UM one of 18 institutions or conferences to receive grant to promote awareness of and increase attendance at women’s basketball

The University of Miami is one of 18 institutions or conferences selected by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to receive a women’s basketball grant as part of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Grant Program, which is in its second year.

The 2009-10 NCAA grant program dedicated approximately $750,000 nationally to increase awareness, exposure, and attendance of women’s basketball.

“The UM athletics department is honored to have been chosen by the NCAA to be one of 14 universities to receive the women’s basketball grant,” says Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt. “These monies will allow us to showcase our product, which will result in increased awareness and support for the women’s basketball program.”

A total of 75 member schools and conferences submitted proposals in the second year of the pilot program. National office staff and representatives from the NCAA women’s basketball marketing consultant firm, Hawkeye Sports and Entertainment, evaluated the proposals.

“Receiving this grant is a huge step in our continued goal to make Miami an elite program,” says women’s basketball head coach Katie Meier. “I am glad that the NCAA recognized our program as a diamond in the rough, and this will allow us to open our doors to the South Florida community.”

Joining the University of Miami as 2009-10 grant recipients are Auburn University; Big South Conference; Cornell University; East Tennessee State University; Eastern Michigan University; Iowa State University; Patriot League; San Diego State University; University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, Riverside; University of California, Santa Barbara; University of Hartford; University of Kansas; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; University of South Carolina, Columbia; West Coast Conference; and Western Athletic Conference.

Success stories of 2008-09 grant recipients included Texas Tech University, which doubled its student attendance for women’s basketball home games; East Tennessee State University, which increased its average attendance by 231 percent; and several grant recipients set record single-game attendance marks.

Grants are awarded on a one-year basis and are not automatically renewed.

“The efforts of Rachel Sander, director of women’s basketball operations, combined with the plan of our marketing department played an integral role in our program being awarded this grant,” Meier adds.

This marketing initiative concept was generated from the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Discussion Group, chaired by NCAA President Myles Brand. The group consisted of head coaches, media representatives, former student-athletes and conference, institutional and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association administrators. This initiative has been strongly supported by the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Issues Committee.