THIS IS UCF University of Central Florida ................ 198 Campus Life ......................................... 199 A Big-Time University .......................... 200 Prominent Alumni ............................... 201 City of Orlando .................................... 202 Media Spotlight ................................... 203 Bright House Networks Stadium .. 204-205 Wayne Densch Sports Center .............. 206
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THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA - UCF STANDS FOR OPPORTUNITY The University of Central Florida is one of the most dynamic universities in the country in one of the most popular cities in the world. Offering 214 degree programs, it is an academic and research leader in numerous fields, such as optics, modeling and simulation, engineering and computer science, business administration, education, the sciences including biomedical sciences, hospitality management and digital media. UCF’s 1,415-acre main campus provides modern facilities, most of which have wireless abilities, with 600 acres set aside for lakes, woods and an arboretum. UCF has 12 colleges, including the newly established College of Medicine. More than 53,500 students attend classes on UCF’s main Orlando campus and its 11 regional campuses. UCF began offering classes in 1968 and recently granted its 198,311 degree. The incoming freshmen class for the academic year 2009-10 of 3,842 students continued UCF’s rise in academics with an average SAT score of 1225 and a high school grade-point average of 3.8. The Burnett Honors College incoming class had an average SAT score of 1374 and a grade-point weighted average of 4.2. UCF ranks in the top 50 universities nationwide for the number of National Merit Scholars of first-time-in-college students. The UCF Libraries offer more than 1.9 million volumes and 32,009 serial subscriptions, 24,730 of which are electronic journals. UCF has a 149,000-square-foot Recreation and Wellness Center complete with a three-story climbing wall, an indoor track and fitness equipment. The Student Union has computer labs, study lounges, ballrooms and meeting rooms, popular eating establishments and a small shopping mall. The Health Center is a fullservice health clinic with on-site professionals, X-ray capabilities, dental services, a pharmacy, a medical laboratory and physical therapy services. The 10,000seat UCF Arena and a 45,000-seat on-campus football stadium were opened in 2007. Housing includes on-campus residence halls and affiliated apartments for more than 10,000 students. UCF promotes a diverse and inclusive environment. UCF students come from 63 Florida counties, 50 states, and 141 countries. Study abroad programs allow UCF students to study and conduct research with 98 institutions in 36 countries. Students at UCF have been recognized throughout the world and include recipients of the Rhodes, Mellon and Goldwater scholarships.
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CAMPUS LIFE UCF’s 1,415-acre campus provides a safe, serene setting for learning with 600 acres of natural lakes and woodlands. At UCF, there is always something to do. Students attend Division I athletics events, concerts and shows at UCF Arena and are offered a wide array of cultural events and opportunities. Personal development programs and activities in a broad range of educational, recreational and social-awareness topics allow students a chance to expand their understanding of the world. Among the things available to all students are an 85,000-square foot recreational fitness center, a 181,000-gallon outdoor recreational pool and nine sandy beach volleyball courts. UCF’s exciting campus includes a variety of on-campus residential communities, and the addition of a new alumni center and a full-service medical clinic provides expanded opportunities for activities. UCF boasts some of the finest on-campus residences in the nation in the Towers at Knights Plaza. The modern, apartment-style dormitories are located on the north side of campus, allowing UCF student-athletes to live within close proximity to Bright House Networks Stadium, Nicholson Fieldhouse and the Wayne Densch Sports Center. The apartments feature common kitchen areas as well as four single bedrooms with full-size beds. 199
A BIG-TIME UNIVERSITY During Daunte Culpepper’s senior year in 1998, UCF’s enrollment was listed at 28,500. Nearly 12 years later, the university is recognized as one of the nation’s largest institutions. With an enrollment of 53,644 students, UCF is the third-largest school in the country. Since 2000, enrollment has increased over 40 percent.
