Texas State Athletics Certified By NCAA

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS (April 25, 2009) The NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification announced today that Texas State University’s Department of Athletics has been certified as operating its athletics program in “substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the Division I membership.”

“It is gratifying to receive this certification because it demonstrates that we are operating our program according to the rules, and with the best interests of our student athletes in mind at all times. Our Department of Athletics is making great strides forward, and we believe this is another important measure of our success,” said Denise Trauth, president of Texas State.

The purpose of athletics certification is to ensure integrity in each institution’s athletics program and assist institutions in improving their athletics departments. NCAA legislation mandating athletics certification was adopted in 1993.



“I want to thank everyone involved in helping us to become certified,” Texas State director of athletics Larry Teis said. “I want to thank President Trauth, our faculty and staff, the athletic department staff and students who helped us. We are thrilled to be recognized by our peers for operating the athletic department in substantial conformity with NCAA operating principles.”



Texas State conducted a “self-study” of its Department of Athletics in advance of the NCAA certification. That committee was chaired by Debbie Thorne, associate vice president at Texas State.

“Our self-study was a thorough and complete examination of how we conduct our athletic program and we are pleased that we have received this recognition as a result. It recognizes the Texas State Department of Athletics for its many outstanding accomplishments,” said Thorne.

In addition to Thorne, Trauth and Teis, other members of the self-study steering committee were Jennifer Beck, Debra Boughton, Travis Comer, Donald Coryell, Roel Elizalde, Susan Day, Paul Gowens, Robert Gratz, Preston Grice, Michael Heintze, Lauren Hindson, Christopher Park, Oren Renick, Barbara Sanders, Jayson Santos, Tracy Shoemake and Holly Tipton.

Texas State was one of 35 Division I institutions that have undergone the NCAA’s second cycle of athletics certification. The other institutions were: Arkansas-Little Rock, Boston College, BYU, Cornell, Fresno State, George Washington, Hampton, Illinois, Indiana State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri-Kansas City, Morehead State, Murray State, New Mexico State, Norfolk State, Northern Arizona, Ohio, Prairie View A&M, Princeton, Providence, Rice, Sam Houston State, Stanford, Temple, Tennessee State, Texas Tech, Weber State, U.S. Military Academy, UAB, UC-Santa Barbara and Wisconsin. In addition, Grambling State and Howard were certified with conditions.

The second round of athletics certifications is being completed on a 10-year cycle rather than the five-year cycle used during the initial certification process. All 326 active Division I members participate in the certification process.

The certification process, which involves a self-study led by the institution’s president or chancellor, includes a review if these primary components: governance and commitment to rules compliance; academic integrity; equity; and student-athlete well-being.

The Division I Committee on Athletics Certification preliminary reviews an institution’s certification materials and provides a list of issues identified during the evaluation. The University then host a visit by peer reviewers who file a report regarding the institution’s resolution of those issues before a final certification decision was rendered.

The members of the Committee on Athletics Certification are: Robert Bernardi, Nicholls State University; McKinley Boston Jr., New Mexico State University; Casey Comoroski, Missouri State University; Beatrice Crane Banford, Marshall University; Amy Folan, University of Texas; Judy Genshaft, University of South Florida; Joanne Glasser, Bradley University; Wendy Guthrie, West Coast Conference; Nathan Hatch (chair), Wake Forest University; Brian Linnane, Loyola College (Maryland); Barbara Luebke, University of Rhode Island; M. Dianne Murphy, Columbia University-Barnard College; Gloria Nevarez, University of Oklahoma; Sheila Patterson, Cleveland State University; Donald Pope-Davis, University of Notre Dame; Allison Rich, California State University, Fullerton; Mark Richard, Auburn University; and Jon Steinbrecher, Ohio Valley Conference.