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Reasons Why Proposed Relationship Between CoSIDA and NACDA is Right
• This relationship would clearly establish that CoSIDA has total conviction and is fully invested in placing “Profession First” at the forefront of strategic initiatives. Proponents of this relationship believe that approach is far-and-away the best avenue to then provide multiple benefits to CoSIDA’s membership, both collectively and individually, and the organization as a whole as it relates to implementing various aspects of its pro-active strategic initiatives in the areas of image building, respect, appreciation, understanding and value.
• It provides CoSIDA with a much sought-after leadership-based “seat at the table”, a goal of the organization, both collectively and individually, and our profession for several decades. The different management groups within intercollegiate athletics, including a vast number of former SID’s who are members of NACDA, do not believe it is possible for CoSIDA to make any appreciable headway with its strategic initiatives without such a seat. As has been the case over the past few decades, it will be highly unlikely that membership benefits- both collectively and individually- in the areas of image building and increased “respect/understanding/value” can be significantly advanced without such a valued leadership seat and that seat will not be provided within the intercollegiate community if CoSIDA maintains its current “stand-alone” philosophy.
• It places CoSIDA’s Convention within the most influential gathering of management executives in intercollegiate athletics each year, something that can not be overstated as it relates to the multiple benefits that can be and likely be generated for CoSIDA and its membership, both collectively and individually. Those cumulative “synergy-based’ benefits from such a gathering, both formal and informal, and the professional and personal relationship building-both formal and informal- that will take place can not be overstated as what it to what it could mean to us in terms of advancing various aspects of our profession and organization both collectively and individually.
• For many years now, quite frankly decades, we have been talking among ourselves about the issues facing our profession. We have become quite good at “Preaching to the Choir”, but that clearly has not helped deal with the actual issues. “Preaching to the Choir” is not what we need. We need to “Preach to the Congregation” and that can happen with this proposed relationship and it sure will not happen if we continue to “stand- alone”.
• What is impressive about this relationship concept is that by finally getting an arrangement in place that provides a “leadership seat at the table”, a long-time goal for our profession, it does put “Profession First” as the central principle for professional advancement at all levels throughout our organization and profession. Doing that as the cornerstone of this relationship proposal makes it easier to then clearly see and understand that by doing that first, the benefits to our membership- both collectively and individually- will flow and spread out in multiple ways over time if we take advantage of that seat and make strategically correct decisions moving forward.
• Former Sports Information and Communications Directors who have moved into Commissioner, AD, Assoc. AD and marketing-based positions support this concept in a near unanimous voice as they feel that such a relationship is imperative for CoSIDA to appropriately and significantly deal with its professional-based issues and challenges. We should clearly listen to them because they have a vantage point and viewpoint on this matter that is very relevant. They want to help, but they find that virtually impossible and fruitless with our current “stand-alone” position.
• This arrangement enables CoSIDA to fully run all aspects of its organization as it has done in the past- 360 of 365 days a year are exactly like it has been/would want to be and the other few days simply result in its annual convention being placed within NACDA’s event BUT with CoSIDA running the convention the way it would like. That includes managing all aspects of the registration process- including setting the registration fee, luncheons, awards, seminars, sponsorships, etc. as it would like. In short, this unique relationship proposal allows CoSIDA to have its cake and eat it to !
• It provides CoSIDA with a much higher profile and more direct access among the decision makers in college athletics than it holds at this time, an element of utmost importance and urgency to the CoSIDA leadership as it seeks to advance professional and membership based objectives. It clearly provides CoSIDA with a much more direct avenue and opportunity to advance initiatives and attack problems/issues facing the profession.
• Talk about a “Bang for your Buck” proposal ! We need to realize that for a management fee of $25,000 our organization of 2,400 members isin effect being charged just $10.50 per member per year for an incredible amount of professional-based benefits. $10.50 per member for all of the synergy, networking, cross-over aspects, visibility and marketing benefits that will take place. $10.50 per member to have our profession and organization placed into a position to strategically advance itself in multiple ways unlike at any point in our history. It is worth repeating- What a Bang for our Buck !