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The nation’s largest universities in 2009-10:
UCF Facts
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
• One of Florida’s 11 public universities • Opened its doors to students in 1968 • Offers over 200 degree programs • Named a “Best Value” university by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and a “School to Watch” by U.S. News and World Report • Attracts exceptional academic achievers (incoming freshmen for 2009-01 had an SAT average of 1225, an average ACT of 27 and an average GPA of 3.8) • Made U.S. medical school history by giving the College of Medicine’s charter class full four-year scholarships
Arizona State Ohio State UCF Minnesota Texas Florida Texas A&M Michigan State USF Penn State
55,552 55,014 53,644 51,659 51,032 50,691 48,885 47,100 46,612 43,998
Daunte Culpepper
PROMINENT ALUMNI Tom Ackert Executive Director, Orange County Convention Center
Ericka Dunlap Miss America 2004
Michelle Akers FIFA Women’s Soccer Player of the Century (1900s)
Alan Eustace Senior Vice President, Google
James Atchison President and Chief Operating Officer, Busch Entertainment Corporation
Tyler Fisher Rhodes Scholar
John Bersia Pulitzer Prize winner
Brian France Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, NASCAR
Drew Butera Catcher, Minnesota Twins
Cheryl Hines Actress
Megan Clementi Miss Florida USA 2010
Jim Hunt Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Walt Disney World Resorts
Lee Constantine Florida State Senator
Shawn Jefferson Longtime NFL wide receiver
Richard Crotty Orange County Mayor
Nelson Marchioli President and CEO, Denny’s Corporation
Daunte Culpepper Three-time NFL Pro Bowl selection at quarterback
Mark Miller Lead singer, Sawyer Brown
Phil Dalhausser Beach volleyball player, 2008 Olympic gold medalist
Jermaine Taylor Shooting guard, Houston Rockets
Robert Damron Professional Golfer
Al Weiss President of Worldwide Operations, Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts
Rich Crotty
Phil Dalhausser
Jermaine Taylor 201
CITY OF ORLANDO UCF students have easy access to one of the world’s most vibrant cities in Orlando. Orlando is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world. As recently as 2009, approximately 50 million visitors traveled to the region. Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando and Sea World, amongst others, are just a short drive away from the UCF campus. The Kennedy Space Center, state parks and sandy beaches are all within an hour of campus. Orlando is a frequent destination for today’s top musical groups and performances, who visit popular venues like Hard Rock Live at Universal’s CityWalk and the House of Blues, which is located in Downtown Disney. The city’s world-renowned theme parks have added a variety of new entertainment experiences, including Cirque du Soleil’s “La Nouba” at Disney and Universal’s resident Blue Man Group shows. Beyond the theme parks, downtown Orlando features an ever-changing skyline, fine dining options and a newly-developed arts district. Cultural destinations in the city include the Orlando Museum of Art, the Orange County Regional History Center and Lake Eola Park. With top-notch musical and theatrical events occurring year-round, Orlando is a premier destination for sports fans, too. The region is home to professional franchises, college football bowl games, world famous auto races, several professional golf tournaments and much more. The Orlando Magic have brought the excitement of NBA showtime to the city with its impressive NBA playoff runs in 2009 and 2010. The future is even brighter for the Magic, with its state-of-the-art downtown arena opening before the 2010-11 season. UCF will face the Florida Gators at the Amway Center to help open the new facility on Dec. 1, 2010. The region’s sports calendar is busy with Grapefruit League baseball each spring as the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex hosts the Atlanta Braves. The Houston Astros train in nearby Kissimmee and the Washington Nationals are just a short trip east in Viera. In 2006, the World Baseball Classic held part of its inaugural event in Lake Buena Vista. The Florida Citrus Bowl hosts a pair of premier college bowl games each winter – the Champs Sports Bowl and the Capital One Bowl. The stadium has also been the site of the World Cup and Olympic soccer contests, World Wrestling Entertainment’s Wrestlemania, amongst many other major sporting events. The region also features the most prominent NASCAR race of the year, its “Super Bowl” event, the Daytona 500, held at the Daytona International Speedway, to help start the racing season, in addition to July’s Pepsi 400. With countless world-class golf courses, several professional tournaments are held in Central Florida annually, including the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard at Bay Hill, the Children’s Miracle Network Classic at the Magnolia Golf Course in Lake Buena Vista and the Tavistock Cup, rotated annually between the prestigious Isleworth and Lake Nona private courses. 202
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT The continued growth of UCF football has kept the Knights consistently in the media spotlight. UCF is located within the 19th-largest media market in the country. The area includes Orlando, Daytona Beach and Melbourne, and features three daily newspapers and five television stations with newscasts. According to the latest Census estimates, the Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne area has a total population of 3,690,119.
