The NCAA Leadership Collective is a resource that furthers the Association’s commitment to promoting cultural diversity and equity in college sports, in line with the NCAA Presidential Pledge.
The Leadership Collective is a database created by the Leadership Development department that highlights the careers and achievements of ethnic minority athletics administrators and coaches. The platform was developed to assist NCAA member school and athletics conference executives with diversifying their talent lists.
Who is eligible to upload their information to the Leadership Collective?
All individuals creating profiles within the NCAA Leadership Collective must identify as ethnic minorities.
Administrators must serve on the senior leadership team within their athletics department or conference office and possess at least five years of athletics administrative experience at the campus, conference office or affiliate organization level to be approved to create a profile within the system. As part of their application, administrators must receive a letter from their athletics director articulating their support for the applicant creating a profile in the Leadership Collective.
Coaches from all NCAA-sponsored sports may apply to the Leadership Collective, whether they are full or part time. To be approved to access the platform, coaches must have at least five years of coaching experience at the collegiate level, demonstrate an ability to articulate their coaching philosophy and program vision to key stakeholders, and show dedication to professional development. As part of their application, coaches must receive a letter from their head coach articulating their support for the applicant creating a profile in the Leadership Collective.
Individuals who meet the criteria detailed above will be approved and granted access after submitting the application form.
Who will have access to review information in the Leadership Collective?
College presidents, chancellors, athletics directors, conference commissioners and search firm executives will have access to review the professional in the Leadership Collective.
What occurs after a person applies to create a profile in the Leadership Collective?
Within 10 business days, applicants will receive a decision (approval or rejection) based on whether they meet the outlined criteria.
Please note: Applicants will receive two different emails (one from the NCAA and one from the platform directly) if they are accepted. Applicants should monitor their spam folders in their email inboxes to ensure both emails are received.
What information is included in Leadership Collective profiles?
Profiles in the Leadership Collective will be highly customizable with vital information to those searching potential candidates, speakers and committee members in the system. These user-created profiles will include thorough job experiences and responsibilities, employment history, educational background, professional development involvement, personal “interview” questions, and any relevant media highlights. Individuals also have the opportunity to upload a video that talks about their career achievements or explains their personal/career philosophies.
It is the responsibility of individuals who upload information to keep their portfolios current and accurate. Portfolios will not be edited by NCAA staff. Leadership Development reserves the right to deactivate accounts if anything offensive or questionable is uploaded.
Can information be deactivated once it is uploaded to the Leadership Collective?
Individuals have the option to deactivate their portfolio if wanting to provide updates or to remove their information from view. The information will still be in the Leadership Collective but will not be visible to anyone accessing the database.
If I have a technical problem creating my profile or accessing the Leadership Collective, whom should I contact?
Anyone experiencing technical issues or problems with the NCAA Leadership Collective should contact ldevelopment@ncaa.org.
How does this initiative tie to the NCAA Presidential Pledge?
In 2016, the NCAA put out the Pledge and Commitment to Promoting Diversity and Gender Equity in Intercollegiate Athletics. This pledge specifically commits to establishing initiatives for achieving ethnic and racial diversity, gender equity and inclusion, with a focus and emphasis on hiring practices in intercollegiate athletics, to reflect the diversity of our membership and our nation. The NCAA Leadership Collective will provide NCAA member schools and conferences access to a diverse talent pool that will directly serve the pledge intent. It will hopefully provide resources to help identify, recruit and interview individuals from diverse backgrounds to increase their representation as commissioners, athletics directors, coaches, committee members and other leaders in athletics.