• Our “stand-alone” approach has clearly not worked in terms of building/improving image, respect, appreciation and value. In a near unanimous voice, the folks in our profession who have been in it for 20 or so years say that we have less respect today and less status within the collegiate athletics community today than 20 years ago. The “stand-alone” approach has not improved our status and standing. We want to be treated as equals but we have to come to the conclusion that “separate is not equal” and we have compounded our situation by such a stance. This proposal puts us into a situation where we are significantly more equal.
• It enables CoSIDA and its membership- collectively and individually- to significantly improve the “networking” aspects and benefits of its annual convention. Instead of primarily networking with other communications professionals, the organization and its membership will be networking with AD's, marketing, development, university presidents, etc. The benefits of that provide so much more opportunity to advance visibility, initiatives and general understanding than now exist. The membership-based benefits, both collectively and individually, of such “networking” aspects can not be overstated.
• The proposed relationship would allow CoSIDA to go back to its current “separate convention” if the membership and future leadership felt this relationship/affiliation was not working for membership based value and objectives. CoSIDA could pullout of this arrangement after a fairly short negotiated agreed upon time period. Due to that arrangement, this becomes a “Lets Just Try This” approach instead of a long-term commitment. Based on all of the professional benefits it would appear to provide us, it would be a huge professional and organizational mistake to not at least try this.
• Many of the issues/challenges facing communications directors can be more significantly impacted in a positive way via this annual convention/affiliation as CoSIDA will have a significant prescience. Strength in numbers among key decision makers can significantly aid CoSIDA in advancing its agenda, something that is not possible under its current situation when only one or two CoSIDA reps attend the NACDA Convention. Proponents believe that having a couple of fish in the large lake is not going to make the kind of difference necessary for “advancing the profession” and improving the status of its membership, both collectively and individually, as a result.
• Placing the CoSIDA Convention within the NACDA function provides the CoSIDA leadership and membership a greatly expanded opportunity for “cross-over” opportunities as it relates to panels and seminars. AD’s and marketing folks can participate on/in CoSIDA panels, and vice-versa, to a much larger and easier manner than now. This process will greatly enhance CoSIDA’s ability to be better understood and provide its perspective in a variety of ways that it can not with the current “stand-alone” format.
• So much of what we as professionals do, especially at the D2, D3 and NAIA levels, overlap into many other areas like marketing, promotions, etc. Thus from a College Division standpoint it makes a huge amount of sense to be placed into such an all-encompassing convention for our professional needs and growth. Hearing/seeing what others do in these areas and exchanging thoughts and perspectives is a “big add-on value” in terms of additional value benefits to those already gained by attending our own wonderful convention. This alone, from a College Division standpoint, makes this is a win-win proposition.
• This would provide a wonderful opportunity for further significant advancement of the profile of the Academic All- America Program and its Hall of Fame. The AAA Hall of Fame induction ceremony could now be open to over 3,000 attendees instead of 800. Not only would the ceremony be attended by more people, but that group would now include Presidents, AD’s, marketing directors, etc. That ceremony at the NACDA convention would provide heightened goodwill for this program and CoSIDA’s singular role in its advancement. In addition, this would provide a boost for CoSIDA’s goodwill and PR throughout all segments of the collegiate community. Also, placing that event within NACDA convention should greatly aid CoSIDA’s leadership in seeking additional sponsorship relationship(s) because this expanded and influential audience provides a sponsor more value than just having it being attended by only communications folks.
• This relationship-based affiliation would help the CoSIDA leadership elevate professional standards within its membership. We would benefit, in multiple ways, by being around AD’s, Presidents, etc. Their presence would elevate our organizational and membership approach to many things at our convention and within our profession.
• Athletic Director leadership groups from D1, D2, D3 and NAIA would now be available to attend CoSIDA “Divisional Meetings” and ‘divisional based programming” for those groups, something that does not take place now.
• Athletic Directors , as NACDA President Joan Cronan of Tennessee indicated, want this affiliation now and it is important for CoSIDA to take advantage of this current state of thinking for its own benefit. A decision to continue to remain apart from the community will only further add to the perception that CoSIDA is out of touch with what must happen in order for it to significantly deal with its issues/challenges and to aid in elevating its profile within the community. A continuing decision to “stand-alone” will result in a “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” approach by the NACDA-based community towards CoSIDA.
