Dear CoSIDA Membership:
We are pleased to announce today that the College Sports Information Directors of America organization has extended the contract for a relationship with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (
NACDA).
Through an extensive process that included the opportunity of input from all of our 3,000+ members, we have agreed to a contract that will add six years to our remaining two-year agreement, thus continuing the relationship through 2022. The announcement was made today by NACDA.
I feel that it is important to write you to provide a summary of our process:
• A survey was commissioned in which we received a total of 829 responses from the CoSIDA membership. This survey discussed the current year-round educational opportunities as well as convention aspects including access, networking, internet services, costs, and other aspects of the convention.
• A majority of the membership indicated that they wanted CoSIDA to remain associated with NACDA.
• During this year's convention, I visited with many individuals privately for their thoughts and input about the experience. In addition, our staff and board members also gathered thoughts and comments.
• We received input from various leaders of all our collegiate service organizations at all levels.
• The board and staff received the results and provided thoughts and opinions that were then presented to the officers.
• At our annual officers meeting in Indianapolis, I took the input of the officers and staff through the survey notes and produced a document with the key, common themes we saw in the survey and heard from our membership.
• This document was then modified, produced and provided to our Executive Director, Doug Vance, to provide to NACDA Executive Director Bob Vecchione a week prior to the staff's visit to NACDA's Headquarters in Cleveland.
• In early August, the staff met with the NACDA officials and produced a contract that was examined by our board, then vetted through our CoSIDA legal team, which is a standard practice.
• The contract was signed by Doug and Bob earlier this week, and the announcement was scheduled for (and made) today.
Here are some of the key highlights you can look forward to that will enhance your experience, including areas that we requested through our membership and board input:
• No increase in our $25,000 annual fee, through 2022
• Sites will be Orlando (2015), Dallas (2016), Orlando (2017), Washington, DC (2018), Orlando (2019) and Orlando (2021)
• A Western city will be the host in 2020 and 2022 (either Mountain or Pacific time zone)
• No hotel rate will exceed $200 per night through the agreement
• Full access for CoSIDA registered members to attend all NACDA affiliate panels and sessions (except for private conference and other meetings, and private receptions and luncheons)
• An affiliate presidents' call to discuss common areas and integrate more programming and crossover talent for affiliates and CoSIDA sessions
• Crossover partner sponsorship opportunities with affiliates
• Continued year-round exposure with the NACDA Daily Review and other new media informative opportunities to our membership and all of the collegiate athletic community in regards to CoSIDA
• Many of the areas that our membership provided input on were addressed in the above points in some fashion. The annual fee remains the same, we will be in a Western city location in the near future, and we have full access to all sessions.
We will be hosting an online educational presentation in early October to answer your questions regarding the new agreement.
I wish to thank Doug, Barb and Will from our staff for their efforts through the process including the survey and their work in Cleveland. I thank the board for their input on this important project and service to the membership. I thank Bob Vecchione, Pat Manak and Julie Work of NACDA for working so closely with us to serve us and continue to work with us with this new agreement. And, I thank YOU for your input, comments and suggestions.
Whether you have attended the last two years, or last year, or you had not attended and were not sure about the future, I hope you now can see that CoSIDA's members, from the experienced veteran to the young "rising star" to the job seeker, will benefit even more with our enhanced NACDA relationship.
Thank you and best of luck to your student-athletes in 2014-15.
Sincerely,
Eric McDowell
Union College (N.Y.) Assistant Athletics Director/Sports Information
2014-15 CoSIDA President
mcdowele@union.edu
For Immediate Release
NACDA and CoSIDA Extend Partnership Through 2022
CLEVELAND – The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) have renewed their partnership through 2022. The partnership between the two organizations began in 2009, with CoSIDA joining NACDA & its affiliate associations at their Conventions in 2013, 2014 and again next summer in 2015.
“We are pleased to extend our relationship with CoSIDA through 2022,” stated NACDA Executive Director Bob Vecchione. “This six year extension (2022) will become the benchmark for all of our 14 associations to target as we begin to strategically reformat our Convention to maximize the multi-tiered educational platforms each of our affiliates associations brings to the table."
As part of the updated agreement, CoSIDA will continue to receive a page in
Athletics Administration, NACDA’s magazine that is published eight times a year; will have visibility on NACDA’s website and include content links in the NACDA Daily Review, amongst other opportunities.
"CoSIDA is proud and honored to continue the relationship with our friends at NACDA and the other national affiliates. During the first two years of our Conventions in conjunction with NACDA's, we have enjoyed the opportunity to network with a variety of professions in collegiate athletics. Our members look forward to the opportunity to attend various panels with topics and discussions that benefit our profession and our service to the student-athletes,” said CoSIDA President Eric McDowell, assistant athletics director/sports information at Union College. "I would like to thank Bob Vecchione, Pat Manak, Julie Work and all of the individuals at NACDA who work closely with us now and in the future."
CoSIDA will continue to run their association and Convention independently of NACDA, but their Convention will coincide with NACDA’s each year. The extension of this partnership allows continuous interaction for CoSIDA, NACDA and its affiliate associations members at one common site to discuss issues and share ideas. This partnership opens up the lines of communication and allows the associations to compose joint task forces; cross-over panelists, topics and sessions; and unparalleled networking opportunities for both sides. CoSIDA Convention attendees are encouraged to attend all NACDA affiliate education sessions throughout the NACDA Convention.
The NACDA and CoSIDA Conventions will coincide next summer at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, FL from June 15-18.
About NACDA
NACDA, now in its 50th year, is the professional and educational Association for more than 11,000 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 5,500 athletics administrators annually attend NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week. Additionally, NACDA manages 14 professional associations and three foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit
www.nacda.com.
About CoSIDA
CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America,
http://www.cosida.com) was founded in 1957 and is a 3,000-plus member national organization comprised of the sports public relations, media relations and communications/information professionals throughout all levels of collegiate athletics in the U.S. and Canada. CoSIDA has two primary missions: 1) Assist communications and public relations professionals at all collegiate levels with professional development and continuing education, 2) Play a significant leadership and resource role within the overall collegiate athletics enterprise, thus helping other management groups and their respective memberships deal with the set of communications-based issues that is the most complex and challenging in history.