Diversity in Division I Athletic Directors: A Look At The Atlantic Coast Conference

1. Diversity in Division I Athletic Directors: A Look At The Atlantic Coast Conference By: Aaron Freeman DIVISION I COMPARED TO THE ACC RECOMMENDATIONS INTRODUCTION • After researching the statistics for Division I Athletic Directors it is easy to see the overall lack of diversity throughout the NCAA in this position. Here are the statistics according to the 2010 Racial and Gender Report Card: • White males 88% • African Americans 7% • Women 3% • Latinos 2% • Asians 0% • These numbers show that diversity among Division I AD’s is very low with only 12% of all athletic directors being non white males. • By focusing on a smaller sample size, and in this case the Atlantic Coast Conference, I was able to find that this conference has 25% of its AD’s being a non white male (see chart below) and is only one of two conferences that has that high of a percentage, the other being the PAC 12. Out of the 12 AD’s in the conference 9 are white male, 2 are African American ( Kevin Anderson at Maryland and Craig Littlepage at Virginia) and there is one female which is our very own Debbie Yow here at NC State. These numbers may not be overwhelming, but when compared to all of DI athletics, the ACC the ACC is doing a good job at promoting diversity among this administrative position, more than doubling the national average. • All Division I Conferences and the institutions that make up each conference should promote diversity in their mission statements like the ACC does. This could help change the perceptions of people and in return lead to more diversity. • In the hiring process, universities should be required to interview a diverse group of applicants, to give women and minorities a fair chance at the position. In recent years Division I athletic programs have improved their racial and gender hiring practices in all areas but one; Athletic Directors. There is very little diversity among athletic directors in Division I Athletics when compared to all other positions within college sport. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate how the ACC has one of the most diverse groups of Athletic Directors in the country. THE ACC The ACC is a conference that is rich in tradition and excellence in both academic and athletics. But the one thing that sets this conference apart from others is the way in which it promotes diversity and fairness for all people involved in the conference whether it is a student athlete or athletic director and that starts with the conference mission statement. CONCLUSIONS • Even though the ACC is doing a better job at promoting diversity among this position, there is still a common theme between both the ACC and DI as a whole, and that is over 70% of all AD’s are white male. The position of a DI Athletic Director falls under the social theory of hegemony, which is where certain social groups of a society wield authority over one group or another. This may not seem right but unfortunately that is the view of some members of our society. Hopefully with a continuing effort to promote diversity among college athletics from the top down, we will one day close the gap in this number and there will be more opportunities for women and minorities to have a chance at being an Athletic director for a major university. Atlantic Coast Conference Mission Statement The Atlantic Coast Conference, through its member institutions, seeks to maximize the educational and athletic opportunities of its student-athletes, while enriching their quality of life. It strives to do so by affording individuals equitable opportunity to pursue academic excellence and compete at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics competition in a broad spectrum of sports and championships. The Conference will provide leadership in attaining these goals, by promoting diversity and mutual trust among its member institutions, in a spirit of fairness for all. It strongly adheres to the principles of integrity and sportsmanship, and supports the total development of the student-athlete and each member institution's athletics staff, with the intent of producing enlightened leadership for tomorrow. BIBLIOGRAPHY • Eagleman, A; Pederson, P; Wright, C (2011) Examining Leadership In Intercollegiate Athletics: Content Analysis of NCAA Division I Athletic Directors. Choregia: Sport Management International Journal • Lapchick, R (2011), 2010 Racial and Gender Report Card. University of Central Florida, The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport.  • Leland, Ted; Peters, Karen (2003), Title IX: Unresolved Public Policy Issues; • Staurowsky, Ellen J (2003), Title IX and College Sport: The Long Painful Path to Compliance and Reform; • Wells, J (2012) Where Are the Division I Female Athletic Directors? : A Social Cognitive Career Investigation.  2012 North American Society for Sport Management Conference (NASSM 2012)