AMHERST, N.Y. - Bridget Niland, Director of Athletics at Daemen College, announced today that the NCAA Division II Membership Fund Selection Committee has approved a grant of $7,500 to Daemen Athletics for the enhancement of current marketing initiatives for the promotion of NCAA Division II in both the Greater Buffalo Niagara and Southern Ontario regions.
"We are thrilled to receive this grant funding from the Membership Fund Selection Committee, as it will greatly impact our ability to spread the word about the kind of NCAA Division II athletics program we are building here at Daemen College," Niland said. Â "It is important for us to continue the development and implementation of marketing efforts which aim to strengthen our recruiting footprint, both in our immediate area and in the Southern Ontario region which has never seen a Division II athletics program this close in proximity. Â It's also important to note that receipt of funding of this nature only further exhibits our efforts to minimize the effect of our growth on tuition dollars."Â
The NCAA Division II Membership Fund was an outcome of the 2007 NCAA Division II Chancellors and Presidents Summit, during which the presidents determined the need for resources to retain current active institutions and help attract new schools or conferences to the division. The Membership Fund is overseen by the NCAA Division II Planning and Finance Committee and is an annual line item in the Division II budget.
The selection committee reviewed each application with an eye towards determining whether the request would support Division II, particularly the guiding principles of Division II member stabilization, membership development or member loss prevention. The committee noted these principles in awarding Daemen Athletics with the grant.
Daemen is currently progressing through its inaugural year of active NCAA Division II membership following a three-year transition from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
