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Sen. Doc. No. 12-034

2010-2011 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE

ATHLETIC COUNCIL UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST

Presented at the

716th Regular Meeting of the Faculty Senate April 5, 2012

MEMBERSHIP LIST

Representing the Faculty Nelson Lacey (Co-Chair) Rod Warnick (Co-Chair)

Samuel Hazen Dayo Gore

Marilyn Billings (Spring 2011) Tracy Schoenadel

Patricia Vittum (Secretary) – Sabbatical (Fall 2010) Rebecca Spencer

Representing the Alumni

Robert Goodhue George Richason James Sullivan

Ed Ward

Representing the Students Daniel Brothers

Christian Waterman Nicholas J. Avanzato

Sarah Hayes John Crimarco

Adam Sunshine (Fall 2010) Cameron Morley

Jennifer Corriveau (Representing SAAC) Li Gu (Representing Graduate Students)

Zach Hathaway Nick DeChristopher

John Ihne (Fall Semester 2010 Representing SAAC)

Ex-Officio Members Ernest May (voting, Faculty Senate)

John McCutcheon (non-voting, Director of Athletics) Steve Upton (voting, University Advancement designee)

Glenn Wong (voting, NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative)


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I. ATHLETIC COUNCIL OVERVIEW According to Section 4: paragraph 5-4-1 of the Bylaws of the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Faculty Senate (May, 2004), the Athletic Council is responsible for implementing a “Statement of Athletic Policy” and reporting to the Faculty Senate and Student Government Association on an annual basis. This bylaw statement may be found at the Faculty Senate Web Site along with the current membership, copies of the minutes and annual reports. Please see <www.umass.edu/senate/councils/athletic.html> for full updated and archived reports. A. Introduction. In accordance with its mission, the Athletic Council (hereafter the Council) held eight (8) regularly scheduled meetings during the academic year 2010-11 academic year. Six (6) subcommittees (Finance; Facilities; Compliance; Academics; and Equity, Minority Opportunities and Student-Athlete Welfare and Vision) were active and charged to focus on issues within their purview. A summary of each of the subcommittee reports appears within this report. The Council’s meetings were organized around an agenda that included but was not limited to (1) brief reports from representatives of the Athletic Department, (2) discussion of items of current interest to the Council, (3) reports from the six active subcommittees and the Student-Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC), (4) reports from invited guests, and (5) reports from coaches and administrators/staff. Last year’s Athletic Department administrative representatives included John McCutcheon (Director of Athletics) – regular attendee at all Athletic Council meetings, Tim Kenney (Senior Associate Athletic Director for Advancement and Athletic Development), Elaine Sortino (Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women's Administrator), Kim Callicoate (Associate Athletic Director for Compliance), Carol Ford (Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance), Jaime Seguin (Executive Associate Athletic Director for Business and Finance and Associate Senior Women’s Administrator) Josh Maurer (Manager of Broadcast Properties and “Voice of the Minutemen”), Joan Hopkins (Associate Athletic Director of Academic Support Services); Jason Yellin; (Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations); Todd MacDonald, (Associate Athletic Director for Marketing); John “Rocko” Deluca (Associate Athletic Director and Director of Athletic Development); Zulma Garcia (Director of Campus Recreation and Club Sports); Caren Weiner (Sport Nutritionist and Director of Athletic Health Services) and the regular attendance and note-taker, Julie Sarsynski (Athletics Office Manager). Coaches who were invited and presented to the Athletic Council included: Angela McMahon, Women’s Lacrosse and her staff; and Sharon Dawley, Women’s Basketball and her staff. Last year’s special invited guests included:

• Chancellor Robert Holub (Discussion of Conference Realignment and Football Upgrade to FBS)

• Paul McGregor, Director of UMass Concessions (UMass Auxiliary Services)

• Ken Toong, Executive Director Auxiliary Services and Staff including David Pipczynski, Assistant Manager – Berkshire Dining Commons; and Susan Shibley, Dining Services Administrative Assistant.

• John Hesselin, General Manager – CBS3, Springfield, MA

• Dennis Swinford, Director of Campus Planning, Facilities Management and Neils LaCour, Assistant Director of Campus Planning

In addition to issues that faced the Council on an on-going basis, these topics dominated the agenda over 2010-11:

1. Conference Realignment and BCS Upgrade 2. NCAA Audit Report for Academic Support Services 3. Course registration process, the RAM, for student-athletes – implementation 4. APR Reports and Compliance issues 5. Gender, Minority, Equity and Diversity opportunity issues within the Athletic Department 6. Media Relations enhancements – including in-game broadcasting and A10 TV contracts


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B. Council Structure. The membership list of the Council included seven faculty members (appointed by the Faculty Senate), three members appointed by the Alumni Association, four ex-officio members (Director of Athletics, NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative, Secretary of the Faculty Senate, and a designee from the office of the Vice Chancellor for University Advancement) and eight student members. The full roster of the Athletic Council appears on the cover page of this document. Each member of the Athletic Council is also appointed to one of six (6) subcommittees. Most members serve on two subcommittees. C. Attendance Records. Attendance records for the 2010-11 year (meetings attended/meetings eligible as member) for each member of the Council: Faculty (F), Alumni (A), and Ex-Officio (X)

Billings (F).................6/8 Spencer (F).........................6/8 Goodhue (A) ..............6/8 Upton (A) ...........................5/8

May (X) .....................4/8 Vittum (F) ..........................3/4 (Sab. F’10) McCutcheon (X)........7/8 Ward (A) ............................8/8 Warnick (F) ...............6/8 Lacey (F)............................8/8 Richason (A)..............8/8 Gore (F)..............................3/8 Schoenadel (F)...........5/8 Wong (X) ...........................4/8 Sullivan (A) ...............0/8 Hazen (F)............................7/8 Student Representative Attendance* (Students appointments began in Oct. ’10) Brothers .....................7/7

Waterman ..................0/7 Avanzato ...................5/7

Corriveau ...................7/8** Crimarco ....................7/7 DeChristopher............0/7 Hayes .........................7/7 Hathaway...................0/7 Gu .............................1/7 Ihne ............................4/4** (Fall 2010 only – representing SAAC) Morley .......................6/7 Hathway.....................4/4 (Spring 2011 only) Sunshine ....................3/4 (Fall 2010 only) **Corriveau and Ihne continued on the AC from previous year, representing the SAAC as student-athletes. D. Meetings Schedule – 2010-2011 Academic Year. Council meetings took place on: Friday, September 10, 2010; Friday, October 8, 2010; Friday, November 5, 2010; and Friday, December 10, 2010 for Fall Semester 2010; and Friday, February 4, 2011; Friday, March 4, 2011; Friday, April 8, 2011; and Friday, May 6, 2011 for the Spring Semester 2011. II. OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING 2010-2011 The Athletic Department and Media Relations provided this overview of the success of UMass Athletics in the 2010-2011 Academic Year including academic, athletic, coach achievements, facility upgrades and media exposure. Academic Success Fall Semester 2010 and Spring Semester 2011 Academic Success – A10 Honor Roll. The Atlantic 10 Conference announced the Commissioner's Honor Roll for the Fall Semester 2010 and Spring Semester 2011. UMass had 113


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student athletes on the Fall Semester 2010 Honor Roll and 111 on the Spring Semester 2011 Honor Roll. UMass ranked second in the conference in the Fall Semester and fourth in the 14-team conference for the Spring Semester.

To be listed on the Commissioner's Honor Roll, a student-athlete in an Atlantic 10-sponsored sport must have a 3.5 GPA or better (on a 4.0 scale) during the specified semester.

For the Spring 2011 semester, UMass placed fourth overall in the league with 111 athletes honored this semester. Fordham took top honors with 128 athletes, next was LaSalle (117) and third was Dayton (113). UMass was lead on the women's side by the track and field and cross country teams and also noted, the rowing team who came in close behind with a large number of honor roll athletes. On the Men's side the track and field and cross country teams had the highest number honored.

• A10 Honor Rolls 2009-2010. For the 2010-2011 AY, 113 student-athletes were named to A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the Fall Semester of 2010 (earning a GPA of 3.5 or better) and the UMass student athlete achievements ranked second in the A-10 behind LaSalle and 111 student-athletes were named to the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the Spring Semester 2011 and UMass ranked fourth behind LaSalle, Fordham, Dayton and Rhode Island.

• Three UMass Teams Honored for Academic Excellence. The UMass women's soccer, softball, and men's outdoor track and field teams were honored being named recipients of Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA, based on the most recent multi-year (2011) Academic Progress Rates (APR). The awards are given to teams scoring in the top 10 percent in each sport with their APRs. This is the third-straight honor for the women's soccer team, while the softball and men's track programs are being recognized for the second year in a row.

• NCAA APR Progress Reports – 2011. In the most recent NCAA Academic Progress Rate Report, released in spring of 2011 covering the 2009-2010 academic year:

o Men’s Teams APRs. The men’s sports had a composite score of 976/1000, with all 10 teams’

multi-year rates above the cut score of 925. Three teams held perfect scores for retention and graduation of 1000 – baseball, cross country and soccer.

o Women’s Teams APRs. The women’s sports had a composite score of 990/1000, with all 11 teams at or above a 979. Five teams held perfect scores – cross country, soccer, tennis, indoor track and outdoor track.

o Composite APRs and Team Highlights. The composite multi-year rate for UMass released in May 2011 covering academic years 2006-2007 through 2009-2010 was 975 with the men’s teams averaging 965 and the women’s teams averaging 983. Men’s outdoor track and women’s softball and soccer each maintained a perfect 1000 score over the five year review period. The UMass composite score is five points higher than the national average of 970 for all Division I institutions.

Individual and Team Academic Achievements: In total, the UMass individual academic awards, totaled 108 individual academic awards, including a number of Academic All-American and Academic All-Conference Awards. Academic quality and student-athlete academic performance continues to put our programs at the top of the conference in which we compete including the A10, Hockey East, ECAC and CAA.


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Highlights from Academic Support Services Annual Report, 2010-2011:

• The cumulative grade point average for all sports teams at UMass for the academic year was a 3.04.

• 3 men’s teams and 10 women’s teams finished the year with cumulative team grade point averages over a 3.00.

• 243 student-athletes had a grade point average of 3.0 or above for the Spring Semester. This represents 43% of the total student-athlete population.

• 30 student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average during the academic year.

• At the end of the Spring Semester the women’s team had their highest combined grade point average ever at UMass, earning a combine 3.27 grade point average.

• Student-athletes are represented in every college on campus, with the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences having the highest number of majors.

• Kinesiology was the major of choice for the highest percentage of student-athletes.

• The following teams had their highest term grade point average ever for the fall or spring semester: Women’s outdoor track, men’s outdoor track

• The following teams had their highest cumulative grade point averages ever for the fall or spring semester: Women’s basketball, women’s outdoor track, men’s outdoor track

Coaching Successes: • Diving Coach Honored by US Junior Olympics. UMass diving coach Mandy Hixon is one of three mothers

of United States Junior Olympians to be honored by Proctor & Gamble as part of the International Olympic Committee sponsor's "Thank You Mom" initiatives.

• Men’s Swimming Coach – Coach of the Year. Men's coach Russ Yarworth was once again named A-10

Coach of the Year, his conference record 12th time winning the honor.

• Men’s and Women’s Diving Coach – Coach of the Year. Mandy Hixon swept both the Men's and Women's Diving Coach of the Year awards for the third year in a row.

• UMass Field Hockey Coach Honored. UMass field hockey head coach Justine Sowry was named 2010 Dita/NFHCA Division I Northeast Region Coach of the Year on Tuesday, as announced by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. For the third time in four years, Sowry led UMass to the Atlantic 10 Championship and the NCAA Tournament in 2010 and was named A-10 Coach of the Year. This is the second time in her four seasons as head coach of the Minutewomen that Sowry has been named Northeast Region Coach of the Year (2008). She is one of just five coaches nationally to earn the honor.

Athletic Successes: In 2010-2011, UMass teams won three (3) conference championships (men’s swimming and women’s lacrosse and field hockey); 15 teams competing in conference championship tournaments and six (6) teams competed in NCAA tournaments. Two teams played in conference championship finals (rowing and men’s lacrosse) and four teams were ranked within the top twenty in the national (men’s lacrosse was ranked as high as #9; women’s lacrosse was as high as #13; men’s swimming ranked as high as #14; and women’s field hockey ranked as high as #19). UMass student athletes collected 34 individual athletic performance awards including a number of national awards and all-conference recognitions.


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Broad Athletic Alumni and Recognized Achievements:

• Athletes at the professional level:

o Highest FCS Draft Pick. In the 2010 NFL Second-Round Draft pick Vladimir Ducasse (New York Jets) was the highest selected UMass player in more than 40 years. He was also the highest drafted player from all of FCS in 2010. Ducasse was an All-American lineman at UMass. Victor Cruz (WR) status with NY Giants has also been impressive with his naming as Rookie of Year candidate and also NFL All Star teams, Ihegabo status with New York Jets and New England Patriots has also brought recognition to UMass and UMass Athletics.

o Record Number of Professional Football Players. In 2010-2011, a school record six former UMass football players have made NFL rosters for 2010. That includes three players from the 2009 team: lineman Vladimir Ducasse, drafted in the second round by the New York Jets; receiver Victor Cruz an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants and receiver Jeremy Horne, with the Kansas City Chiefs, also after going undrafted. They join James Ihedigbo (Jets/Patriots), Jeremy Cain (Jaguars) and Matt Lawrence (Baltimore Ravens).

o Players in Professional Ranks. In addition to football, since 2008, nearly one dozen former UMass athletes have played at the professional level in basketball (men’s and women’s), ice hockey, baseball, and men’s lacrosse.

o UMass Distinguished Alumni Award. Former UMass hockey standout Peter Trovato '05 is one of seven recipients of the 2011 UMass Distinguished Alumni Awards as announced by the University Alumni Association. Trovato was awarded the Distinguished Young Alumni Award which honors alumni who have graduated within the last ten years and have demonstrated accelerated career progression in public, business or professional realms and used their UMass Amherst education in a quest for excellence. Trovato is the founder of the Massachusetts Soldiers Legacy Fund, a non-profit organization that offers educational assistance grants to the children of fallen soldiers from Massachusetts that has gained national attention and recognition.

