All-America® Committee, working in full conjunction with the leadership of CoSIDA’s college division leadership groups, will move forward with planning and finalizing various administrative and management aspects of this significant expansion.

Both leadership groups understand that many details have to be resolved, but both groups are fully committed to making this expansion happen by the start of the 2011-12 academic year.