• At this point CoSIDA’s membership might be about split 50-50 on this topical discussion BUT the momentum relative to this conversation has clearly been moving towards such a relationship/affiliation. Perhaps a decade ago maybe only 10% of CoSIDA membership might have endorsed this idea. A few years ago it might have been a third and today it is arguably at least 50-50. We should realize that the pendulum is clearly swinging towards trying this concept and take advantage NOW of this opportunity. As part of our evaluation we need to understand that if we say no now and momentum continues to likely grow, as has been the case over the last decade for this approach, CoSIDA will then be in a position where it will likely then ask NACDA for inclusion at that point. NACDA’s answer could well be no or it could be yes, but with a relationship that is not nearly as CoSIDA friendly as this one. In short, CoSIDA would have to give up much more five years from now to achieve this relationship than it will now. This proposal today is very CoSIDA friendly. The one five years from now, if NACDA would even want to provide one, will be much more NACDA friendly. Much of the independence and self-management that we seek would be infringed. Today’s proposal is one where we have the leverage. A possible one in the future would be one where NACDA would clearly have the leverage.
• The challenges facing collegiate athletics as it relates to communications-based issues are more numerous than at any point perhaps in history. There is a need for ALL of the appropriate groups in the intercollegiate community to JOINTLY discuss and solve those issues. That can take place with this proposal because all such groups will be jointly in attendance at our/NACDA’s convention. Staying alone removes us from this process and this wonderful opportunity to position/reposition ourselves as an important strategic resource value and removes us form supplying needed input and thus changing our image.
• More and more communication directors, especially at the college division level, are taking on marketing/promotions and development based roles. Communication directors at all levels of college athletics must be more attuned to the business/marketing/development aspects of today’s college athletics. Those folks need to be and should be placed into a convention setting where they can gain such across-the-board knowledge and perspective, not just PR based knowledge and perspective as one gets with CoSIDA’s current convention. More and more communication directors are being asked to choose- go to NACDA or CoSIDA- and that should not be the case. With tight-travel/convention money, we should be a part of a process that allows one to soak in many things at one place and one time.
• In addition to all to the convention-based benefits that will come from this relationship in terms of exposure, networking and synergy-based things it should not be pushed to the side or background that we are also gaining some very good, and important professional exposure in other ways. The exposure of our “CoSIDA Corner” in NACDA’s “Athletics Administration” magazine that goes out to over 9,000 people in the collegiate community, the ability to have some of our important stories/messages be included within “NACDA’s E-Daily” email system that reaches 13,000 folks and the exposure that we will gain sharing links and appropriate information on NACDA’s sites is also invaluable to us as we seek to gain better understanding and appreciation for our role and its value within the collegiate community.
• More resources are at hand to provide more effective seminars and professional development, a big plus for membership based benefits as it relates to an even-better learning environment than we currently have with our convention setting.
• “Sponsorship Value” would be elevated due to this increased profile/exposure and that would assist CoSIDA in cementing current relationships, building new ones and increasing total dollars from fund-raising efforts to advance initiatives.
• The expertise of the NACDA staff in the planning and execution of their annual convention would be a huge benefit to our organization, which, in recent years, has not been able to rely upon a local organizing committee for planning purposes.
• Consistent Site Selection. Moving away from the corridor system to NACDA’s three site rotation would be a benefit in terms of planning, logistics and economics for our members.
• Consistent Convention Dates. Mid-June is a timeframe that our members have asked us to consider for the workshop for years—this would also us as an organization to accommodate those requests/
• This arrangement allows us to become a much bigger part of “the process” as it relates to the enterprise of intercollegiate athletics. A large communication-based professional presence has been the only missing element when the entire collegiate community gathers at NACDA and that is our own fault. So many of our membership complains that they are not “part of the process” at their respective institutions. That makes it even harder to understand why we- CoSIDA- have then, by our own choice, decided not to be a part of “the process” at the national level. Our attitude with regard to such things has fostered a reputation that we are our own worst enemy and we have no real strategic common sense as to what it takes to force change/implement change. This proposal and platform provides just that opportunity since we will now clearly be a “part of the process” within the gathering of all the key groups that make up the enterprise of intercollegiate athletics. That alone makes this something we must do.