Other UMass Successes Through Athletics:

• Largest Single Gift to UMass Athletics. Largest single gift to the Athletic Department in history - $10 million irrevocable bequest for the construction of the UMass Champions Center in which design plans are now underway.

• Gender Equity and Compliance. Gender equity compliance was achieved for 2010-2011 Academic Year.

o Successfully closed and are maintaining the scholarship budget gender equity gap between men’s and women’s programs

o Added several coaching staff positions to female programs o Increased female programs recruiting budgets

Facility Additions and Improvements.

• Campus Recreation Center – Increased and Peak Use Patterns. First full year of use indicates increased and sustained use patterns.

• McGuirk Alumni Stadium, home of UMass Football and UMass Women’s Lacrosse. � Completed banner image enhancement project and upgrades to landscaping and visual

branding linking portraying UMass football over the years.


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• Garber Field, home of UMass Men’s Lacrosse and UMass Field Hockey. � Installed new bleachers, new press box, and have completed image enhancement projects with

banners throughout the facility.

• Boyden Gym � Completing the renovation of space for teams and offices including added new locker rooms

for women’s rowing, tennis, women’s lacrosse and softball and doubled the size of the training room to accommodate the needs of the 700+ student-athletes.

• Football and Marketing Administrative Offices � Renovated football and athletic department marketing offices in Boyden and at University

Drive Complex. Exposure

� Television Broadcasts. More than 100 games on TV including more than 50 national showings and more than 75 regional/local appearances in 17 different sports.

� Boston Market Event – Colonial Clash. The UMass-University of New Hampshire football game at Gillette Stadium, the 2010 Colonial Clash, drew a 0.88 Nielsen rating, equating to 1.12 million households in the on Oct. 23, 2010 with an attendance of 33,848.

� ESPN Commercials. UMass’ mascot Sam the Minuteman filmed two TV commercials for ESPN’s “This Is SportsCenter”. They included commercial appearances with future Hall of Famer Brett Favre in Fall 2010 World Series champ Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants.

� CBS 3 Broadcasts. Began the initiative to broadcast nearly all games for all sports on CBS 3 Now, a digital TV station of CBS 3 Springfield. This ranks UMass as one of only a few universities to broadcast a broad cross-section of athletic contests and increase the opportunities to generate more sponsorship revenues.

� Outsourcing Marketing and Corporate Sponsorship. After a competitive bid and review process, hired Nelligan Sports as the marketing and corporate sponsorship arm of the Athletic Department. This agreement and arrangement will begin in the 2011-2012 AY when a staff and office outreach department will open in the Boyden Athletic Complex.

• Statewide Outreach Games and Games of Significant Attendance

• Football Colonial Clash. The football clash between University of New Hampshire and UMass set a

CAA attendance record of 32,848. It was the most fans to watch a UMass football team play a game against an FCS opponent. The previous record was 23,454 when UMass played the 2006 NCAA FCS Semifinal at the University of Montana.

• Record Attendance at UMass Football Game versus University of Michigan. The largest crowd ever to see a UMass football game was set at Michigan in 2010 when 110,187 watched the UMass v. Michigan game on September 18, 2010.

• Record Football Seasonal Attendance Record Set. The total attendance for UMass Football for 2010 was 238,747 for a season record attendance with an average attendance per game of 21,704. Home game attendance totaled 97,871 for an average of 16,311 and McGuirk home attendance averaged 13,004 without the Gillette game.


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• Basketball Outreach Attendance Games. The men’s basketball team continues to offer “home games” at off-campus venues to draw in and engage students, alumni and families from across the prime target market areas and this year played at the TD Bank Garden in Boston, drawing close to 11,000 fans vs. Boston College.

• Frozen Fenway. UMass announced it would play an outdoor ice hockey game in the Frozen Fenway Classic in Boston in January 2012 against the University of Vermont.

• Website, Multimedia Traffic

• Web Traffic, Social Media and Multimedia Traffic. The UMassAthletics.com website continues to

receive close to 1 million page views per month on average and set a record with 1.1 million views in September 2010. Website traffic has continued to grow since 2008. In addition over the last two years, UMass Media Relations now offers multiple ways to connect with UMass Athletic Teams including Twitter™; Facebook™; YouTube™; podcasts; digital photos; and mobile phone/score alert accounts. The UMass Athletic web site ranks nationally in the Top 50 in web traffic. The site continues to be among the Top 25 in All-Access video subscriptions and online store revenue.

III. OVERVIEW OF THE ATHLETIC COUNCIL’S 2010-2011 ACTIVITIES The Athletic Council is responsible for making recommendations on policy and providing advice on general operations of the Department of Athletics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The Department of Athletics has long been visible regionally and nationally, achieving success both in the classroom and on the playing fields. The University maintains its long tradition of balance between academics and athletics. During the 2010-2011 year, the Athletic Council worked in an advisory capacity with the Athletic Director John McCutcheon and other athletic department staff members on the NCAA Audit of Student Academic Support Services; the NCAA FBS Conference Re-alignment; UMass Athletic Strategic Plan and the Athletic Department in general. Highlights of the Athletic Council’s Report for 2010-2011 including the following major topics:

1. NCAA Conference Realignment and FBS Football Upgrade 2. NCAA Audit and A10 Academic Support Services Review 3. Review and Monitoring of the RAM for Student Athletes 4. Gender Equity and Diversity Planning 5. Academic Vision Plan for the Athletic Department 6. Campus Recreation Center Update – First Full Year of Operation

The highlights will be reviewed and presented here followed by the subcommittee reports for the Athletic Council that have been completed and provided in the Appendix. All of the minutes of the Athletic Council may be reviewed at the Faculty Senate website. Topic #1: NCAA Conference Realignment and FBS Football Upgrade. Conference Realignment Athletic Council Discussions Overview. Conference realignment discussions occurred at every monthly Athletic Council Meeting and was also the primary discussion at the Finance Subcommittee Meetings during the 2010-2011 Academic Year. In addition, representatives of the Athletic Council attended meetings of the Rules Committee/Administrative Committee on three occasions and also presented to the Faculty Senate the review process for the conference realignment issue at the May 2011 meeting and a return presentation was requested of the Athletic Department for September 2011. Conference Realignment Updates. The Athletic Council was updated at the October and November 2010 meetings on conference realignment and most of the discussion centered around other upper levels teams moving from


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conference to conference and the impacts on CAA teams such as UMass. Discussions also included other options for football realignments and the impacts to the University. UMass Success Against FBS Teams, 2005-2010. Of particular interest was the response to the UMass football team performance with highly regarded FBS teams in the past few years including the recent games with Michigan, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Army and Navy games. Attendance at the Colonial Clash in October 2010 was also considered another positive trend in the consideration of conference realignment. Issues Necessary for Conference Realignment and FBS Upgrade. The conference realignment move upgrade to FBS football status would require at least three major external issues – conference invitation, attendance trends, and the opportunities to generate more revenue through guarantee games. Internally, it was communicated that the move would require additional University goals. These included keeping the current athletic department goals intact – maintaining a commitment to gender equity, winning traditions, positive student-athlete experience and enhance revenue opportunities while not jeopardizing base funding to other sports or the reduction in the current fielding of teams. Possible Realignment Scenarios. Possible conference realignment scenarios included the MAC, the Big East, a new Big East configuration, ACC and Conference USA. However, the discussion also noted that most FBS Conference realignment scenarios included the opportunity to consider the media markets; the FBS division experience to date; and the opportunity to build larger conferences with playoff game potentials and additional game and conference revenues. Review by Finance Committee of Athletic Council. While AD John McCutcheon updated the Athletic Council on the conference realignment on a regular basis throughout the 2010-2011 AY, a special meeting held on December 6, 2010 (planned for late November) was held to fully discuss and review the financial options of conference realignment and FBS upgrade. At the special meeting of the Finance Committee detailed financial projections were presented and detailed discussions about the opportunities were reviewed. At the time, no specific conference had been identified nor had an invitation to re-align the football program with any specific conference been decided through March 2011. It was also presented that the Athletic Director in consultation with the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees had also on-going discussion on the matter with both the Rules Committee and the Administrative Committee. Finance committee members carefully reviewed the financials as presented to the committee by Jaime Seguin, Associate AD/Executive AD of Business and Finance. The financials were developed on the premise that a set number of games would be held at Gillette Stadium with a number of games remaining on campus during the transition years. It was not known at the time of the discussion what the mix of games at Gillette Stadium would be until more details were developed regarding the non-conference schedule, the conference invitation and alignment and the full commitment and contractual arrangements with both the conference and the Gillette Stadium ownership group. Clearly important in these discussions were the opportunities to increase the revenue potential through conference revenue sharing and TV contracts with major networks, University exposure, increased corporate sponsorship opportunities, and the guarantee money from non-conference games. Furthermore, the opportunity to connect with a sufficiently large alumni base in eastern portion of the Commonwealth periodically, and specifically in the Boston area where a large portion of UMass Alumni reside revealed potentially greater income and revenue opportunities. On-going discussions regarding season ticket sales were also monitored. It was clear that the sales of season tickets in Amherst were relatively low; however, the sale of season tickets would be expanded with the relocation of a portion of the games to the Foxboro and Gillette Stadium location. Gillette Stadium Venue for UMass Football. Additional comments surrounded the quality and full dimensions of the opportunities afforded to the University through the use of the Gillette and the quality of the stadium as it is considered to be one of the best football facilities in the NFL and perhaps in the U.S. Included in these discussions were concessions, cost of use of the stadium, parking, transportation and relocation/practice use of the facilities. A number of members of the Finance Subcommittee expressed concerns about moving football off campus and the issues surrounding the need to maintain some connection and opportunity to field games on campus were discussed. Included in these discussions were other teams that had successes playing in professional stadiums including USC, UCLA,


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Miami (FL), Georgia, Tulane, LSU, UTSA, and Temple among others. While most were positive, there were and are challenges in turning a professional venue into a college atmosphere venue. The attractiveness and quality of the Gillette Stadium appeared to offset most concerns. Pro Forma Financial Statement Analysis. Complete pro forma statements were shared with the committee and line items were carefully reviewed and explained in detail. Careful attention was given to the projection and conservative nature of the projections on both the revenue and expense sides of the pro forma statements. Revenue projections were modest based on past experience such as for game guarantees and expense items were project to grow at an average 3% per year that were in line with previous experiences; expectations and comparable other conference teams. Unknown issues at the time were also debated including increase coaching hires and staffing increases; however, it was clear that all teams would be expected to work within their budgets for issues where changes may and would occur. It was communicated that upgrades to women’s sports would occur to remain Title IX compliant and that this intent to upgrade would not affect any terminations of other sports. Advantages and Disadvantages– Cost and Revenue Factors. Advantages and disadvantages of various conference realignment scenarios and possible revenue potentials were also discussed and reviewed. Finally, other scenarios including remaining in the Colonial Athletic Conference and realigning to other divisions were reviewed and the potential impacts to the Athletic Department were reviewed. With the increased costs to travel to schools in more distant markets in the current CAA Conference, it was also clear that the expenses to remain at the FCS level would likely increased substantially in the near future without the additional revenue opportunities that a FBS Conference realignment opportunity would provide. Vote to Endorse by Finance Subcommittee – December 6, 2010. The Finance Subcommittee voted unanimously to endorse the move to the FBS level with the possible invitation from an FBS Conference to be forthcoming in the next few months. Full Athletic Council Review. At the December 10, 2010 Athletic Council meeting, the Athletic Director John McCutcheon and Executive and Associate Athletic Director, Jaime Seguin presented the current state of conference realignment to the full Athletic Council. Review of Realignment and FBS Upgrade Process. Over the previous seven months (prior to the December 2010 Athletic Council meeting), Chancellor Holub and John McCutcheon had several conversations in regards to the conference realignment issues with particular interest in upgrading the football program to FBS status if an appropriate conference invitation were extended to UMass. It was clear that preparation for this discussion and the possible opportunity to respond to an invitation was critical in these early planning stages. Also important and critical to the decision was the opportunity to utilize Gillette Stadium through agreements with the Kraft family without the immediate investments in stadium upgrades and enhancements. This would make the arrangement more attractive and viable. Other critical points were the number of high quality D1 football teams that were anxious to play us here in New England. The Chancellor and the AD explored opportunities and various possibilities to better position and strengthen our football program. The goals were to associate more with AAU Institutions and “Flagship” status institutions (in particular, large state flagship campus comparable to UMass in size and statue) and to improve revenue potential for the Athletic Department. An extended conversation and discussion on a variety of the topics were presented and all members of the Council participated in the discussion including faculty, alumni members and especially the students. AD McCutcheon and Seguin reviewed possible conference options, financial criteria, plans to maintain gender equity, transition requirements, and the planning and possible scenarios for the process. Glenn Wong (FAR) and Jamie Seguin (Associate AD for Finance), who participated in the Administration Task Force, also provided comments about the potential impact for conference realignment. Vote of Endorsement, Faculty Athletic Council – December 10, 2010. The Athletic Council voted unanimous support in favor of reclassifying football to the FBS Level and pursuing an appropriate conference affiliation. There


