Briefly speaking: On the way to Division I

As UC Davis comes down the homestretch of its four-year transition to Division I competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the campus's faculty athletic representative offers a look back at the process and a glimpse into the future.

"The entire progression has been an eye-opener in terms of what we have to do," says Kimberly Elsbach, a professor in the Graduate School of Management. "Division I is no picnic -- we have to be on the ball."

UC Davis has one of the largest athletics programs in the country, with more than 700 student-athletes participating in 26 varsity sports. The campus began its transition despite opposition from the faculty Senate, but with the majority of students supporting the change from Division II to Division I status, which is expected to take place midsummer.

Principles help guide campus

Elsbach, who chairs the athletic administrative advisory committee, says the major concerns were that athletics would be a drain on campus resources and that athletics would take precedence over academics.

Those fears have been largely allayed, says Elsbach, with the passing of three student referendums to fund athletics primarily through student fees and open communication with the campus during the certification process.

A list of eight core principles drafted in May 2004 has also been instrumental in guiding the campus. Among them: admission and graduation standards must not be altered or amended for student-athletes; all sports are on an equal footing; and progress must continue toward achieving gender equity among sports.

"These core principles are key guides in our decision making," Elsbach says.

Academic standards

The transition process has also demonstrated how much more stringent the academic oversight of Division I can be -- the requirements are higher and there are greater penalties for not meeting them.

UC Davis began making its transition at a time when a lot of changes were taking place in the NCAA. Starting last year, the NCAA instituted an academic performance ranking where teams are rated by the individual players' progress toward their degrees.

Every student-athlete on grant-in-aid gets tracked each quarter on his or her progress. If a student does not make the required progress, it hurts the overall score for the team. If the team falls below a certain cutoff score, the school is penalized by losing scholarships from the NCAA and other sources and can eventually lose Division I status.

A recent study showed that UC Davis student-athletes are doing better than the rest of the student population in academic performance and graduation rates -- an important measure of accountability.

"In moving forward as a campus, there is a constant struggle to balance the demands of being a Division I school and maintaining our commitment to academics over athletics," Elsbach says. "The results of this study illustrate our dedication to academic integrity."

Elsbach says other schools are now looking to UC Davis as a model for how to do athletics differently. "We may not have the flashiest facilities or celebrity sports stars, but we can feel proud of the role we've had in changing what Division I athletics looks like," she says.