The Nation’s Largest Media Markets
UCF Media Platforms
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UCFAthletics.com UCF’s official athletics web site is the top destination for UCF news on the Internet. The web site includes stories on the UCF football program, plus popular features like John Denton’s “Knights Insider” and Marc Daniels’ “From the Pressbox.” The site welcomed a record 1.2 million unique visitors in 200910.
New York, N.Y. Los Angeles, Calif. Chicago, Ill. Philadelphia, Pa. Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif. Boston, Mass. Atlanta, Ga. Washington, D.C. Houston, Texas Detroit, Mich. Phoenix, Ariz. Seattle-Tacoma, Wash. Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. Denver, Colo. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Cleveland-Akron, Ohio Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, Fla. Sacramento, Calif.
According to Nielson Media Research, Inc.
UCF Knights Insider UCF Knights Insider is published six times per year as part of UCF’s partnership with ISP Sports. The full color publication is full of feature stories on UCF student-athletes and coaches and also includes contributions from John Denton and Marc Daniels. UCF Sports Today with George O’Leary UCF Sports Today with George O’Leary airs each week during the fall, providing an inside look at the UCF football program. The show airs statewide. UCF-ISP Sports Radio Network UCF football games can be heared throughout the Sunshine State on the UCFISP Sports Radio Network. The network reaches several markets, including Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach and of course, Orlando. 203
BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS STADIUM The crown jewel in UCF’s impressive athletics complex, Bright House Networks Stadium opened in 2007. The 45,323-seat on-campus facility gives the Knights one of the top venues in the southeast. After spending their previous 28 seasons at the Florida Citrus Bowl in downtown Orlando, the Knights made their debut at Bright House Networks Stadium on Sept. 15, 2007, facing national power Texas. A capacity crowd was on hand for the game, which was televised live nationally on ESPN2. In its inaugural campaign at the stadium, UCF capped the season with six-straight wins at home, including a 44-25 victory over Tulsa in the Conference USA Championship game. The Knights are 14-6 at the venue, including a 6-1 mark a year ago. When UCF hosted Miami on Oct. 17, 2009, a facility-record 48,453 fans were on hand for the contest. Located on the modern north side of campus, the stadium features a state-of-the-art scoreboard, video board, luxury boxes, a large club lounge, spacious press box and a nautral grass playing surface. The stadium’s general seating includes 13,656 seats with back rests. Additionally, the stadium has 822 club seats and a total of 459 seats in the suites.
BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS STADIUM BY THE NUMBERS
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The Roth Tower features 24 luxury suites
The stadium occupies 25 acres
Throughout the stadium, 63 television monitors are mounted at various locations
UCF opened the stadium by hosting No. 6 Texas
The stadium has 11 permanent concession stands
Since the facility opened, 812,248 spectators have watched the Knights play
UCF has hosted 4 nationally-ranked teams since the stadium opened
The stadium has 2 scoreboards
During construction, 2,452 tons of steel were used to build the stadium
The stadium includes 18 entry gates
The stadium includes 10 ticket windows
UCF student-athletes utilize a 10,416-square foot locker room at the venue
Construction of the facility cost $60 million to complete
The Knights have hosted 1 Conference USA Championship Game at the stadium
BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS STADIUM TIMELINE Jan. 4, 2005 UCF President Dr. John C. Hitt announces that UCF is exploring the possibility of building a football stadium on campus Dec. 14, 2005 The UCF Board of Trustees approves a financing plan for the stadium Dec. 11, 2006 UCF announces that the Knights will face Texas in the first game inside the new stadium Aug. 8, 2006 Three months after construction begins on the facility, Bright House Networks acquires the naming rights to the new stadium Sept. 15, 2007 The Knights make their debut at the stadium, hosting No. 6 Texas in front of 45,622 fans Sept. 22, 2007 UCF tops Memphis, 56-20, in the first Conference USA game at Bright House Networks Stadium Dec. 1, 2007 In front of 44,128 spectators, UCF posts a 44-25 win over Tulsa in the Conference USA Championship Game Sept. 6, 2008 UCF hosts an in-state team for the first time at the facility when No. 17 USF visits Oct. 17, 2009 When the Knights host No. 9 Miami, a venue-record 48,453 fans attend the contest Nov. 14, 2009 The Knights top No. 13 Houston, 37-32, to record the first win in program history over a nationally-ranked opponent 205
WAYNE DENSCH SPORTS CENTER UCF boasts one of the nation’s finest football facilities in the Wayne Densch Sports Center. The Knights call the 44,000-square foot facility home, utilizing the building for training, rehabilitation and film study. The building features UCF’s strength and conditioning center, a theater-style team auditorium, team meeting rooms, equipment room and coaches’ offices. The Knights utilize a 4,000 square-foot locker room and also have access to the sports medicine center. The facility opened in 2003 and is located adjacent to Bright House Networks Stadium, the football practice fields and the Nicholson Fieldhouse. The building is also within a short walking distance of the new Towers at Knights Plaza, where members of the football team reside. The 11,200-square foot weight room located in the middle of the building features the finest in free wight and machine equipment, cardio and treadmills. The weight room features a state-of-the-art sound system. The sports medicine center inside the building is equipped with the latest in aquatic technology, as well as a SwimEx pool, which is used for both treatment and rehabilitation. 206
NICHOLSON FIELDHOUSE UCF players continually take advantage of the only 120-yard indoor facility in the state of Florida: Nicholson Fieldhouse. The state-of-the-art facility opened in 2005 and allows the Knights to practice and train regardless of the weather conditions outside. Nicholson Fieldhouse is equipped with Field Turf, giving UCF players the opportunity to practice on one of the most modern artificial playing surfaces. During the oseason, the Knights utilize the fieldhouse for group and individual workout sessions. Situated directly behind the Wayne Densch Sports Center and adjacent to Bright House Networks Stadium, the fieldhouse is centrally located within the Knights’ football facilities. 207
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THE MOST CONVENIENT CAMPUS LAYOUT IN AMERICA 1 Learn Here UCF is the third-largest university in the United States and offers as ciriculum as diverse as its over 53,000-member student body.
2 Live Here The Towers at Knights Plaza are amongst the newest and most spacious on-campus apartment style dorms in the country and are centrally located just a few feet from all a student-athlete needs.
3 Train Here The Wayne Densch Sports Center contains the team locker room, meeting rooms, sports video center, weight room, equipment room, training room and coaches’ offices.
4 Play Here Bright House Networks Stadium opened in 2007 and the Knights routinely play to packed houses in their loud 45,323-seat on-campus home.
5 Practice Here UCF student-athletes utilize a pair of grass practice fields, which are located next to the Wayne Densch Sports Center and Bright House Networks Stadium.
6 Practice Anytime Here Nicholson Fieldhouse is Florida’s only 120-yard indoor practice facility and allows the Knights to work out year-round at their convenience, regardless of the weather conditions outside.
7 Eat Here Knightro’s cafeteria, located within the brand new 10,000-seat UCF Arena, offers quick and nutritious dining options for student-athletes.