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were seventeen (17) voting members endorsing the reclassification to Division I Football at the December 10th, 2011 meeting. The vote was 17-0. Update of Conference Realignment and FBS Upgrade Through Spring 2011. The Athletic Director, John McCutcheon kept the Athletic Council informed of potential opportunities throughout the Spring Semester and then presented the final invitation and details to the Athletic Council at the May 2011 meeting also attended by Chancellor Holub. At that specific time, the full scheduling and all financial and game scheduling details had not yet been fully ironed out although the Athletic Department and the Mid-America Conference had agreed in principle to the addition of UMass and contractual commitments were made. Updates on the process were shared with the Athletic Council at the February, March and April meetings. Site visits, contractual details, and agreements with Gillette Stadium were all areas of more detailed analysis of the realignment process in these discussions that were on-going throughout the late Spring and Summer of 2011. A detailed discussion about the conference realignment and upgrade to FBS level football occurred at the May 2011 Athletic Council meeting. Chancellor Holub addressed the Athletic Council from his perspective on the merits of Conference Realignment and FBS Upgrade. Items reviewed including the revenue projections, discussions about travel costs, television and game guarantees, and subsequent anticipated additional costs and expenses to remain Title IX and gender equity compliant were reviewed throughout the process in substantial detail. Addendum – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) by Faculty Senate. A full summary of the details of the entire time line and discussions/contract negotiations were also shared with the Faculty Senate as a review document in October 2011 as requested. Questions continued to arise over the agreement and decision-making process throughout the late Spring Semester 2011 and into the Fall Semester 2011. A request was sent to the Athletic Council noted as a set of “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ). Those questions were documented and delivered to the Faculty Senate Secretary, Ernie May on November 3, 2011. This document was distributed to the Rules Committee in November 2011 and also distributed to the Athletic Council at their November 2011 meeting. The document is available from the Faculty Senate Office or from the Athletic Council. The summary is noted here. Summary of Conference Realignment Decision from FAQ. In the summer and fall of 2010, Chancellor Holub and AD McCutcheon entered into preliminary discussions with the Mid-America Conference (MAC) and with the Kraft family (owners of Gillette Stadium) to explore the possibility of elevating the UMass Amherst football program to the FBS. After these discussions suggested the feasibility of such a move, Athletic Director McCutcheon developed a full financial model that was shared with the Deputy Chancellor, the Faculty Athletics Representative, the Chief Information Officer and the Associate Chancellor during two separate meetings (during this timeframe). This same financial model, which projected that the campus subsidy to football would diminish over time as a result of the move, was then shared first with the Finance Subcommittee of the Athletic Council in November 2010 [actual meeting occurred on December 6, 2010 although the meeting was planned in November 2010] (which approved the financial plan and the proposed move unanimously), and then with the full Athletic Council in December 2010 (which likewise approved the financial plan and the proposed move unanimously). This same plan was shared with the Faculty Senate Rules Committee in December 2010, and then with the leadership or the Board of Trustees and the President of UMass, who gave their verbal approval for the move. In February 2011, the proposed move to the FBS was presented to the full membership of the Board of Trustees at its regular meeting. On March 15, 2011, Chancellor Holub, with full knowledge of the appropriate UMass Office of the President and trustee leadership, signed a membership agreement with the MAC. On April 19, 2011 Chancellor Holub, again with the full knowledge of the appropriate UMass Office of the President and trustee leadership, signed a contract for the use of Gillette Stadium that a collegiate athletic consultant, hired at the behest of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, judged to be substantially more advantageous than the contracts signed by other universities to use professional stadiums. Financial Details of Plan. All of the financial details of this move were shared in their entirety with the Athletic Council, the Faculty Senate Rules Committee, an Ad Hoc committee of the Board of Trustees, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and the President of the University of Massachusetts, and a shorter version of the plan was shared with the full membership of the Board of Trustees. This was done before contracts were signed with the MAC and with Gillette Stadium. Because the costs of making McGuirk Stadium ADA compliant, among other upgrades, were


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expected to occur even if we remained in the FCS and CAA, they were not included in the financial details shared with the individuals and groups listed above. Options Considered. The options of phasing out football or moving to Division III football were considered. These options were rejected because neither were deemed appropriate for our profile as one of the nation’s finest flagship public and state universities (and both would rob our world-class marching band of an appropriate venue for its performances). The option of remaining in the CAA at the FCS level also was considered carefully. This option was rejected because of the rapidly increasing costs of remaining in the CAA (due to the addition of southern teams and the departure of northern squads), and the absence of new revenues that become available to UMass Amherst as a member of the MAC and the FBS. Detailed Timeline of Decision Process. A detailed timeline and set of “Frequently Asked Questions” about the decisions regarding Conference Realignment and BCS Football Upgrade were shared with the Faculty Senate Office and Faculty Senate Secretary, Ernie May (Athletic Council Member) on November 3, 2011 documenting the process and actions of the Chancellor, the Athletic Director, the Athletic Council, the Finance Subcommittee, the Board of Trustees, the Rules Committee, the Administrative Committee and the President’s Office on the decision(s). Topic #2: NCAA Audit of Academic Support Services Overview. The NCAA requires an external review and study of the Athletic Department’s Academic Support Services and this review was required in the 2010-2011 Academic Year. The review must be completed by external members of the Athletic Department. The Athletic Council formed an Ad Hoc Committee for this review. This committee reported to the Academic Subcommittee of the Athletic Council. Members of the Ad Hoc Committee included: Nelson Lacey, Chair and Co-Chair of the Athletic Council, Faculty Member of Finance and Operations Management Department; Rod Warnick, Co-Chair of the Athletic Council and Faculty Member of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Department; Marilyn Billings, Library and Rules Committee and Athletic Council Member; and Rebecca Spencer, Athletic Council Member and Faculty, Psychology Department. Three liaison staff members from the Athletic Department were made available to assist in the completion of the review. Staff members assisting the committee from the Athletic Department included Elaine Sortino, Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women’s Administrator; Joan Hopkins, Associate Athletic Director for Academic Support Services and Kim Callicoatte, Associate Athletic Director for Compliance. The Ad Hoc Committee was challenged with completing a complete review of all academic services functions in the department. This review also included a complete and extensive survey of all student athletes (714 students athletes were polled) from all teams regarding a variety of student athlete experiences in the department with special attention on the Academic Support Services. The study was framed and a survey developed based on reviews of other similar reports completed at NCAA D1 schools over the past few years as a working framework for the study. The study commenced in the Fall Semester and the student athlete survey was completed in April 2011. The report was drafted and completed in the late Spring 2011 and made available for the A10 Compliance Review that occurred in June 2011. Six major areas of strength for the academic support services were highlighted including: 1) high quality of student athletes recruited; 2) academic support services awareness and utilization; 3) new program development; 4) academic monitoring; 5) tutoring program; 6) RAM system implementation; and 7) focus on quality improvement. A set of NCAA Audit recommendations were also made including: 1) enhanced staffing needs; 2) facility improvements; 3) enhanced and extended program services; 4) full implementation of RAM; 5) improved/continued benchmarking; 6) tutor evaluations; and 7) report refinement and presentations to coaches and staff support areas across all athletic services. Highlights of the report are noted here in the Academic Subcommittee Report. The full committee report is available from the UMass Athletic Department. Topic #3: Registration Process for Student Athletes. Overview. The Athletic Council reviewed and provided additional support for the Registration Appointment Modification (RAM) for student athletes for both Spring and Fall. This process was and is intended to provide registration assistance to student athletes and was implemented for the first time in the 2009-2010 AY process for student athletes and other affected groups for the Fall Semester 2010 and Spring Semester 2011 registration period.


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This process is open not only to student athletes but also to other students from across campus who have unusual university specific commitments. RAM will be especially helpful to student athletes in order to accommodate their schedules for team practices, workout sessions/athletic training and game competition commitments. Equally important is ensuring that student athletes are making significant academic progress and there is a new NCAA requirement called the Academic Progress Report (APR) that now monitors all student athletes by team. RAM Monitoring. This monitoring of this process has also highlighted the disadvantage that UMass student athletes have had as opposed to all other conference foes regarding priority registrations. Only two schools in the A10 conference do not have priority registration – UMass and St. Bonaventure prior to the implementation of this system. This new program helps alleviate the major problems for getting the right requirements and keeping students on track for graduation. RAM is currently only open to those student athletes within season schedules and also other priority groups. There is somewhat less pressure in the Spring as about 150 student athletes graduate and do not pre-register for the fall semester. Student athletes register with their appropriate class and are prioritized only within their class standing. Joan Hopkins shared a progress report for Spring Semester 2010 that revealed that overall 95% of the student athletes were able to register for classes on the first day allowed and the rate was 96% for Seniors; 95% for Juniors; 91% for Sophomores and 93% for Freshmen. Joan Hopkins also expressed that there will be a challenge in the Fall Semester to implement pre-registration for the Spring Semester. Additional monitoring of this process is needed and will continue as there continues to be strong evidence that priority registration may be equally beneficial in non-competing semesters as well as competition semesters. For example, the NCAA Audit Report on Academic Support Services conducted by members of the Athletic Council indicated:

• Difficulty in Registration Prior to RAM. Prior to RAM implementation, nearly 47% (n=227 students) experienced difficulty registering for classes (total n=481 UMass student athlete participants in NCAA Audit conducted in April 2011). An additional 5% (N=23) of those who did get classes expressed concerns with the registration process for student athletes.

• Registration Process After RAM. When asked about their experiences after implementation of the RAM system, 92% (n=392) indicated that they felt the RAM system helped them schedule the needed classes for the specific semester when they were competing.

• Still Concerns Over Registration in Non-Competing Semesters. However, an additional 8% (n=33) still expressed some concerns about getting the needed courses through the registration process. When asked directly about the process of getting courses in their non-competing semesters without RAM, 22% (n=87) indicated that they still experienced problems.

Problems with Completing Major Requirements. When the students were asked if they had experienced any problems in completing their degree requirements for their majors, 30% (n=144) indicated such problems. Another 13% (n=64) indicated that there were not enough course offerings at proper times to accommodate their needs. In addition, 38% (n=184) felt frustrated with the selection of their major and degree or major requirements as a result of the conflicts between their schedule and athletic team responsibilities including practice schedules and competitive schedules.

Topic #4: Gender Equity and Diversity Planning The Director and Senior Women’s Administrator of Athletics have been charged with reporting annually to the Athletic Council on the representation, opportunities, and support services provided by the department to minority student-athletes, as well as the attention given to the representation in coaching and administrative positions. This report also serves to provide monitoring and reporting on Title IX compliance, gender issues and general student athlete welfare. Specific sections of the report include participation or roster management; student-athlete minority opportunity; scholarships; athletic department staffing; and student-athlete welfare.


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The Department of Athletics also annually provides the NCAA with information on the ethnicity of student athletes and these data are broken down into required NCAA categories and are collected for all student athletes and for all scholarship student athletes specifically. Participation numbers by gender and race and scholarship aid by gender and race and Athletic Department staffing are included in the Committee Reports on Compliance noted later. Those highlighted details include: Participation Results. Information provided by the University of Massachusetts Office of Institutional Research and reported to the EADA indicated that there were 10,038 males (51%) and 9,656 females (49%) full time undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Massachusetts for Fall of 2010. The roster numbers for all sports for the 2009-10 academic year, based on the first date of competition totaled 356 men (50%) and 358 women (50%). It should be noted that the totals on each roster for all sport programs, also includes those student-athletes who have medical exceptions or have exhausted their eligibility. The participation numbers for the academic year 2010-2011 were in compliance with Title IX. Student-Athlete Minority Opportunity Results. The Department of Athletics provides the NCAA annually with information on ethnicity of student-athletes. That information showed that the total minority percentage of student-athletes for 2010-11 was 18.4%. Further defined by gender, the total was 25% (79 male), and 11% (30 female) minority student-athletes. This compares to the 2009-2010 24.8% and the previous year (2008-2009) of 23% diversity trend data. Scholarship Aid Results. The amount of scholarship dollars provided to student-athletes for the 2010-11 academic year is as follows: Males $3,593,845 (54.2%) Females $3,039,434 (45.8%) The figures for 2009-2010 indicated that 56.8% ($3,540,343) was going to male student-athletes and 43.2% ($2,687,517) was going to female student-athletes. It should be noted that these figures include all scholarships, winter session aid, summer session aid, and books. There were 194 male student-athletes receiving aid in 2010-11, of which 65 were minorities for a total of 33.5%. On the female side, there were 175 receiving scholarships, of which 20 were minorities for a total of 11.4%. The overall total of male and female minority student-athletes on aid is 85, which represents 23%. This compares to 198 male student-athletes receiving aid in 2009-2010, of which 71 were minorities for a total of 35.8%. In comparison on the female side in 2009-2010 academic year, there were 166 women receiving scholarships, of which 22 were minorities for a total of 13.2%. Athletic Department Staffing. In 2010-11, the department consisted of 152 full and part time employees, of whom 18 were minority (11.8%); and women made up 36.8% of our staff. In 2010-11, 16 full time positions were filled in Athletics and the breakdown is as follows: 8 females (50%) 3 minorities (2 male, 1 female) (18.8%)


