UC Receives NCAA Certification

The NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification announced today that the University of Cincinnati athletics program has been certified. The certification process, which involved a self-study led by an institution’s president, included a review of governance and commitment to rules compliance; academic integrity; equity; and student-athlete well-being. A designation of certified means that an institution operates its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the Division I membership.

At the University of Cincinnati, the certification process began in October 2005 when President Nancy L. Zimpher launched a year-long, campus-wide effort to study the athletics program. This was the second time UC participated in the process.

Mitchel D. Livingston, vice president for Student Affairs & Services, chaired the UC certification steering committee.  Livingston has been a member of the University Athletic Committee for the past 13 years. The steering committee included faculty, administrators, alumni, students and coaches. Daniel Acosta, dean of UC’s College of Pharmacy and chair of UC's Council of Deans, was the chief writer of the self-study report.

"The University of Cincinnati is strongly committed to the principles underlying athletics certification," Livingston said.  "The certification process assures that the NCAA’s commitment to the integrity of intercollegiate athletics is shared and advanced by UC."

The University of Cincinnati certification self-study process generated a written report submitted to the NCAA on May 15, 2006. An evaluation visit by an NCAA Peer Review Team took place in the autumn of 2006.

The University of Cincinnati was last certified in 1999 after the 1996-97 review process.  The NCAA has changed the frequency of athletics certification from once every five years to once every 10 years, while requiring a five-year interim status report.  The last interim status report was submitted in 2002.

The NCAA is a membership organization of colleges and universities that participate in intercollegiate athletics. The primary purpose of the association is to maintain intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the educational program, and the athlete as an integral part of the student body. Activities of the NCAA membership include formulating rules of play for NCAA sports, conducting national championships, adopting and enforcing standards of eligibility, and studying all phases of intercollegiate athletics.

The UC NCAA Certification process includes a Web page at: http://www.uc.edu/ncaa

The Web site includes rosters of certification self-study participants, minutes of associated meetings, and copies of key documents.