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SUCCESS OFF OF THE FIELD Since arriving in Orlando, George O’Leary has demanded that his players not only excel on the field, but also succeed in their academic studies. The Knights have followed O’Leary’s lead, posting record numbers in the classroom on several occasions. During the fall of 2008, UCF posted the second-highest in-season grade point average in program history. Fifty-five Knights had a GPA of 3.0 or better. At the conclusion of the 2009 spring semester, the Knights set an O’Leary era GPA record. Forty-nine Knights recorded a 3.0 GPA or better. Ten student-athletes received their bachelor’s degrees, including six current team members. UCF was recognized by the AFCA in 2009 for its outstanding graduation rate as the Knights were one of 23 teams last fall to play in a bowl game and graduate at least 75-percent of its student-athletes. UCF’s APR (Academic Progress Rate) of 972 ranks seventh in the nation amongst public non-miltary schools. • UCF’s team GPA ranks second only to Rice in Conference USA. • During the 2009-10 year, a league-record 46 members of the football team earned spots on the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll with a 3.0 grade point average or better. • In 2009, 69 Knights wore “Scholar-Baller” helmet decals emblematic of a 3.0 GPA. •
In 2010, T.J. Harnden became the first UCF football player, and the second active student-athlete in any sport, to receive the Order of the Pegasus, the highest honor bestowed by the University upon its students. The award honors outstanding academic achievement, University involvement, leadership and community service. Graduate students are selected separately based on academic achievement, professional or community service, leadership and publication or research experience. 210
In 2009, Rocky Ross became just the third ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American in UCF football history. Ross joined Keith Shologan (2007) to give the Knights two Academic All-Americans in three years. With a 3.88 GPA, Ross was also named to the C-USA All-Academic team with the highest GPA on the 11-man squad. Ross earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and is currently working on a master’s in sports and fitness.
Sha’reff Rashad, who concluded his collegiate career in 2008, epitomized the Knights’ success in the classroom under O’Leary. The safety received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, with a minor in psychology. After finishing his undergraduate studies with a 3.428 GPA, he began work on a master’s degree in criminal justice. In spring 2009, Rashad was selected as one of 12 recipients of Conference USA’s Postgraduate Scholarship Awards. He was a semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy and a candidate for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. On the field in 2008, Rashad was an All-C-USA First Team pick after tying for second in the league with five interceptions and later signed a contract with the New York Giants.
Each year the Knights are active in the community, donating their time to worthy causes throughout central Florida. This past season, some of those activities included visits to children at nearby hospitals and elementary schools, visits with special-needs students at a school on the UCF campus and even simply serving as role models for youth football teams. 211
CONFERENCE USA Marking its 15-year milestone during the 2009-10 season, Conference USA is still going strong. From the beginning, dedication to excellence has been the league’s guiding principle and remains today a common thread for a promising future. C-USA is home to 12 nationally prominent, tradition-rich members in East Carolina, Houston, Marshall, Memphis, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UCF and UTEP. This combination enhances men’s and women’s programs that are immersed in athletic success and academic prowess. Together, we are committed to excellence, integrity and leadership in athletics, academics and in our communities. All C-USA institutions sponsor Division I-A football, along with several other men’s and women’s athletic programs, many of which compete regularly for NCAA Championships. C-USA sponsors competition in 20 sports - nine for men (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis and indoor and outdoor track and field) and 10 for women (basketball, cross country, golf, rowing, softball, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field and volleyball). The league sponsors numerous academic awards, including the Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the Commissioner’s Academic Medal, indicative of outstanding achievement in the classroom. C-USA annually awards 12 postgraduate scholarships, along with the Sport Academic Award, Scholar Athletes of the Year and the Institutional Academic Excellence Award. Conference USA also added a Spirit of Service Award, recognizing studentathletes three times a year for a combination of significant community service efforts, good academic standing and participation in their elected sport. SUCCESS ON THE PLAYING FIELD Conference USA performers have achieved great success in competition, placing the league among the top conferences in the nation. Football • • •
56 teams have earned bowl bids Member of the Bowl Championship Series Bowl tie-ins with the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, EagleBank Bowl, R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl and Dallas Football Classic
Men’s Basketball • Consistently rated as one of the top basketball leagues in the country • 90 postseason teams (45 NCAA and 38 NIT, 5 CBI, 2 CIT) • One National Championship title game appearance • Three Final Four teams • Seven Elite Eight NCAA Tournament teams • One NIT Champion and four NIT semifinalists • Inaugural CBI Champion Women’s Basketball • 44 NCAA Tournament appearances • 33 WNIT appearances • One team in the NCAA Sweet 16 • Two WNIT semifinalists Baseball • • • •
49 NCAA appearances Six College World Series appearances (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2001) 13 Super Regional appearances Has produced at least four NCAA teams in seven of the last eight seasons
In addition, 34 volleyball teams, 49 men’s and women’s soccer teams and 25 softball teams have earned NCAA Tournament bids. C-USA has sent three men’s soccer teams to the NCAA College Cup, five softball teams to the Women’s College World Series and three volleyball teams to the Sweet 16. The league has also had six national champions in NCAA track and field competition, one national champion in diving and numerous NCAA individual and team competitors in cross country, golf, swimming, tennis and track and field. Overall, Conference USA teams and individuals have made more than 500 NCAA appearances.