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13 of these positions were coaches: 7 female (53.8%) 3 minorities (2 male, 1 female) (23.1%) This compares to 12 hires in 2009-2010 and eight (8) positions were offered and filled by minority candidates. Of the coaching hires in 2009-2010, five (5) of those positions filled by females (50%) and one position filled by a minority candidate (10%). In 2009-2010, 39% of the staff were women and 13 (9%) represented minority staffing. Student athlete welfare is a major focus in the Athletic Department. Two committees remained highly active during the past year on this topic – the Student Athlete Welfare Group and the Diversity Group. The Student Athlete Welfare Group expanded its staff during the past year and now includes a broader range of Athletic Department staff and this committee now meets monthly. The Diversity Group also consists of broad base of Athletic Department staff and also meet monthly and it focuses on diversity issues of both student athletes and staff. Student-Athlete Welfare. The Athletic Department continues its practice of conducting exit interviews with student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility. In 2010-2011, the Senior Staff continued the practice of personally interviewing randomly selected student-athletes at the end of their competitive seasons. This year for the second time, the department conducted the interviews online. This process yielded 85 out of 114 student- athletes completed their interview for a response rate of 74.5%. While this generated more student-athletes participating, the response rate was down slightly from the previous year when the Athletic Department also conducted an exit interview online of which 76 out of 92 student-athletes (82.6%) participated. The department offered a more extensive survey of the graduating student athletes with multiple survey sections on sports medicine services, weight training services, academic support services, interactions with faculty, commitment to diversity, commitment to gender equity, impact of personal characteristics and the achievement of overall goals while in school including athletic, academic and social goals. Overall, the interviews continue to reflect that most of the student-athletes are satisfied with their athletic experience at the University of Massachusetts. The only area rated low was in the life skills programming area that continues to be under review as an evolving program. When asked how they would rate their overall athletic experience at UMass during the 2010-2011 the graduating student athletes found 66.2% had met all or most of their athletic goals; 70.3% of all or most of their academic goals and 77% of all or more of their social goals while attending UMass. Details of these findings are posted here in the Gender Equity and Diversity Subcommittee Report. Topic #5: Strategic Plan and Vision for the Athletic Department A preliminary draft of a strategic plan for the Athletic Department was reviewed by the Vision Subcommittee in May 2010 and this report was reviewed and update during the AY 2010-2011. The Strategic Plan was refined with more data and reviewed during the year. Staff members, John McCutcheon, Athletic Director and Kim Callicoatte, Associate Athletic Director of Compliance served as the staff liaisons to the committee. The committee was under the direction of Robert Goodhue. The plan includes a review of the development of the strategic planning process; a mission and vision statement and a set of core values. Those core values include three (3) main components: 1) winning programs; 2) quality student-athlete experiences; and 3) doing in the right way – being compliant. The plan also included a tiered athletic department set of programs that include three levels of competitive success and excellence. These three levels are 1) nationally competitive teams with a focus for distinction; 2) nationally competitive teams; and 3) conference competitive teams. Highlights of the report are noted here in the Visions Subcommittee Report. The full Athletic Department Strategic Plan is available from the Athletic Department and at the Faculty Senate Web site.


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Topic #6: Campus Recreation Center Report and Update. Zulma Garcia, Director of the Campus Recreation Center updated the Athletic Council on the progress and use of the center during it most recent full year of operation. The overwhelming message after one full year of operation was that the center has “brought a new spirit and vision to the campus as a ‘beacon of activity’”. Use has increased dramatically over the past year and the center has also been nominated by the publication, Athletic Business as a “state-of-the-art” facility in the 2010 Architectural Showcase Awards for such centers. The demand for use of the facility is also noted in its operational hours – during the typical semester it is open 108 hours per week in a typical 168 hours of weekly hours (64.3% of available weekly time). This alone has created some challenges in keeping the facility clean and this is requiring more staff to keep the facility clean. The staff is however working closely with the students, staff and faculty to self-monitor and to participate in keeping the facility safe and clean. Freshmen and new members are a particularly important part of the acclimating program to learn the “culture” of using the campus recreation facility. The response has been acceptable. To put the use of the Campus Recreation Center in perspective, the Boyden Fitness Facility typically generated about 80,000 visits per year on average. The Campus Recreation Center from October 2009 to October 2010 generated 437,942 visits – a five fold increase in fitness and activity use. Use of the center is particularly heavy from Monday through Friday and the staff is also working to recommend use of the facility at non-peak times. Peak times are from 2:30PM through 8PM daily when visits at 2PM average about 5,500 and reach 8,500 by 5PM – this is peak capacity for the facility. Dr. Garcia also noted that the increased demand for use of the facility has also increased all intramural programming demands both within the center; intramurals and sports clubs. The increased volume has also meant increased use of Boyden and auxiliary facilities for intramural programs. Classes for aerobics, spinning, yoga and zumba have also steadily increased. The Campus Recreation Center staff continued to note the student response and even faculty and staff interest in the use of the new facility and in particular the new opportunities to use the facility and, in particular, the requests for tours by perspective students and current students who want to tour and show the facility to their parents. Athletic Council student members also noted that the new Campus Recreation Center provides the campus with another recruitment advantage for students and student athletes, as the facility remains high on the campus tour requests. The Athletic Council will continue to monitor the use of the Campus Recreation Center and the use of its facilities as one of the charges of the council’s reporting duties. IV. ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT BUDGET Pursuant to our charge as a Council, the Athletic Department’s FY10 budget is provided on the next page. The Athletic Department operated in the black for the fifth straight year.


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FY11

ACTUAL % of Overall

Budget FY12

BUDGET % of Overall

Budget

Revenue

State and University Subsidy $10,639,213 44% $10,970,688 44%

Waivers $1,378,000 6% $2,005,960 8%

Student Fees $7,858,242 33% $7,926,583 32%

Ticket and Guarantee Revenue $1,880,330 8% $1,888,000 8%

Marketing Corporate, TV, and

Radio Sponsorship $702,960 3% $474,000 2%

Conference and NCAA

Distribution*1 $996,788 4% $920,607 4%

Facility Rental Income and

Miscellaneous $241,432 1% $210,000 1%

Post Season Revenue $114,405 0% $200,000 1%

UMAA Foundation Annual Drive

towards scholarship *2 $197,492 1% $400,000 2%

Camps $13,701 0% $15,000 0%

Intercollegiate Beginning Fund

Balance Used in FY $7,737 0% $136,809 1%

TOTAL REVENUE $24,030,299 100% $25,147,648 100%

Expenses

Compensation $8,092,558 34% $8,467,442 34%

Scholarships $6,697,374 28% $8,019,825 32%

Sport Program Operating $4,407,427 18% $4,688,694 19%

Post Season $265,527 1% $350,000 1%

Facilities and Game Operations $1,341,943 6% $1,396,321 6%

Administrative Operating $3,214,372 13% $2,210,366 9%

Camps $11,098 0% $15,000 0%

TOTAL EXPENSES $24,030,299 100% $25,147,648 100%

Please note that this report is cash basis versus the NCAA EADA and Audit Report which are accrual basis.

*1 This includes portion of NCAA SAOF grant allocated to scholarship expenses.

*2 This only includes the portion of fundraising that was allocated towards scholarships. This does not reflect the overall fundraising efforts.


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TOTAL COMPENSATION

FY11

TOTAL SCHOLARSHIPS

FY11

TOTAL OPERATING

FY11

TOTAL ACTUAL

FY11 # Athletes/

Team

Baseball $130,492 $76,145 $186,229 $392,867 32

Basketball (M) $918,697 $438,584 $916,050 $2,273,331 16

Basketball (W) $550,501 $478,672 $459,925 $1,489,098 14

Crew (W) $193,787 $237,493 $177,054 $608,334 59

Cross Country (M) $ - $ - $32,432 $32,432

Cross Country (W) $ - $ - $25,178 $25,178

Field Hockey $157,100 $350,666 $127,574 $635,340 27

Football $890,492 $1,750,674 $1,019,028 $3,660,193 98

Ice Hockey $506,741 $556,437 $392,206 $1,455,384 30

Lacrosse (M) $177,736 $284,206 $104,808 $566,750 41

Lacrosse (W) $162,096 $359,866 $128,146 $650,108 29

Soccer (M) $120,719 $71,724 $95,607 $288,050 27

Soccer (W) $160,819 $362,734 $137,472 $661,025 26

Softball $139,064 $350,087 $212,167 $701,318 18

Swimming (M) $122,106 $61,900 $73,477 $257,483 29

Swimming (W) $104,592 $216,071 $75,969 $396,632 33

Tennis (W) $99,800 $227,599 $72,984 $400,383 12

Track M $124,299 $90,605 $76,149 $291,054 83

Track W $100,099 $270,741 $94,973 $465,812 140

Sport Programs Subtotal $4,659,143 $6,184,203 $4,407,427

$15,250,773 714

Post Season Subtotal $ - $ - $265,527 $265,527

Facilities/Game Ops Subtotal $681,014 $ - $1,341,943 $2,022,957

Administration/ General Subtotal $2,752,401 $513,172 $3,214,372 $6,479,945

Camps Subtotal $ - $ - $11,098 $11,098


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TOTAL

COMPENSATION

FY12

TOTAL

SCHOLARSHIPS

FY12

TOTAL

OPERATING

FY12

TOTAL BUDGET

FY12

Baseball $130,966 $78,272 $176,657 $385,894

Basketball (M) $954,985 $520,904 $1,009,370 $2,485,259

Basketball (W) $548,065 $601,043 $493,256 $1,642,363

Crew (W) $194,491 $258,063 $181,836 $634,391

Cross Country (M) $ - $ - $28,061 $28,061

Cross Country (W) $ - $ - $29,167 $29,167

Field Hockey $147,808 $391,566 $134,070 $673,444

Football $1,012,103 $2,302,709 $1,157,887 $4,472,700

Ice Hockey $534,619 $538,447 $354,863 $1,427,929

Lacrosse (M) $176,457 $336,267 $105,040 $617,764

Lacrosse (W) $146,803 $391,566 $132,097 $670,466

Soccer (M) $121,043 $78,272 $95,719 $295,034

Soccer (W) $160,373 $450,433 $154,746 $765,552

Softball $146,417 $404,354 $218,270 $769,041

Swimming (M) $130,388 $73,580 $74,268 $278,236

Swimming (W) $96,306 $299,959 $80,335 $476,599

Tennis (W) $96,614 $261,044 $73,259 $430,917

Track M $127,963 $99,866 $83,601 $311,431

Track W $103,698 $302,461 $106,190 $512,349

Sport Programs Subtotal $4,829,098 $7,388,806 $4,688,694 $16,906,597

Post Season Subtotal $55,000 $ - $350,000 $405,000

Facilities/Game Ops Subtotal $703,057 $ - $1,396,321 $2,099,378

Administration/General Subtotal $2,880,287 $631,019 $2,210,366 $5,721,672

Camps Subtotal $ - $ - $15,000 $15,000

TOTAL EXPENSES FY12 $8,467,442 $8,019,825 $8,660,381 $25,147,648


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Football Budget FY11 FY11 Expense

Budget

FY11 Original Pro Forma

Expense Projections

Athletic Student Aid (academic year) $2,302,709 $2,203,411

Compensation $1,012,103 $1,022,778

Guarantees $75,000 $75,000

Recruiting $208,000 $208,000

Team Travel $474,111 $475,000

Equipment, Uniforms and Supplies $160,000 $190,000

Game Expenses $65,900 $65,900

Fund Raising, Marketing, and Promotion (printing) $11,500 $11,500

Medical Expenses and Medical Insurance $6,750 $7,500

Memberships and Dues $31,000 $32,000

Other Operating Expenses (AV, office, and AO) $125,627 $125,627

Football Specific Budget Subtotal $4,472,700 $4,416,716

Administrative Football Specific Budget Subtotal*1 $1,011,865 $1,011,865

TOTAL FOOTBALL EXPENSES FY12 $5,484,565 $5,428,581

Budget Format Update. The format of the budget reporting now reflects per team expenditures and scholarship aid as well as the projected following year projected budget. The projected increase in the FY12 budget was 4.6% and a significant portion of this budget will be for increase scholarship aid to cover the increases required at the FBS level in the football program and the equal number for gender equity. These scholarship numbers will be phased in though over the transition period of FY12 and FY13 before UMass becomes FBS fully eligible. The per student athlete cost per team across all programs in the UMass Athletic budget based on the EAD reported number of student athletes participating was $22,249 (ave per student athlete) and the average student scholarship aid was $8,661 (ave per student athlete). Given past inquiries at the Faculty Senate regarding the UMass Football program, the total actual expenditures per student athlete places the football program fifth overall in the department and sixth overall in the department in terms of scholarship aid. Expenditures are highest for men’s and women’s basketball followed by women’s softball and tennis, then ice hockey before the average reached by the men’s football program for scholarship aid per student athlete and for actual per student athlete expenditures, the football program fell fifth – slightly ahead of women’s tennis in the rankings of aid per student athlete.


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The full financial reports were again shared throughout the course of the previous year with the Athletic Council, the Rules Committee and the Rules Committee/Administrative Team on several occasions and it was agreed that a full and regular report by the Athletic Department would be presented at the early fall meetings of the Faculty Senate. This budget was also presented to the Faculty Senate in September 2011. It includes the actual FY 11, projected FY12 and the projected FY12 Football Program expenses. V. OTHER ISSUES A. Faculty Athletic Representative to the NCAA. The University continues to be represented by Glenn Wong, Professor in Sport Management, serving in the capacity of Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR), a position mandated by the NCAA. Professor Wong, a sports attorney, keeps the Athletic Council and the Department of Athletics informed about the issues being discussed by FARs nationally and with most active conferences, the A10 Conference in particular. B. Athletic Council Co-Chair Activities. In addition to preparing agendas and reports, the Co-Chairs are called upon to undertake additional duties during the course of the year. Brief highlights of each of these additional items are noted below.