• One of the really neat aspects of this proposal arrangement is that it provides each and every CoSIDA member, if they choose to participate and take advantage of the professional environment with “value add-ons”. A member can go and choose to just register for CoSIDA and still gain additional value due to being around all of the other groups and building new relationships and gaining new perspectives. If they want still more value, they can choose to then pay some reasonable additional fee to fully participate in such areas as specific marketing and promotions based sessions. In essence, we are providing more choices and more opportunities to use the convention experience to put together an experience that is best for that member and best for their career. Justin Doherty is putting together a workshop program in San Antonio that is based on the theme of “MySIDA”- a program that will enable folks to have opportunities to have choices as to what sessions to attend based on interests. This NACDA relationship proposal provides each CoSIDA member the opportunity to take this “MySIDA” theme to an even much higher level due to all of the choices that would be available. The opportunity “to build” ones personal experience at this type of convention provides so much more membership value and professional benefits.
• Improved relationships with all of the other groups within the administrative community, which will be much more fruitful via this proposal, are paramount in helping CoSIDA as it advances various initiatives in the future for the benefit of its profession, membership- both collectively and individually- and the organization. CoSIDA has to understand that it fully needs the NACDA based community to significantly assist it in dealing with issues and challenges and adopting this proposal will enable that to take place in a more significant way than is possible with our current arrangement.
• Earlier convention dates would be better for job seekers and job holders as it relates to CoSIDA. More potential job seekers in one central location.
What Are the “Cons” and Questions Relating to the Proposed CoSIDA/NACDA Relationship
• We lose the unique intimacy of our convention with this arrangement
• The NACDA convention is so big that it is pretty much limited to just a couple of locations due the huge amount of rooms and appropriate space needed to execute things. One of the pluses of the current CoSIDA is we get to go to so many different cities around the country. That won’t be possible with this arrangement.
• There appear to be benefits that we gain while being a part of the convention, but the benefits of this arrangement with regard to the other 360 days of the year appear to be limited. As a result, perhaps we aren’t getting enough year-long benefit for our $25,000 management fee charge
• Questions should be raised as to where will the money come from within the CoSIDA treasury to pay for the annual $25,000 management fee.
• $25 000 management fee is a lot of money to pay to just have the opportunity to be at a joint-convention with some decent , but not excellent exposure, during the year via NACDA communication vehicles.
• The early/mid June convention dates is still a “working time” for many information directors. That is why our convention has been help late June/early July out of respect for that work schedule.
• This arrangement would/could result in some established regional conventions/meetings- like ECAC-SIDA - having to change their normal calendar schedule due to conflict with the future dates of the proposed joint NACDA/CoSIDA Conventions.
• The organization could lose some sponsorship arrangements and exhibitors due to the fact that some of those groups that currently are involved with CoSIDA, due to our stand-alone convention, are also involved with NACDA and might then decide to just stay involved with the NACDA.
• In the current economic frame, adding an additional $150 to the registration fee in order to have access to all NACDA functions is something that could be problematic, especially to College Division members. Yes we should realize that this is an optional add-on fee, however, one of the selling points to this alliance has been “having a seat at the big kid’s table”, which is fine in theory, but the reality is it comes with a price.
• The basis of the creation of the Executive Director’s position in CoSIDA from the membership’s perception standpoint is that we wanted to invest the money necessary to fill it and move our profession forward without merging with NACDA—this was a discussion that took place for a three-year period leading up to the 2007 San Diego Workshop. The perception, fair or not, could be that “why did we establish an ED when we were going to go with NACDA anyway?”
• The perception, fair or not, is that this alliance will be done to accommodate the wishes of the Division I member institutions and not the greater good of the entire profession.
• CoSIDA’s BOD just negotiated a room rate of $159 for our Anaheim convention in 2013. The NACDA Convention in Orland in 2013 has a room rate of $171. Our rate is lower !
• Concern/question that perhaps after Joan Cronan’s term as NACDA President expires that the commitment from future Presidents of NACDA might be more indifferent. Could this “relationship-based agreement” take an unfavorable shift due to her leaving and others come aboard who do not feel as she does.
• Question/not convinced other athletics administrators will want to see what a CoSIDA workshop session is like.
• Don’t see this arrangement as one that will likely help grow the number JC SIDs who attend CoSIDA.
• SIDs have always enjoyed CoSIDA because they could let their hair down so to speak and not worry about AD’s, etc. seeing them. With NACDA, many of our folks may not be as relaxed as CoSIDA and thus not be themselves in a convention setting with the AD or school colleagues present.