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SUCCESS OFF THE FIELD C-USA institutions are among the nation’s best in academic performance among student-athletes, bolstered by the fact that student-athletes at league schools have a higher graduation rate than the general student population. Among C-USA’s 5,000 student-athletes, there are champions off the playing field as well. In 15 years, 130 student-athletes earned national ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors, while 461 were named All-District. In addition, more than 20,000 student-athletes have been named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll or received the Commissioner’s Academic Medal, indicative of outstanding achievement in the classroom. C-USA ON TV C-USA enjoys significant television exposure through its partnerships with ESPN Inc. and CBS College Sports Television Networks. The league entered into longterm agreements with both ESPN and CBS College Sports, which, combined, provides C-USA with significant national and regional exposure for football, men’s and women’s basketball, and all other conference sports. Additionally, the CBS College Sports agreement includes video-on-demand, Internet, broadband, national over-the-air and satellite radio, and wireless distribution as well as corporate marketing rights, and website production through CBS Interactive. The agreement with ESPN extends the conference’s current regular season football package to include the broadcast of the conference’s Football Championship Game. It also encompasses distribution of men’s basketball and women’s basketball on ESPN/ESPN2 and both tournament championship games. C-USA IN THE COMMUNITY The conference’s footprint is concentrated with 12 members in nine states and a combined area population of nearly 17 million. More than 1.1 million living alumni represent C-USA schools across the nation. With a renewed commitment to community involvement, the conference has begun development of several initiatives to maintain strong ties in C-USA cities, as well as with fans and alumni across the country. C-USA schools also place a priority on giving back to their communities through volunteer service with local and national organizations. GOVERNANCE Along with the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC, Conference USA is one of the seven conferences having significant representation in the NCAA governance structure. The Presidents of the member institutions serve as the league’s Board of Directors. R. Gerald Turner of SMU currently serves as chair of the Board. A PROUD HISTORY; A PROMISING FUTURE Conference USA was formed in 1995 and quickly emerged as one of the nation’s top conferences. The conference unveiled its name, logo and commissioner on April 24, 1995 in Chicago. The league’s charter members included Charlotte, Cincinnati, DePaul, Houston, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Saint Louis, Southern Miss, Tulane, UAB and USF. Eleven of the institutions began athletic participation in 1995, while Houston joined competition in the fall of 1996. The league’s headquarters were established in Chicago and after nine years, relocated to the current office in Irving, Texas. Britton Banowsky was named Commissioner in October 2002, succeeding Mike Slive, the league’s first commissioner. C-USA added East Carolina (September, 1996) and the United States Military Academy (March, 1997) as football members. ECU began league competition in 1997; Army in 1998 and UAB began football play in 1999. The league added TCU and ECU (1999) for all sports and they began competition in 2001. USF started C-USA football in 2003. After celebrating its 10th Anniversary during the 2004-05 season, C-USA began a new chapter in 2005-06 when its current membership came together to form the new look of the league. Since its formation, C-USA has established a strong foundation, an identity and a history that reflects the league’s national presence. Fourteen years of remarkable history has reinforced the league’s position in collegiate athletics, setting the course for the next decade and beyond.