1. Meetings with the Athletic Director.

2. Representation of Athletic Council at Rules Committee/Administrative Committee Meetings.

3. Preparation/Presentation of Annual Reports and Inquiries to the Faculty Senate.

4. Serving on Special Advisory Committee when needed included coach searches and other review

processes.

5. Representing the Athletic Council at Alumni and Development functions of the University, including Athletic Council at Hall of Fame Inductions.

VII. SUMMARY This report provides the “State of the Athletics Program” at the University of Massachusetts as seen through the eyes of the Athletic Council for the 2010-2011 academic year. While not a regulatory body, the Council is responsible for making recommendations on policy and providing advice on general operations of the Department of Athletics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. UMass Athletics continued its commitment to excellence, both on and off the field. As a group, UMass student-athletes shine on the playing field/court as well as in the classroom. Academically, our students perform at the top of the conference in achievement, graduation rates and academic progress. Athletically, our teams are competing well and the number of conference championships and conference playoff appearances suggests that are teams and student athletes are performing very well in their athletic endeavors. We are proud of their accomplishments. We also acknowledge the work of the coaches who continue to produce quality teams, show a commitment to winning traditions, engage in high quality athletic experiences for the student athletes and the University community; and are recognized for their efforts in being awarded Coach of the Year honors and related honors; but most importantly emphasizes both athletic, academic and life skills in representing the University of Massachusetts. Furthermore, we commend the Athletic Director, John McCutcheon, on his leadership as well as all of the Athletic Department staff members who do an outstanding job in their support of the student-athletes, coaches, and our athletic program and have concluded a hectic and busy year with many far-reaching and important decisions and planning efforts for UMass Athletics.


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APPENDICES

MEDIA RELATIONS REPORT – INDIVIDUAL ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC HONORS

VI. ATHLETIC COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

A. Academics Report B. Compliance and FAR Report C. Equity, Minority Opportunities & Student-Athlete Welfare Report D. Facilities Report E. Finance, Development and Tickets Report F. Visions Report G. Student Athlete Advisory Committee Report


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MEDIA RELATIONS REPORT – INDIVIDUAL ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC HONORS

The UMass Athletic Department and Media Relations Office supplied detailed academic and athletic achievements for the individuals over the course of the 2010-2011 Academic Year. The individual academic and athletic awards are noted here below in this report. Individual and Team Academic Achievements: In total, the UMass individual academic awards, totaled 108 individual academic awards, including a number of Academic All-American and Academic All-Conference Awards. Academic quality and student-athlete academic performance continues to put our programs at the top of the conference in which we compete including the A10, Hockey East, ECAC and CAA.

These individual awards include:

• FCS Football Academic All-Star. UMass senior wide receiver Anthony Nelson was named one of 52 winners of the 13th annual Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team were announced by the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA). Nelson posted a 3.88 GPA in leading the CAA in receptions and receiving yards in the regular-season.

• Football All Academic Awards. UMass placed eleven (11) players on the CAA Football Academic All-Conference Team – 3rd behind Delaware and RI.

• Football Scholar Athlete. Football wide receiver Anthony Nelson was named the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the 2011 UMass Senior Awards Ceremony. Anthony carried a 3.8 GPA as an Economics major.

• Ice Hockey All Academic Awards. UMass led the way with 13 scholar-athletes earning spots on the Hockey East All-Academic Team as announced by the league on Monday. Both Martin Nolet and Brett Watson were named Distinguished Scholar-Athletes after posting 3.0 grade point averages for each semester of their careers. This marks the fifth consecutive season that UMass has posted 10-or-more student-athletes on the All-Academic Team. The 13 players named to the team also ties the program-record previously set following the 2006-07 season. Freshman Djan Lefebvre was also named to the Academic All-Star Team posting the highest individual GPA among league defensemen. Four hockey players were multiple year honorees and two carried academic honors for the full four seasons play.

• Men’s Lacrosse All Academic Awards. The CAA announced that 15 UMass men's lacrosse players have earned the Commissioner's Academic Award for 2010. Each of the 15 earned better than a 3.2 GPA during this past spring season. The honorees were: sophomore defenseman Greg Anderson, Sophomore midfielder Anthony Biscardi, freshman attacker/midfielder Colin Fleming, senior midfielder Bobby Hayes, freshman defenseman Ryan Hollenbaugh, freshman goalie Steve Mahle, junior midfielder Casey Rahn, sophomore face-off man Greg Rushing, freshman defenseman Jake Smith, senior attacker Ryan Smith, sophomore defenseman Eric Soto, freshman defenseman Brett Tobin, sophomore face-off man Anthony Toresco, junior midfielder Mael Walkowiak and junior midfielder Stephen Zorkers.

• Men’s Swimming All Academic Awards. Senior Adam Duffield of the men's swimming and diving team has been named the 2011 Atlantic 10 Swimming and Diving Student-Athlete of the Year. Four other UMass swim and divers join Duffield on this season's Academic All-Conference team; seniors Tavis Potter and Jessica Starosielec on the women's side and Dan Backler and Alexander Merkulov on the men's side. To be eligible, student-athletes (excluding freshman) must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater in their entire academic careers to go along with outstanding performance in the pool.

• Track Team Academic All Districts. Four members of the UMass men's track and field program have garnered Academic All-District honors, by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).


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Seniors Sean Busch, David Johnson, Kevin Johnson and junior Daniel Wu held four of the 11 spots on the Capital One Academic All-District 1 Men's Track & Field/Cross Country First Team and became eligible for Academic All-America status.

• Women’s Lacrosse All Academic Awards. The Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association released their Academic Honor Roll for the 2011 season and among the 187 student-athletes honored were three Minutewomen, Junior Brittany Schoen, Senior Riley Perry and Senior Danielle Pelletier Perry was also the Atlantic 10 Women's Lacrosse Student-Athlete of the Year and was on the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference Team.

• Women’s Rowing All Academic Awards. UMass rowing senior co-captain Samantha Schnoerr has been named the Atlantic 10 Rowing Student-Athlete of the Year, as announced by the conference on Monday. Junior Emily Boucher was also named to the conference academic all-conference team. This is the second Atlantic 10 award for Schnoerr, who was named to the All-Conference First Team at the league championships two weeks ago.

• Women’s Rowing National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Five UMass rowers have been named National Scholar-Athletes, the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) announced yesterday. Junior Emily Boucher, graduate student Megan Donovan, senior Carly Payne, senior Samantha Schnoerr and senior Rachel Spielberg all represented the Minutewomen on the list. To be named a National Scholar-Athlete by the CRCA, a rower needs a minimum 3.5 career grade point average or higher and must have competed in 75 percent of the team's 2011 spring races.

• Women’s Soccer Academic All-District Award. Senior forward Ashley Hamel was recognized for her academic success as she represented UMass on the CoSIDA ESPN Academic All-District I first team and the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference squad.

• Women’s Soccer Academic All-District Award. UMass senior forward Ashley Hamel has been named to the women's soccer CoSIDA ESPN Academic All-District I first team, was eligible for Academic All-America status, and the first Minutewoman to earn a first team selection since Kaelyn Caldwell in 2007.

• Women’s Soccer Team Academic Award. The UMass women's soccer team has been recognized for its work in the classroom as the Minutewomen were one of 436 women's programs to earn a Team Academic Award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), it was announced recently. The Minutewomen posted a combined grade point average of 3.15 during the 2009-10 academic year, meeting the requirement of a 3.0 GPA to earn the honor. For first year, head

coach Ed Matz, it marks the seventh straight year that a team under his direction has received an NSCAA Team Academic Award, as his Northeastern squads garnered the accolade every season from 2004 to 2009.

• Women’s Softball All-Conference. UMass softball junior second baseman Kyllie Magill was named to the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference Team. With a cumulative GPA of 3.669 in Kinesiology, this is the Pawtucket, R.I. native's second-straight year receiving the honor.

• Women’s Tennis Academic Awards. The Atlantic 10 Conference acknowledged senior Kaitlyn Carpenter, sophomore Julia Comas, and freshman Yuliana Motyl for their outstanding performances on and off the tennis court. Carpenter was named to the Academic All-Conference squad for her achievements in the classroom, Motyl was honored in the 12-person All-Conference first team and Comas was honored in the All-Conference second-team.


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Individual Athletic Awards:

UMass student athletes collected 34 individual athletic performance awards including a number of national awards and all-conference recognitions. These individual and team athletic awards included:

• CAA Football Defensive Honors and Individual Honors. Junior linebacker Tyler Holmes was named the CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year on Monday. He was also named to the CAA First-Team along with senior receiver Anthony Nelson and senior lineman Greg Niland. Junior tailback Jonathan Hernandez and junior receiver Julian Talley were on the second team and senior tailback John Griffin took third-team honors. Holmes is the first UMass player to earn league defensive player of the year honors since Shannon James was the Atlantic 10's top player in 2004. Prior to James, the last honoree was Brian Corcoran in 1994.

• Field Hockey All-American Awards. Senior defender Makaela Potts has been named Longstreth/NFHCA First-Team All-American and junior goalkeeper Alesha Widdall has earned Second-Team All-American honors as announced by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association on Monday. The same duo was named All-American in 2008 as well, while this is Potts' third-straight year earning the honor.

• Field Hockey Awards. Three UMass seniors, defender Jaime Bourazeris, midfielder Katie Kelly, and defender Makaela Potts, and junior goalkeeper Alesha Widdall were all named 2010 Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-Region as announced by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association on Thursday. Kelly, Potts, and Widdall were all named First-Team All-Northeast Region, while Bourazeris earned Second-Team honors.

• Football – Holmes – National Defensive Player of Year, First Team All American Awards. UMass junior linebacker Tyler Holmes has been named the National Defensive Player of the Year by Phil Steele's College Football. It is the highest honored to date for Holmes, who is a finalist for Buck Buchanan Award for the nation's top defensive player according to national media. Holmes was also named to the Phil Steele First Team All-American, his fourth first-team honor. He has also been named to the top squad by the Associated Press, The Sports Network and the American Football Coaches Association.

• Football – Holmes CAA Award and New England Football Writers Award. Holmes was also a CAA First-Team linebacker and New England Football Writers All-Star.

• Football – Holmes First Team All-American, NE Golden Helmet, and CAA Defensive Player of Year Awards. Junior linebacker Tyler Holmes continues to garner national attention for his play in 2010 as he was named an Associated Press First-Team All-American on Wednesday. Holmes has already been named an AFCA All-American, New England Gold Helmet Player of the Year and CAA Defensive Player of the Year.

• NCAA Qualifiers. Two Minutemen and two Minutewomen have qualified for the NCAA East Regional Championships for the UMass track and field programs. Sean Duncan qualified in the steeplechase; Daniel Barry in the 1500 meter run and on the women's side, Karen Roa qualified in the women's steeplechase and Stephanie Aguguo in the women's triple jump.

• Softball A10 All Tournament Player Awards. UMass softball senior first baseman Audrey Boutin and junior pitcher Sara Plourde were both named to the Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team.

• Softball Pitcher All American Awards. UMass softball junior pitcher Sara Plourde was named to the 2011 Easton All-American Second Team, as announced by Easton Sports, Inc. on Tuesday. Plourde was also named last week to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American Third Team for the second year in a row.

• Swimming A10 Honors. Jason Cook was also named Diver of the Year for the third-straight year. Molly Elkins received her first Diver of the Year honor, while Chris Inglis receives the men’s Rookie of the Year.


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• Women’s Basketball NCAA Record Performance. Women’s Basketball Player, Cerie Mosgrove set the NCAA mark for 3-point shooting and won the 2011 Women’s 3-Point Shooting Contest at the Final Four Tournament. She was featured in ESPN broadcast of the event.

• Women’s Field Hockey Award. The National Field Hockey Coaches Association has announced its 2010 Division I Senior All-Star Team with UMass midfielder Katie Kelly being one the 34 players from across the country to receive the honor. The two-year captain led the Minutewomen with 11 goals and nine assists for 31 points.

• Women’s Lacrosse All-American Honor. UMass women's lacrosse senior attack Jackie Lyons was named to the WomensLax.com All-America Team as announced on Thursday. Lyons led the Minutewomen to their third-straight Atlantic 10 Title and to the NCAA Tournament.

• Women’s Lacrosse Player MVP at A10 Tournament. Jesse O'Donnell earned MVP honors after scoring five goals to lead the No. 14 UMass women's lacrosse team to a 16-12 win over Richmond in the Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship game on Sunday afternoon at Temple University's Geasey Field. The win gave the Minutewomen their third consecutive Atlantic 10 Tournament title and a spot in the NCAA Play-In Game against Canisius of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

• Women’s Soccer A-10 Athletic Awards. Four members of the UMass women's soccer team were honored by the Atlantic 10 with postseason awards on Wednesday as junior Deanna Colarossi and senior Therese Smith were named to the All-Atlantic 10 second team, while freshman Brittany Moore was tabbed All-Atlantic 10 honorable mention and selected to the all-rookie team. Senior Ashley Hamel earned recognition for her performance in the classroom as she was one of 11 players to collect academic all-conference honors. It marks the first time since 2001 that three or more Minutewomen have garnered accolades from the A-10.

