Indianapolis and Washington, D.C (PRWEB) May 16, 2017
The National Collegiate Athletic Association and LEAD1 Association have agreed to conduct a joint study of university and college insurance practices and how they support student-athletes.
The goal of the study is to more fully understand how campuses provide insurance coverage for their student-athletes and identify potential new approaches by working with a group of 30 institutions across all three NCAA divisions, with an emphasis on universities in Division I.
Jon Oliver, executive associate athletics director at the University of Virginia, will lead a task force that will direct the study and analyze the results. David Brookbank, a consultant who specializes in insurance programs and best practices, will conduct the study. Brookbank consults with various colleges and universities on the topic of student-athlete insurance programs.
Kathleen McNeely, NCAA senior vice president of administration and chief financial officer, said the study will help colleges and universities determine how to continue to support student-athletes’ health and safety.
“This is a primary goal for the NCAA and has been since our founding as an Association,” McNeely said. “We already had been sharing data with LEAD1 on this important topic, so undertaking this study was a natural and collaborative next step to examine how to provide the most effective and affordable health insurance coverage possible for student-athletes at member institutions. Our hope is that by looking more closely at what is working well, we can benefit all student-athletes.”
C. Thomas McMillen, president and chief executive officer of LEAD1 Association, commented: “We are pleased to undertake this study with the NCAA and hope to identify insurance programs that provide solid coverages for student-athletes participating in intercollegiate sports. Providing and/or making available the best affordable insurance coverage to student-athletes is paramount in today’s college sports. Our student-athletes deserve the best and most cost-efficient products the insurance industry has to offer.”
About the NCAA: The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association.
About LEAD1 Association: LEAD1 is an association of the athletics directors of the 129 universities that compose the NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision. LEAD1 Association represents the athletics directors and the athletics programs of these institutions as well as the student-athletes in each program. Key to the LEAD1 Association mission are influencing how the rules of college sports are enacted and implemented, advocating for the future of college athletics and providing various services to the members.
Media Contacts:
NCAA
Stacey Osburn
Director of Public and Media Relations
317-917-6117
sosburn(at)ncaa.org
LEAD1 Association
Jonathan Yates
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
(301) 807-2523
jonathan(at)lead1a.com