Sept. 1, 2005

INDIANAPOLIS - The NCAA will celebrate 100 years of intercollegiate athletics and the role the NCAA has played within higher education by focusing on 100 years of the student-athlete, beginning with the NCAA Convention January 6-9, 2006, in Indianapolis.

"The centennial will provide opportunities for the members of the Association to celebrate the accomplishments of the past 100 years and look to the future of intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of higher education," said Dennis Cryder, NCAA Senior Vice-President for Branding and Communications. "We encourage all NCAA member institutions to celebrate the centennial beginning with the 2006 NCAA Convention in Indianapolis, continuing through all 88 NCAA championships, as well as through special campus and community events that will commemorate 100 years of the student-athlete."

The Centennial celebration will begin with the NCAA Honors Presentation at the Murat Theater in Indianapolis in conjuction with the NCAA Convention. The presentation will feature former Theodore Roosevelt, Today's Top VIII and Silver Anniversary Award honorees. Town hall meetings and panel discussions with individuals who played a significant role in NCAA history will also be conducted during the 2006 Convention. Topics will include reflections on the NCAA's past, the future of intercollegiate athletics as well as contemporary events facing collegiate sports and student-athletes.

The NCAA Hall of Champions, located adjacent to the NCAA national office in Indianapolis, will feature a Centennial exhibit, "Century of Champions," showcasing 100 moments in NCAA history. The exhibit will run from January 2006 to January 2007.

Educational "traveling trunks" will be made available to Indianapolis-area schools for use in their curriculum. Corresponding lesson plans will be included with artifacts marking the history of the NCAA.

The NCAA and ESPN have collaborated to produce programs highlighting the 100 Most Influential NCAA Student-Athletes and the 25 Greatest Moments in NCAA history. An interactive photomosaic was created with pictures of student-athletes on campus and in competition and photos depicting significant moments for an institution or conference.

"The NCAA Centennial is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring the focus on studentathletes and their stories like never before. It is a chance to shine a bright light on 100 years of student-athlete experiences and consider the positive, collective impact they have had on society while forecasting what the next 100 years will hold," said John L. Johnson, NCAA Director of Promotions and Events.

Interactive exhibits celebrating the 25th anniversary of NCAA women's championships will be displayed at selected NCAA championships. In recognition of the first NCAA championship in 1921, and the first NCAA women's championships conducted in 1981, commemoration ceremonies are being planned for the 2006 outdoor track and field championships and the 2006 field hockey championships respectively.

Judy Sweet, NCAA Senior Vice-President for Championships and Education Services/NCAA Senior Woman Administrator, said, "The year of the NCAA centennial also marks the 25th anniversary of NCAA women's championships. Both male and female student-athletes have benefited from the many opportunities provided to them through NCAA programs. In celebration of the centennial anniversary of the NCAA, one site from each of the 88 NCAA championships will be a beneficiary of the NCAA's legacy program. I am pleased to say the NCAA will make a contribution that supports NCAA values, such as library books or the creation of a scholarship fund, to the local community.

Long after the NCAA championship has left the community, a piece of the NCAA will remain." Championship participants will also receive a copy of the commemorative coffee table book, penned by former NCAA membership president Joe Crowley, highlighting 100 years of the NCAA.

The Centennial celebration will conclude at the 2007 NCAA Convention with an academic conference examining the overall value of intercollegiate athletics in higher education in the United States. The 2007 NCAA Convention will be January 5-9 in Orlando, Florida. For more information about the NCAA Centennial Celebration, go to www.ncaa.org and click on the Centennial logo, or contact NCAA Associate Director of Public and Media Relations, Jennifer Kearns (jkearns@ncaa.org; 317/917-6731), or NCAA Assistant Director of Public and Media Relations, Crissy Schluep (cschluep@ncaa.org; 317/917-6121).