V. ATHLETIC COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS The following are the reports from the Athletic Council Subcommittees: The Athletic Council has six subcommittees, with five to eight members appointed (by the Co-Chairs) to each. In addition, at least one member of the Athletic Department is assigned (by the Director of Athletics) to work directly with each subcommittee. Each of these department liaisons has been very cooperative and provided all information that was requested, as well as unsolicited information that could further enhance understanding of the items under discussion. Each subcommittee meets, on average, once per semester and more if needed. A. Academics Committee Report The Academics Subcommittee receives reports and monitors the academic performance of team members. Due to the fact that the Athletic Council was charged with conducting the NCAA Audit of Academic Support Services, the Academics Subcommittee focus was on the Ad Hoc Committee Report in this area. This study took the entire year to complete and the NCAA Audit of UMass Academic Services Assessment Report for the UMass Athletic Department is available upon separate cover from the Athletic Council and the Athletic Department. The executive summary and highlights of the report are only noted here. Additional statistics and reports on the Academic Progress including graduation rates, team GPA, and academic progress are also available from the UMass Athletic Department Academic Support Services. The Academic Subcommittee also addresses issues pertinent to the academic performance and support provided to student-athletes. Joan Hopkins has served as the Athletic Department Representative to this subcommittee and to the Council and Nelson Lacey served at the Committee Chair for this area. Purpose of NCAA Academic Support Services Audit. The purpose of this report is to evaluate the academic support services at the Athletics Department at the University of Massachusetts. The University’s support for academics for its approximately 700 student athletes includes a commitment to evaluate the complete range of services


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that are offered. This report identifies not only areas where the University is meeting the needs of the student-athletes (termed as areas of excellence and strength) but also identifies areas needing improvement. Our single overarching principle was to assist the Department of Athletics in enhancing the experience for all student-athletes at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Assessment Team. As specified by the NCAA, institutions must involve on-campus academic authorities, who do not have day-to-day responsibilities in academic support services, to lead the evaluation. Accordingly, a team was formed as a subcommittee of the University Athletic Council whose members were nominated and approved by the Faculty Senate. The report team includes the following faculty from across the University:

Marilyn Billings, Scholarly Communication & Special Initiatives Librarian, University Libraries Rebecca Spencer, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology Rodney Warnick, Professor, Department of Hotel and Hospitality Management Nelson Lacey, Professor, Department of Finance and Operations Management

Athletic Department Staff Members who were involved in assisting the committee included:

Elaine Sortino, Senior Women’s Administrator; Head Softball Coach Joan Hopkins, Associate Athletic Director for Academic Support Services Kim Callicoatte, Associate Athletic Director for Compliance

NCAA Audit Overview. The Assessment Team spent the year reviewing the operations and goals of academic support for student-athletes at the University. The report is organized around the following eight areas:

1. Academic counseling/advising resources and services 2. Tutoring 3. Academic progress and monitoring 4. Assistance for student-athletes with special academic needs 5. Assistance for at-risk student-athletes 6. Academic support service facilities 7. Academic evaluation of prospective student-athletes 8. Student-athlete degree selection

Assessment Team Document and Data Reviews. The Assessment Team examined a list of documents prior to conducting the internal evaluation. In some cases these materials acted as support materials that will not be an explicit part of the final report. In other cases the Assessment Team incorporated these materials into the present report. A copy of each of these documents is available from the Athletic Council Subcommittee and the Athletic Department. These documents and materials included:

1. Mission statement and goals for academic support services 2. The most recent NCAA certification self-study report 3. The most recent NCAA academic support services evaluation report 4. Student-athlete handbook 5. Athletic departmental policies regarding student-athlete well-being issues 6. NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR) improvement plans 7. Academic support services budget 8. Academic profile data of entering students 9. Special admissions policies and procedures 10. Special or alternative admissions data 11. APR Data 12. Graduation Success Rate Report 13. Sampling of student-eligibility files 14. Academic support services organizational chart including reporting lines 15. List of academic support personnel, titles and responsibilities


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Assessment Team Interviews. The Assessment Team conducted interviews with the following key constituents of the Academic Support Services area at the University. Note that not all of these key constituents work within the Department of Athletics and where possible random selection of representatives of these areas was selected. There was no advanced announced knowledge of who would and would not be interviewed.

1. Key members of Athletics Administration 2. Academic support staff 3. Coaches (random selection including high-profile sports) 4. Student athletes (random selection including high-profile sports) 5. Provost’s Office – Provost and selection of staff 6. Office of Academic Affairs 7. Athletic Council Members 8. Compliance Staff 9. University Administrators 10. Representative of the Faculty Senate 11. Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Office of the Registrar 12. Other groups recommended by the University including representatives of the alumni

In addition to the selected interviews, a major survey of all student-athletes was conducted in the April 2011. There were 714 student-athletes polled in the survey and 583 participated (81.6%). All teams were represented and a number of teams had 100% participation in the survey. The survey instrument was designed, pilot tested and distributed through the online platform Qualtrics™. There were 52 items in the survey including a number of open-ended and quantitative assessment items regarding academic support services. The items were sectioned into topical areas including: 1) Awareness and use of Academic Support Services; 2) Monitoring of Academic Progress; 3) Evaluation of “Winning Season Program;” 4) Facility Privacy Issues; 5) Special Academic Needs; 6) Tutoring Services; 7) Study Facilities – Use and Assessment; 8) Ratings of All Athletic Support Services – including importance, frequency of use and quality ratings; 9) Overall Satisfaction Ratings; 10) Scheduling Issues – including class registration and major selection; 11) Assessment of Study Areas; 12) Recommendation Assessments; and 13) Team Profile Demographics. Findings from the student athlete assessment survey were also made available to the Academic Support Services Department and the Athletic Department Staff for further dissemination. Selected Findings and Executive Summary. Recognizing that the “student” in every student-athlete is the most vital element, UMass Academic Services go to great lengths to ensure success in the classroom goes hand-in-hand with success in sports. With a staff of seven academic resource coordinators and approximately 100 tutors, Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services Joan Hopkins oversees a group of devoted educators whose aim is to help the student-athlete in every way possible – from the choice of courses, through major selection and major course requirements and through the completion of a degree. Areas of Strength. Overall, the Assessment Team has determined that the Student-Athlete Services at the University of Massachusetts is exceeding its main objective of meeting the requirements of the University’s student-athletes. With a staff-to-student athlete ratio of approximately 100-to-1, the broad-based needs of the student-athletes are clearly being addressed. The University is especially showing strength in the following areas:

1. Recruitment of High Quality Student-Athletes. We especially note the number of student-athletes on the A10 Academic Honor Roll, the number of student-athletes with GPAs in excess of 3.0/3.5 (and perfect 4.0 GPAs), the number of teams with perfect academic progress rate (APR) performance and, most recently, the number of teams with NCAA academic honors;

2. Academic Support Service Awareness. Building strong awareness and cooperation between athletic teams

and academic support services (see various references in the report);


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3. New Program Development. Creating new support services programs and services (e.g., “Your Winning Season”) is a particularly strong positive and area of strength for the Academic Support Services Department;

4. Academic Support Services Monitoring Program. Implementing a strong academic monitoring system.

Included here is the outreach to faculty and improvement of services to assist in the academic monitoring;

5. Tutoring Program. The development of a highly responsive tutoring program (see the Areas section in the report);

6. RAM System Implementation. Implementation and participation of student-athletes in the Registration

Access Modification (RAM), a priority registration program that was greatly needed and now implemented has been highly successful in its first full year of implementation; and

7. Continuous Quality Improvement. The department continues to seek methods for improvement of services to support student-athletes

Audit Recommendations. The Assessment Team has noted the following areas deserving of improvement and makes the following recommendations to the Athletics Department:

1. Enhanced staffing for Academic Support Services. For reasons discussed throughout our report, we recommend that additional resources being assigned to Academic Support Services;

2. Facilities Improvements. Improvement of Student-Athlete Services facilities, especially in areas that require privacy in one-on-one meetings between the staff and student-athletes;

3. Enhanced and Extended Program Services. Enhancement of service areas, in particular, extended hours of outreach facility/staffing at the Du Bois Library, and service commitments for traveling teams such as internet access and remote service delivery;

4. Full Implementation of RAM. Extension of RAM program to both semesters for all students athletes for both in-season and out-of-season priority registration;

5. Benchmarking. The benchmarking of service satisfaction indicators so that the University can better measure the on-going levels of student-athlete academic support, as well as on-going evaluations in these areas;

6. Tutor Evaluation System. An improved system for evaluating tutors in the tutoring program; and

7. Report Refinement and Presentation to Coaches and Staff Support Areas. The extensive student athlete survey was one of the most comprehensive conducted recently. It contains substantial amounts of information for nearly all support areas and can be further segmented and reviewed for additional insights. It should provide insights to all areas and be shared for their respective reviews.

The review committee realized that enacting on some of these recommendations can come only with increased budgets to Student-Athlete Services. B. Compliance Committee Report The Compliance Subcommittee reviews the Department of Athletics efforts to comply with NCAA regulations and mandates. The Subcommittee meets near the end of each semester to review the functions of the Athletic Department Compliance Office. For the AY 2010-2011, the committee met on April 29, 2011 for review of compliance issues for Spring Semester 2011 and on Friday, January 28, 2011 for a review of compliance issues for the Fall Semester 2010. Kim Callicoatte, Associate AD for Compliance reviews the compliance process, typical reports and meetings for the previous semester.


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Every coaching staff member must complete an annual exam that tests knowledge of recruiting regulations, along with other NCAA-mandated rules. A member of the Compliance Office and the Faculty Athletics Representative or a designee proctors this exam. The Compliance Office meets monthly with the coaching staff of all sports to discuss and review NCAA legislation and compliance activities. Kim noted that continued work with the student athletes is on-going including a newsletter publication called the Sentennial that goes out to all student athletes and updates are part of the monthly meeting for all athletic coaches. The special assistance fund has now been moved out of Compliance and is handled by Jaime Sequin in the Athletic Business Office. The Athletic Department Compliance Director, Kim Callicoate, and Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance, Carol Ford met with the Compliance Subcommittee each semester of AY 2010-2011. A working agenda included a Compliance Department Update covering violations, special assistance fund, waivers, APR reports, coaches meetings and pending NCAA legislation. For the Fall Semester 2010 and the Spring Semester of 2011 there were a total of seven (7) violations. Five of the violations occurred in the Fall and two in the Spring. These violations were considered minor and all were self-reported. On average there are 12-15 violations per year and we are typically lower than average due to monthly meetings and vigilant updating and educating. For the 2009-2010 AY there were seven (7) violations. This is a reasonable number with the size of our programs. These violations were considered to be Level I to II Violations. Two occurred in September 2010, two in October 2010 and one in November 2011. There was one violation in field hockey, one in women’s basketball, two in men’s swimming and one in men’s basketball. Institution action to correct the problems was undertaken in each violation and one violation is pending review at the conference level. The two additional violations were one for WBB concerning full practice beyond the April 15th deadline. The rules involved exceeding 4 players per facility for two hours during the week of April 18th. Rules education and a deduction of practice and skill instruction from practice schedule will be implemented in September 2011 period. In addition, Football subscribed to Rivals.com, a scouting service with videos and the subscription has been cancelled and rules education may be implemented. This gave the department a total of seven (7) violations through May 2011 for AY 2010-2011. These violations were all considered to be minor in nature and appropriate corrective actions have been taken and reported. Other areas reviewed included special waivers, coaches meetings, admissions and national letters of intent and pending NCAA legislation. APR reports were reviewed but will be highlight here in the Academic Subcommittee Report. Those numbers and reports usually lag behind the most recent semester available by as much as one year in the reporting cycle. With regard toe the Professional Athlete Counseling Panel and the Transfer Appeals Committee, there were no cases review or brought forth during this time. Glenn Wong, FAR, commented that UMass and only two other schools have a Professional Athlete Career Counseling Panel – BC and Duke. There appears to be little commitment by the NCAA to recommend or use these types of panels. Under new business, there was discussion and exchange about the NY Times article released on April 28th about gender equity in college athletics. UMass was on of the 17 participating schools and there were over 55 pages of reports released. The NCAA does require teams to report male practice players on women’s teams, but UMass does not count them in the calculations of gender equity certification numbers. The discussion revolved around that full documentation of the facts and a counter article was also released in the April 29th publication of the Chronicle of

Higher Education discussing the NY Times findings and the interpretation of the numbers. While there were appropriate presentation of violations of practice players being counted and roster “no shows”, there were other mis-representations of the facts. Coaches Compliance Meetings. Kim Calliocatte reviewed the Coaches Meeting agendas from the Fall and Spring Semester meetings of the coaches and staff. Those agendas and the topics reviewed are available from the Compliance Office. They included guest from Admissions, new degree programs offered and discussions on social media. All coaches and staff are required to attend these meetings and the meetings and working agendas are


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supplemented with monthly newsletters updating the coaches on compliance issues. The Compliance Office Newsletter, Inside the Lines, was also shared from Fall Semester 2010 and the Summer 2010 – UMass Athletics

