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ATLANTA, Ga. - The ASUN Conference and Commissioner Ted Gumbart announced on Wednesday afternoon that the league membership has committed to a full exploration of multiple expansion opportunities. In one of the future scenarios, the current ASUN members partner with expansion members to form a new DI multisport conference.



The FAQ section below pertains to the specific steps on how the ASUN would collaborate with the CCSA (Coastal Collegiate Sports Association) to build a new multisport conference. The parenthetical references are to the applicable bylaw in the 2019-2020 NCAA Division I Manual.



Additional References:

Interview with ASUN Commissioner Ted Gumbart

Glossary of Terms





>> How do NCAA Division I institutions form a new conference?

- NCAA member schools may join together to form a conference (3.02.3.2 Member Conference, 3.3.3.2 Member Conference Election). This process elected the CCSA to Division I Conference membership. This Q&A deals specifically with how the ASUN and CCSA will create a "Multisport" conference. Once multisport status is achieved, the conference is eligible for legislative approval to be classified as a Core Conference; core conference status permits automatic qualification (AQ) into NCAA Championships.

>> What defines a "multisport conference member" of the NCAA (such as the ASUN) as opposed to just a "conference member" (such as the CCSA Swimming and Diving Conference)?

- There are clearly defined criteria that separate the status of a conference member vs a "multisport" conference member (20.02.5 Multisport Conference). The key elements are having a minimum of seven active members who play men's and women's basketball and have played the required minimum number of sports (six men's sports & six women's sports) together for the previous eight years. Meeting the required membership and sponsored sports for eight consecutive years is termed "continuity."

>> Has the new conference already been formed?

- In the case of the ASUN and CCSA working together to build a new multisport conference, both conference entities are already formed. The CCSA will change status from a single sport conference member of the NCAA to a multisport conference entity. This will occur by having seven current ASUN institutions (the ASUN 7), which meet the NCAA "continuity" requirement, join the CCSA for all sports.

The chronological steps in this plan are:

a) ASUN Conference expands to 20 members (by June, 2023)

b) The ASUN transfers rights to the ASUN name and marks to the CCSA

c) The ASUN 7 join the CCSA (July 1, 2023)

d) The CCSA adopts the ASUN name as a multisport conference

e) The remaining ASUN members adopt the name United Athletic Conference

>> What happens to the other current ASUN members - the ones that are not part of the ASUN 7?

- Two current (Liberty, North Alabama) and one future member (Bellarmine) of the ASUN are not classified as part of the ASUN 7, simply based on the length of time they have been in the ASUN. Schools must have played together for eight consecutive years to become part of the "continuity" group that can start a new conference. The implementation of this plan will include ALL ASUN members equally, and providing a conference setting that is equal to, or better than, the status quo is a requisite part of the plan. Contractual agreements will be signed with every current ASUN member to guarantee their conference slot, without any buy-in, buy-out or loss of AQ access benefits. This expansion plan does not exclude any current ASUN member or ASUN affiliate member in any sport.

>> Is there any precedent to what the CCSA and ASUN are doing?

- There are multiple precedents for starting a new conference and being immediately recognized by the NCAA with eligibility for automatic bids. The Mountain West Conference was formed by eight institutions that withdrew from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The most recent case, executed under the current NCAA conference membership rules, was the case of the Big East and the Catholic 7. In 2010 the Big East had 17 members, seven that played basketball but did not sponsor football, later dubbed the Catholic 7 (DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova), eight that played all sports, including football (Cincinnati, Connecticut, Syracuse, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Florida, West Virginia) and one that played all sports except that it remained independent in football (Notre Dame). By 2013, the ongoing NCAA Division I conference realignment led the group of schools called the Catholic 7 to withdraw from the Big East to start a new conference. The "new" conference negotiated to use the Big East name and logo; the remaining group continued operation under a new name, the American Athletic Conference.

>> What schools will join the ASUN to enable it to expand from 10 to 20 members?

- On December 13, 2019, the ASUN released a public statement regarding expansion candidates. This statement will hold true through the CCSA/ASUN collaboration process.

>> What if the ASUN doesn't expand to 20 schools?

- The consideration of expanding to 20 schools became a reasonable proposal based on private exploration of multiple ASUN expansion options. If the market dynamics that motivate institutional realignment do not present the opportunity to expand to 20, then the ASUN has alternate options, including the continued growth and success of the ASUN as a 10-member conference.

>> What if the ASUN expands to some number fewer than 20, and the ASUN 7 don't all agree to join the CCSA?

- The option to create the new conference is one option among many being explored by the ASUN. The creation of the new conference will only happen if there is a group of institutions that share the same vision. No one school will be committed to move without the accompanying commitment from the others that would make the UAC possible. For the ASUN 7, the ultimate decision on whether to accept the CCSA invitation will rest on the ability of the plan to succeed in the marketplace. The plan is CEO driven and it is designed to provide the best possible setting for student-athlete and institutional success. If the opportunity to build a new conference does not provide a better setting for the interested schools, then the plan will not be executed.

>> Why did the CCSA have to file a letter now with the NCAA?

- The ASUN has built its expansion plan options over the past 15 months. It was fully anticipated that at some point two things would happen; No. 1, the interested schools would need NCAA confirmation that the policies allow for this activity, and No. 2, that certain details of the plan would eventually become known. With the need for national office confirmation on the plan's compliance with NCAA bylaws, the letter was submitted. The timing of the submission coincides with the knowledge that the plan is no longer confidential. The decision to file the letter is to formally go on record with the NCAA to preserve the opportunity before any change in rules or moratorium on new conference development could be put in place.

>> The CCSA has invited the ASUN 7 to join. Is there an agreement in place that all seven are committed to join for 2023?

- We are in the process of building options for our member institutions. The ultimate goal is to provide the best conference setting possible for our student-athletes and the institutions that they attend. We have a number of options under construction. The ability to start a new conference is one of those options and it is under construction. There is no pre-existing contract that dictates the future for any ASUN member institution.

>> What if the ASUN expands and then the legislative proposal to acknowledge the CCSA as a Core Conference fails?

- That is a reasonable question that has already been discussed in our expansion talks with multiple parties. As we would be following the policies established by the membership, meeting the precedent established by other members, and only proceeding based on the desire of multiple NCAA member institutions to build a better setting for their student-athletes, we project that the legislation would pass. However, as a voted issue, each voter has the right to vote yes or no. If the vote was negative, we would certainly appeal.

>> What policies explain how the CCSA will become eligible for NCAA Automatic Qualification and receive an AQ for men's basketball?

- This is addressed generally in article 18 of the championship bylaws (18.5 Automatic Qualification by Conference), and specifically in the Executive Regulations (31.3.4 Automatic Qualification).

31.3.4.7.2 Men's Basketball. In men's basketball, subject to the championships-access guarantee afforded to the subdivisions as set forth in Constitution 4.01.2.3.1 (e.g., all contests that are part of the championship shall be administered and funded by the NCAA and broadcast on television and any team that participates in the championship shall be awarded at least one financial unit), there shall be a minimum of 34 at-large selections and the remainder of the championship field automatic-qualifying positions.



ABOUT THE ASUN CONFERENCE

The ASUN Conference, a member of NCAA Division I, boasts nine member institutions committed to Building Winners for Life. The ASUN meets the challenge of maintaining the highest standards in academic and athletic achievement with a true balance between student and athlete. The ASUN includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Liberty University, Lipscomb University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University of North Alabama, University of North Florida and Stetson University. The addition of Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky., will bring the ASUN membership to ten for the 2020-21 academic year.