Sentinel, the student athlete compliance newsletter and the format for the coaches’ compliance meetings have been updated to include a new upbeat game titled “Who Wants to Be a Compliance Millionaire.” A10 Compliance Review. The A10 Conference Office will be performing a Compliance Review on June 28 and June 29. Needs assessment will be completed by the end of May and the meetings will be held with appropriate Athletic Department and University staff during this visit. No meetings are yet scheduled for the Athletic Council Compliance Committee or members of the council. Of particular interest in this review, will be the governance and organization that provides oversight and review outside of Athletics in the review. The Campus Compliance Committee recently formed here on campus will play an important role in this process. Attention will be paid to eligibility reviews and academic performance program monitoring by the administrative departments to ensure that UMass is compliant and doing these reviews correctly. Other areas being reviewed will include: Financial Aid; Recruiting; Camps/Clinics; Rules; Extra Benefits; Playing and Practice Schedules; Student-Athlete Employment; Amateurism; and Commitment to Personnel in Compliance. The findings of this review will be completed and shared with the Athletic Council and the Compliance Subcommittee during the Fall Semester 2011 period. Update on Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) Duties and Progress Report. Glenn Wong, Professor of Sport Management and current UMass FAR, provided an update on the FAR (faculty athletic representative) issues he dealt with over Winter and Spring Semesters. Glenn continues to see overall more faculty involvement and visibility of the FARs especially with the appointment of the new A10 Commissioner, Bernadette McGlade. Glenn Wong, (Professor of Sport Management and current UMass FAR) provided an update on the FAR (faculty athletic representative) issues he dealt with over the Winter and Spring Semesters. Glenn continues to see overall more faculty involvement and visibility of the FARs especially with the appointment of the new A10 Commissioner, Bernadette McGlade. He attended A10 meeting during this period.

a. TV Committee. Glenn is a member of the A10 TV Committee and indicated that ESPN has extended its contract with the A10 through 2013. Now both CBS Sports and ESPN contracts will expire in 2013 and this will provide the league better or improved negotiating power in subsequent years.

b. Strategic Initiatives. A10 strategic initiatives were approved by the Presidents and Board.

c. A10 Championships. Part of the initiatives will be to further review and improved the sports championship

series across all sports. Ways are being examined in how to maximize the experience including money, exposure, finances and the impact of students and courses. It is envisioned that the first and second rounds will not be played at neutral sites. For example, the 2012 WBB Championship will involve no neutral site. MBB will be looking for a new site beyond the Atlantic City site and may play at the new arena for the New York Nets in Brooklyn.

d. Chancellor’s Meeting on FBS Conference Realignment. Most of Glenn Wong’s time has been consumed in

his FAR role with the Campus and Conference Realignment Committee here on campus. This group has met on a regular basis and from the FAR’s perspective, three critical issues were considered in making this move possible – 1) Financial Perspective – the projections and move to the FBS level would be made possible without sacrifice or reduction in budgets to existing sports; 2) Gender Equity – the move would be made with the intent to retain our commitment to gender equity and appropriate investments would be made within the year to upgrade women’s sports; and 3) Student Athlete Issues – including reductions in missed class time and a commitment to admissions to recruit qualifying athletes. The CAA had a rule of not admitting non-qualified athletes; the MAC has no such rule. However, follow-up reports on the MAC Conference (Wall Street

Journal -- “The NCAA's Last Innocents --- As Scandals Abound, We Ask: Are There Any Schools Left That Haven't Been in Big Trouble?” June 22, 2011 and Personal Interview with Darren Everson, Author; August 2011) indicated that of the most compliant schools across all major FBS schools and conferences, the schools with no violations are from the MAC Conference. As of the writing of the article, 16 NCAA schools have had no major NCAA violations since 1953. A major violation was listed as a reduction in scholarships or the


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vacating of a championship or tournament victory. The 16 schools as of the writing of the article were: Air Force, Boston College, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, Kent State, North Texas, Northwestern, Ohio, Penn State, Rice, Stanford, Troy, UAB and Western Michigan. Five of the schools were from the MAC Conference – Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Kent State, Ohio and Western Michigan. The reason the MAC has a high quality reputation is both a double compliance review process that reviews all violations (both minor and major) and its status as a “mid-major” conference puts “less pressure, scrutiny, the level of recruiting and the expectations, are smaller.”

Other topics mentioned briefly as updates included the movement for a new television contract for basketball, the hiring of the new women’s basketball coach and the RFPs being prepared for the outsourcing of the marketing arm of the Athletic Department.

APR Reports. Kim Callicoate shared the NCAA Division I 2010-2011 Academic Progress Report monitoring report for two teams – men’s football (FB) and men’s basketball (MBB). These were reported using an APR Real Time Projection Sheet. APR is comprised of a four year rolling average. The five year average in men’s basketball has been a loss of 4.17 points per year while the team has gained two (2) bonus points in the four previous years. The projected APR for the team ranges from 965 as the high to the low of 920. The likely outcome will be 945 – a projected loss of four (4) points. The coaches are well aware of the consequences and know what is needed to remain in positive light. There are approximately 12 players from this time period who are within 10-12 hours of finishing. Discussion also focused on informing the students and urging them to complete their requirements ASAP through online courses and/or transfer credits at other institutions. The APR rates for MBB are more dramatically affected by players who leave early or do not graduate more due to the low team roster numbers. Football is projected to have an APR of 932 and has a five-year average of losing 22.3 points. The program has gained 14 bonus points in the previous four years and will likely gain 3 more points in 2010-2011. The range of projected APR scores for FB is from 940 as a high to 920 as a low. The program has earned 264 points to date with a possible 286 potential available to earn. Coaches here are also well informed of the issues and are working with current players and former players to get them to complete their requirements and degrees. If the team loses the full 22-point average then they will still remain about the 925 four-year average. One area of concern for UMass is the transfer players who came to finish football careers from Northeastern and Hofstra and then transferred back to complete their degrees at their home institutions. These count against UMass numbers. Two of these players hurt our program ratings and two were not a problem. A discussion was also entertained about the quality of players recruited as we move up in Division play. We will get fewer players who transfer from D1 schools such as BC, Syracuse, UConn and Rutgers due to lack of playing time. These players were not always of the best academic quality and were not required to sit out a season under NCAA rules since they transferred down one division. We are likely to get fewer of these transfers and pick up more JUCO (Jr College) transfers. The JUCO students are not necessarily a better academic student, but time will tell. FB coaches have been meeting monthly in regard to APR and the impacts with APR on roster management. The team will now carry upwards of 100-112 player roster with preseason limit of 105 players. All other teams are OK; however, WBB did have four transfers. Waivers – NCAA Eligibility and Medical Six medical hardship cases have been processed during this period. Two (2) were approved by the NCAA – one in softball and another in ice hockey. Two more have been processed – one in MBB and tennis. Two more cases are waiting and being prepared – one in softball and another in WBB. The WBB case is unusual in that it is a 6th year case. One National Letter of Intent (NLI) issues was reviewed during this period involving a men’s basketball player and contact with Seton Hall University. Pending NCAA Legislation. Additional NCAA legislation was reviewed during this period. Issues reviewed included media guides; official vs. unofficial visits; international student athlete status; and recruiting campus and clinics as examples during the Fall Semester. No pending legislation was discussed during the Spring Semester 2011 Committee meeting.


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Coaches Compliance Meetings. Kim Calliacotte reviewed the Coaches Meeting agendas from the Fall Semester 2010 and Spring Semester 2010 meetings of the coaches and staff. Those agendas and the topics reviewed are available from the Compliance Office. All coaches and staff are required to attend these meetings, which are supplemented with monthly newsletters updating the coaches on compliance issues. The Compliance Office Newsletter, Inside the Lines, was reviewed for the Fall Semester. They included a new upbeat game titled “Who Wants to be a Compliance Millionaire?” Women’s coaches dominated the competition.

C. Equity, Minority Opportunities and Student-Athlete Welfare Subcommittee Report The Equity, Minority Opportunities and Student-Athlete Welfare Subcommittee is responsible for monitoring and reporting on Title IX compliance, gender issues, minority issues, and student-athlete welfare within the Athletic Department. Elaine Sortino, Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women’s Administrator, is the Athletic Department’s liaison to this subcommittee. Elaine provided the Equity and Student Athlete Welfare Report for 2010-2011 which is not certified until late November 2011. The highlights of those findings are noted here. Participation. Information provided by the University of Massachusetts Office of Institutional Research and reported to the EADA indicated that there were 10,038 males (51%) and 9,656 females (49%) full time undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Massachusetts for Fall of 2010. The roster numbers for all sports for the 2009-10 academic year, based on the first date of competition totaled 356 men (50%) and 358 women (50%). It should be noted that the totals on each roster for all sport programs, also includes those student-athletes who have medical exceptions or have exhausted their eligibility. The participation numbers for the academic year 2010-2011 were in compliance with Title IX. Student-Athlete Minority Opportunity. The Department of Athletics provides the NCAA annually with information on ethnicity of student-athletes. That information showed that the total minority percentage of student-athletes for 2010-11 was 18.4%. Further defined by gender, the total was 25% (79 male), and 11% (30 female) minority student-athletes. This compares to the 2009-2010 24.8% and the previous year (2008-2009) of 23%. Scholarship Aid. The amount of scholarship dollars provided to student-athletes for the 2010-11 academic year is as follows: Males $3,593,845 (54.2%) Females $3,039,434 (45.8%) The figures for 2009-2010 indicated that 56.8% ($3,540,343) going to male student-athletes and 43.2% ($2,687,517) going to female student-athletes. It should be noted that these figures include all scholarships, winter session aid, summer session aid, and books during both periods monitored here. There were 194 male student-athletes receiving aid in 2010-11, of which 65 were minorities for a total of 33.5%. On the female side, there were 175 receiving scholarships, of which 20 were minorities for a total of 11.4%. The overall total of male and female minority student-athletes on aid is 85, which represents 23%. This compares to 198 male student-athletes receiving aid in 2009-2010, of which 71 were minorities for a total of 35.8%. In comparison on the female side in 2009-2010 academic year, there were 166 women receiving scholarships, of which 22 were minorities for a total of 13.2%. . Athletic Department Staffing. The Athletic Department remains committed in its efforts to encourage and recruit minority applicants. Whenever a search is conducted, the department advertises positions with the NCAA Black


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Coaches Association, the Springfield Newspapers, and continues to use the NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Participant Profiles. In 2010-11, the department consisted of 152 full and part time employees, of whom 18 were minority (11.8%); women made up 36.8% of our staff. In 2010-11, 16 full time positions were filled in Athletics and the breakdown is as follows: 8 females 3 minorities (2 male, 1 female) Regarding the hiring in the coaching ranks, 13 of these positions were coaches: 7 female 3 minorities (2 male, 1 female) This compares to 12 hires in 2009-2010 and eight (8) positions were offered and filled by minority candidates. Of the coaching hires in 2009-2010, five (5) of those positions filled by females (50%) and one position filled by a minority candidate (10%). In 2009-2010, 39% of the staff were women and 13 (9%) represented minority staffing. D. Facilities Committee Report Dan Markowski met with the Facilities Subcommittee chaired by Ed Ward in the Spring Semester 2011. The agenda was to discuss projects completed and started during the AY 2010-2011 academic year. Projects Completed 2010-2011. New football offices were opened in the Slobody Building on University Drive. The project consists of six coaching offices, a conference room, and kitchen facilities. The old football offices in Boyden are now occupied by athletic marketing and Nelligan Sports Marketing. A continuing effort to make sports venues more attractive resulted in new banners being placed at Garber Field, McGuirk Stadium, and the Mullins Center. The banners depict past UMass athletes in action along with current and recent players. These banners connect the past with the present and address the tradition of UMass Athletic Teams and individual players. The cost of the banners was $1.25 a square foot. A report on the use of the Campus Recreation Center was made to the Athletic Council in the Fall Semester 2010 and periodic updates will be obtained regarding the use levels in the coming years. See the Athletic Council minutes for updates on the use and interest among students for this space. Projects Underway – In Planning and Development Phases. Funds for the first phase of the Champions Center, adjacent to the Mullins Center, are being raised and a dedicated lump sum award appears to be forthcoming. The first phase of the plan development will consist of basketball practice facilities for men’s and women’s basketball. The new boathouse for rowing is in the bidding process. The bids should be finalized by the fall. The building will be located at Sportsmen’s Marina in Hadley and will contain storage areas for equipment, coaching offices, and locker facilities. UMass will lease the space for the rowing team. Projects in Planning Stages. With the football team moving from FCS to FBS status several changes are planned for McGuirk Alumni Stadium. The changes include a new press box, facilities building (containing coaches offices, weight training facilities, and locker rooms), and additional seating. The project will be done in phases with the press box and facilities building done first. The entire set of phases is estimated to cost approximately $30M and is expected to be completed by 2014. Additional Planning and Facility Issues. Mr. Markowski reported that parking for Boyden and Mullins will be more difficult with the loss of parking spaces for the Commonwealth College Building and the construction on the site for


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the next two years. Other issues he mentioned included maintaining practice fields, easier scheduling due to the addition of the Recreation Center, and continuing improvements to women’s locker rooms to comply with gender equity. Mr. Markowski also reported that the athletic department successfully hosted an NCAA field hockey play in game, MIAA basketball, softball and lacrosse, A-10 men’s basketball, NCAA play in game women’s lacrosse game, CAA men’s lacrosse playoff, and the second night lacrosse game in the history of Garber Field. In 2011-2012, UMass will host the A-10 Track and Field Championship. The athletic and recreation fields also continue to be strong venues for summer tournaments – especially in soccer and lacrosse. Mr. Markowski reported that staffing levels are adequate. E. Finance, Development, and Tickets Role of the Finance, Development, and Tickets Subcommittee: This subcommittee reviews the distribution of funds from sources of funding to the department (including state funds, trust funds, student activity fees, and advancement funds). This subcommittee also monitors the ticket distribution policies and practices. The overall obligation of this subcommittee is to correlate programs and financing and to provide advice or recommendations as appropriate. In FY11, the Finance, Development, and Tickets Subcommittee’s annual meeting briefly reviewed the Athletic Department’s FY11 actual versus FY11 budget projections. The subcommittee reviewed and discussed any significant changes in the overall department budget. The subcommittee discussed the FY11 allocation of non-base funding rather than the requested athletic student fee increase, the impact of the increased costs of scholarships, and the significant operating cost increases in both the sport and administrative areas due primarily to travel, scheduling, and game operations. After reviewing these various parts, the subcommittee noted the fact that the Department is projecting to remain fiscally sound in FY11. The majority of the subcommittee’s meeting during this academic year concentrated on reviewing and discussing the overall potential to the Athletic Department budget for conference realignment and the project short and long term costs of the upgrade to FBS football. Those highlights and financial details were presented to the Faculty Senate in September 2011 and highlight both the previous year’s budget and the proposed short term (AY 2012 budget) and the long term pro forma statements through FY 2016. The discussions at the subcommittee meeting centered on the process and philosophy that the Athletic Department followed in reviewing fiscal matters under the premise of both with and without the need to consider other means of revenue generation. A copy of the final FY 11 actual operating budget for the Athletic Department is presented in the main report here as it was presented to the Finance Subcommittee of the Athletic Council and the Athletic Council as a whole over the course of the 2010-2011 Academic Year. A detailed report of the Finance Subcommittee Report on Conference Realignment and FBS Upgrade is available upon request from the Athletic Council. Notes were recorded. F. Visions Committee Report Role of the Visions Subcommittee: This subcommittee reviews the Strategic Plan of the Athletic Department providing suggestions and feedback as appropriate. The Visions Committee met once during the Academic Year 2010-2011 to finalize and approve the report. The purpose of the meeting was to review the draft Strategic Plan 2010-2015 of the Athletic Department. The Committee members were provided with a copy of the draft prior to the meeting. The Committee members met in April 2011 with the Athletic Director, John McCutcheon and Associate Athletic Director Kim Callicoate. Ms. Callicoate explained the process of preparing the Plan and indicated that the current draft was close to the final product with only a few minor revisions. The Committee discussed the draft and had no significant revisions or corrections. The committee approved the plan and requested that it be reviewed at the next meeting of the Athletic Council in May 2011. The primary goal of the Department of Athletics strategic planning process was to review the current resources provided to each of the 21 Division I sport programs and administrative support services within the context of the


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Department’s three core values of 1) promoting and maintaining winning programs; 2) providing the student-athletes with a quality experience; and 3) to do it the right way. It was found through the strategic planning process that focus on competitive excellence is tied to the Athletic Department’s ability to maximize the resources provided to the programs, which, during difficult economic times, also relies more heavily on the ability to capitalize on revenue generation and enhancement. Therefore, this strategic planning process was undertaken. During the time of campus-wide budget cuts, the Athletic Department remained committed to staying within a prescribed framework of: 1) ensuring a quality student-athlete experience; 2) doing it the right way (being compliant); and 3) striving for athletic prowess -- winning. As a result of this strategic planning process, the Department under went a complete restructuring of the Athletic Development and External Relations in order to create a more structured and sound foundation for maximizing revenue streams. The strategic planning process included several distinct steps. Development of Assumptions and Values. The assumptions were those factors or considerations that would affect the future of athletics at the University of Massachusetts and more broadly the NCAA. Values embody the philosophical, ethical, and moral principles that guide decision-making in the Department of Athletics, concerning the governance of our programs and the welfare of our student-athletes. Comprehensive Analysis of Athletic Teams. The next step was a comprehensive analysis of the current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (S.W.O.T.). Each of the University’s 21 athletic teams as well as the various administrative units completed a S.W.O.T. analysis. These analyses were consolidated into a comprehensive S.W.O.T. assessment. Goals and Objectives for Each Sport and Administrative Unit. The next stage of the strategic planning process was the development of goals and objectives for each sport and each administrative unit. The key goals, strategies, and timelines for the next five years in each core area were then developed. These goals, strategies, and timelines were identified as priority evaluative criteria to measure the Department of Athletics’ progress from 2010 to 2015. Development and Adherence to Mission Statement and Core Values. During the entire process the department’s Mission Statement and Core Values were used to guide the formulation of appropriate goals and strategies for Athletics. Over the course of the next five years, the department will conduct regular assessment of progress towards each goal and update the plan as needed and as warranted by external and internal factors. The importance of this document is to serve as our guiding principles. There are still questions looming on the horizon in regard to conference realignments. This uncertainty, along with the lifting of the four-year ban on reclassification imposed by the NCAA in 2006, has provided the University of Massachusetts with the impetus to make the move to NCAA Division I-FBS Football and membership in the Mid-American Conference. This bold move during a time of economic restraint requires careful planning and forecasting. While several prior administrations have conducted feasibility studies and researched the idea, this administration has secured a bona fide offer from a Division I-FBS conference. University administrators have a solid plan of action in place that addresses the requirements and obligations needed to be a competitor within the conference while ensuring that gender equity and our commitment to Title IX compliance stays at the forefront of every decision. This strategic planning document proposed developed some significant strides for the Department of Athletics over the next five years. Its goals are ambitious and aimed at maintaining and improving upon a number of primary evaluative areas. This strategic plan provides the framework upon which the units responsible for the achievement of each goal can be developed and implemented by fiscally sound plans.


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Highlights from the Strategic Plan include: Mission Statement. “The University of Massachusetts, Amherst is committed to the sponsorship of a broad-based

regionally and nationally competitive athletics program as an integral part of the educational mission of the

University. The Department of Athletics strives to inspire champions today and prepare leaders for tomorrow by

providing a comprehensive, challenging, professionally-managed intercollegiate athletics program that encourages

student-athletes to achieve their highest academic, athletic and personal aspirations. Programs sponsored by the

University adhere to the highest standards of integrity and ethics. The Department promotes principles of good

sportsmanship, honesty and fiscal responsibility in compliance with university, state, NCAA, and conference

regulations. The Department promotes and supports the University's comprehensive commitment to diversity and

equity, providing equitable opportunity for all students and staff including women and minorities.” Vision Statement. “The UMass Department of Athletics will achieve success at the regional and national levels while

graduating student-athletes and preparing them for life beyond athletics.” Core Values. A set of core values that include:

• Winning Programs – Strive to promote and maintain winning programs for the student-athletes, staff, alumni

and fans while embracing the philosophy prescribed by the NCAA for Division I membership.

• Student-Athlete Experience – Provide each student-athlete a distinct educational, social and athletic

experience at the University of Massachusetts, culminating in graduation.

• Do It the Right Way – Ensure fiscal responsibility and compliance by maintaining strict adherence with

NCAA, OCR, conference and University regulations while embracing diversity and equity throughout the

organization.

Strategic Goal #1: Foster Winning Programs

One of the primary goals for the Department of Athletics is to foster athletic programs that are successful and to establish and maintain a tradition of competitive excellence. Many of the sport programs currently reflect this goal and many have met this goal in the past but are in various stages of rebuilding to achieve this goal once again. This strategic planning process analyzed each sport’s success as well as their current level of resources that helps in the pursuit of excellence. The plan also recognized that the sport programs needed to be tiered for measuring commitments and outcomes. The tiers included:

1. Nationally Competitive Teams with a Focus for Distinction

Provide these teams with the resources necessary to be successful at the national level. Our competitive expectations for these teams are to regularly advance to national post-season play (A-10 Tournament, NIT, WNIT, etc.) and compete in the NCAA Tournament on a regular basis. Teams: Men’s and Women’s Basketball

It was decided that the Athletic Department would finalize the document during the summer, present it to the Committee for its endorsement during the AY 2010-2011 and then present to it the Athletic Council for discussion and approval. 2. Nationally Competitive Teams

Strive to field nationally competitive teams that are capable of producing conference championships and national rankings.


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Teams: Football; Ice Hockey; Field Hockey; Women’s Lacrosse; Women’s Soccer; Men’s Lacrosse; Women’s Rowing; and Tennis. 3. Conference Sports

Provide resources that allow the student-athletes to have a positive Division I experience, allow the programs to be competitive in the Atlantic 10 conference, and allow the athletes to strive for individual recognition at the conference and national levels. Teams: Men’s Swimming and Diving; Men’s Soccer; Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field; Women’s Swimming and Diving; Baseball; and Men’s Cross Country and Track and Field. An additional objective in developing winning traditions included: 4. Facility Enhancements

Maintain and enhance existing facilities concurrent with cultivating fundraising dollars for new facilities. Strategic Goal #2 – Student-Athlete Experience

Provide each student-athlete a distinct educational, social and athletic experience at the University of

Massachusetts, culminating in graduation. Objective 1: Promote student-athlete welfare by providing quality support services in sports medicine; health

enhancement; strength and conditioning; academic support services; NCAA academic progress; NCAA rules

education and compliance.

Strategic Goal #3 – Do it the right way

Ensure fiscal responsibility and compliance by maintaining strict adherence with NCAA, OCR, conference and

University regulations while embracing diversity and equity throughout the organization.

Objective 1: Institutional Control. Assist the University to maintain institutional control in a way that minimizes risk and maximizes our reputation for

doing it the right way.

Objective 2: Achieve financial stability with a balanced annual budget. This includes operational objectives in fundraising; external relations; branding and identity; and media exposure.

Objective 3: Gender Equity and Diversity

Evaluate and assess sports program offerings so that gender equity is maintained and competitiveness is maximized

(see Gender Equity Plan, 2007-2012).

Objective 4: Campus Recreation

Evaluate and assess the Recreation program to ensure that it provides students with leadership development and the

opportunity to participate in healthy and safe recreational activities through recreation management. This includes

on-going evaluation and assessment of the overall Recreation programming to ensure a high-quality recreation

program that balances the needs of all applicable constituencies (students, faculty/staff, alumni, community, etc).


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Additional Special Reports Throughout the course of the AY 2010-2011, the Athletic Council requested and heard special reports from various areas in the Athletic Department. A number of specific special reports were filed during the year including Media Relations and Broadcasting UMass Games, Marketing UMass Athletics and UMass Student Athlete Advisory Committee. A sample if these detailed reports are available here and others were highlighted in the Athletic Council minutes. G. Student Athlete Advisory Committee Report Jennifer Corriveau updated the Athletic Council on the SAAC activities over the past year. The SAAC Committee meets about twice monthly under the direction of Peter Montague, Athletic Department Representative from Academic Support Services. The purpose of the committee is to provide an update to all teams, improve communications, and to involved more student athletes in the student athlete experiences. Highlights from the SAAC included:

• ADA Walk. SAAC representatives from four teams gathered teammates to facilitate the American Diabetes Association Step Out Walk to Fight Diabetes in September.

• National Walk to School Day. SAAC recruited 15 student-athletes to participate in National Walk to School Day with Wildwood Elementary School in October. The event promotes nutrition, exercise, and good health by walking the children from the Bertucci's parking lot to the school, a distance of over 1.5 miles.

• Shriners Toy Drive. SAAC conducted a toy drive on behalf of Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield, MA, in December. It collected 330 toys from teammates and other staff members in athletics in addition to collecting from the general public at two men's basketball games and two ice hockey games. Seven student-athletes traveled to deliver the toys to the children and spend time with them.

• Crocker Farm School Day. SAAC sent about a dozen student-athletes to eat breakfast and spend time with children at Crocker Farms Elementary School on one Friday during both the fall and spring semesters.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters. SAAC submitted teams of four to participate in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County bowl-a-thon in April. UMass had 12 student-athletes from seven different athletic teams take part in raising awareness for this cause.

• Food Pantry Drive. SAAC collected canned goods and other supplies at two spring home games to benefit the South Hadley Food Pantry.

• Student Athlete Barbeque. The spring student-athlete BBQ took place in May. SAAC organized a relay event for the student-athletes to participate in, and the “Buddy Team” pairing of ice hockey and women’s lacrosse was crowned the inaugural SAAC BBQ champion.

• Buddy Team Competition. To increase support at their respective competitions, we paired up "Buddy Teams." Each team picked a home competition or "Big Game" that was likely to be their most important of the season, and their buddy team is responsible for either attending the competition or making a nice gesture to let the other team know they were supported. They chose the men’s soccer game on Halloween and an April women’s lacrosse game to have a pre-game tailgate where they had pizza and soda.

• A10, Athletic Council and National Honor Society Representation. Some representatives were involved in related organizations. Jenn Corriveau and Stu Amick were part of SAAC at the A-10 Conference level. They took part in regular conference calls, and UMass sent Shane Curran-Hays to the in-person meeting in Philadelphia. Jenn Corriveau and Shane Curran-Hays were involved with the University Athletic Council. They discussed relevant campus issues with other members of the University community, including professors


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and staff members. Several representatives were active members of the UMass chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma, a national honor society for student-athletes. Daniel Wu and Stephanie Lawrence served on the Student Leadership Advisory Council, where they collaborated with other student leaders across campus.

• New Communication Efforts. The 2010-11 edition unveiled a display case decorated with photos and information, launched a new Web site off of Umassathletics.com, and started its own Twitter account to update representatives and other student-athletes about SAAC news.

• Status of National Student Athlete Honor Society. The honor society for student athletes being formed by the SAAC and is called “Chi Alpha Sigma” and is in its third year of operation as a national honor society. A new class of student-athletes is inducted every year based on a 3.4 cumulative GPA and junior status. They organize at least one event every year as a way of giving back to the University community. They have conducted in the recent past graduate school fair of sorts where they answered questions from younger student-athletes about preparing for graduate school. In addition, this past year the group conducted a panel where they talked about lessons they learned during their college career that they wished they knew when they were freshmen.

Pete Montague, Academic Support Services Staff Representative, reported that this year’s group of SAAC representatives were perhaps the most dedicated, active, and enthusiastic group in his seven years working at UMass.

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