2013 NCAA Convention

A Tale of Three Financial Realities

Athletics programs across the country are facing economic challenges such as pressure to decrease university subsidies, demand for detailed analysis on financial structure, conference realignment, and rising costs. Addressing these issues, while striving to be competitive, is a delicate balance. A panel of three individuals will share successful or challenging stories on how they have dealt with these issues. Whether the challenge is moving to a new conference, educating or encouraging administration to invest more in athletics, or dealing with the unique challenges of being an HBCU institution, the economic reality of doing more with less continues. The goal of the panel is to share ideas, analysis techniques and effective practices to broaden perspectives and possibilities.

Moderator: Kathleen McNeely, Vice President of Administration and Chief Financial Officer, NCAA

Kathleen T. McNeely has served as vice president of administration and chief financial officer of the NCAA since April 2011.  Her responsibilities include all financial activity, facility operations and information technology.

Before joining the NCAA, McNeely was associate vice president and executive director of financial management services at Indiana University, Bloomington.  She had been with Indiana since 1982 in various financial administrative positions.  In previous years, McNeely was a member of the National Association of College and University Business Officers’ Accounting Principles Council and University Research Council.  She is the 2003 recipient of NACUBO’s Daniel D. Robinson Award, which recognizes individual excellence and leadership in the advancement of college and university accounting and reporting.  In 2011, McNeely also received the Indiana University Distinguished Service Medal.

McNeely is currently treasurer for the Finance Committee of iHoops, treasurer on the Executive Committee for the National Art Museum of Sport, and a board member and secretary of the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA).  McNeely is also a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars dealing with accounting standards, internal controls, fund accounting and other fiscally related topics.

McNeely holds a B.S. in finance from the Kelley School of Business and a master’s degree in public administration with a finance concentration, both from Indiana University.

Speakers:

Mark R. Brown, Director of Athletics, Pace University

Mark R. Brown enters his second year as the Pace University director of athletics.  Brown’s responsibilities include the overall management and operation of Pace’s Division II athletics program that supports 14 intercollegiate sports.   Brown also oversees the intramural and recreational programs on the university’s Pleasantville and Manhattan campuses.

The Pace athletics program took a significant step forward in Brown’s first year.  He restructured the department’s organizational charts, including the review and updating of every position description to better meet the demands of a modern Division II athletics program.  He orchestrated a systematic review of all athletics budgets, to include several strategic modifications to better meet current NCAA reporting guidelines.  He also chaired a committee to completely revamp the athletics department policies and procedures manual to ensure equity with an emphasis on improving the student-athlete experience.

Brown also initiated a new Athletic Advisory Committee that meets bi-weekly to help the university and the department move forward.  One of the major successes from the group’s efforts was a new communication plan, in which athletics events and results are distributed daily to the campus community.  Another success was the electronic Outlook Calendar rollout, which enables the campus community to download all athletics events directly into their personal calendars with a few simple clicks.

In addition, Brown established and chaired a campus inclusive Gender Equity Committee to review the department’s gender equity position.  After an exhaustive 10-month process, the committee recommended, and the university approved, a new gender equity strategy that includes the addition of women’s field hockey and women’s lacrosse programs in the next few years.

Under Brown’s leadership, the department re-launched its website (pacesettersathletics.com), established a formal licensing program complete with a new online store for athletics apparel (pacesettersteamshop.com) and, in conjunction with The Center for Drug Free Sport, created a comprehensive drug testing policy with a heavy emphasis on education about the dangers of drug use.

A renewed emphasis was also placed on the “game-day” experience complete with alumni engagement, football tailgating, enhanced in-game entertainment and student and fan promotions.  The result of these efforts was significantly improved atmosphere and increased attendance across the board.

Brown placed an emphasis in his first year on academics and the student-athletes responded with a 3.2 grade-point average.  In addition, Pace increased its representation of student-athletes recognized on the Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll and All-Academic Teams from the previous year.  Two of the Pace teams were honored with the top GPA in the conference.

Brown served the athletics department at Old Dominion University for many years as the associate athletics director of business and finance before accepting his appointment at Pace.  Before working in college athletics, Brown spent time with the Norfolk Tides, a minor league affiliate of the New York Mets in a variety of roles, including assistant general manager.

Brown received a Bachelor of Science in management from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Science in education from Old Dominion.

Vivian Fuller, Director of Athletics, Jackson State University

Vivian L. Fuller was named as Jackson State’s director of athletics in July 2011.  Fuller brought more than 27 years of leadership experience to the position. She has oversight for 18 intercollegiate programs at the Division I level.

Fuller previously served as dean of Sojourner-Douglass College, Cambridge Campus, where she had oversight for program development, strategic leadership, community initiatives and program review assessment, among other responsibilities.  In 2000, Fuller was appointed as director of athletics at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.  Before joining UMES, Fuller served as director of athletics at Tennessee State University.  

With her appointment at Tennessee State in 1997, Fuller became the first African-American woman and one of only seven women nationally to hold the position of director of athletics at an NCAA Division I institution with a football program.  During her tenure, the football program led the Ohio Valley Conference and went on to compete in the NCAA Division I playoffs.  

In 1992, Fuller was selected the director of intercollegiate athletics, intramurals and recreation at Northeastern Illinois University.  In this capacity, she supervised 14 sports and helped guide the university through a successful transition from Division II to Division I status.

Fuller is a nationally known speaker on the topics of women in sports, academic support programs for student-athletes, academic advising, women in senior management positions, gender equity, and the importance of networking in the profession.

Fuller’s accomplishments have been recognized by a number of organizations, including the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, the Boy Scouts of America and the Chicago Youth Success Foundation.  Her achievements have been chronicled in national and local publications, including Black Issues in Higher Education, Jet magazine, The NCAA News, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Athletic Business magazine, Ebony, Black Women’s Encyclopedia, Chicago-Sun Times, and the Fayetteville Observer.  She has published numerous articles and given presentations on the national and regional levels on a variety of topics related to athletics administration.  In 1996, Fuller was featured in Athletic Management magazine on receiving the Atlanta Award in recognition of her achievements in athletics administration.

Fuller earned a Bachelor of Science in physical education from Fayetteville State University, a Master of Education from the University of Idaho and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Iowa State University.  Her two main goals in athletics administration are to develop a competitive, broad-based athletics program that does not compromise on integrity, academics or the welfare of student-athletes, and to create an avenue to assist women and ethnic minorities who seek careers in higher education.

Tim Hickman, Executive Associate Athletics Director, University of Missouri, Columbia

Tim Hickman is in his 23rd year at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and is the executive associate athletics director and a member of the executive team.

Hickman currently is coordinating the university’s transition into the Southeastern Conference and the development and construction of the $200 million facility master plan.  He also has responsibility for the budget, business office, facilities, grounds, events, event production, information technology and food service.  Hickman also works as the primary administrator with the sports of baseball, softball and women’s soccer.

Hickman became the assistant director of the Hearnes Center in 1990 and spent two years in that role before being named director of the facility.  Shortly after Tiger athletics and Hearnes operations merged, he was promoted to assistant athletics director in July 2001.  In May 2002, he was promoted to associate athletics director, named senior associate athletics director in 2009 and executive associate athletics director in 2012.

He has been involved with nearly all of the university’s sports park improvements during the last 12 years, including the award-winning Mizzou Arena and the unprecedented growth with the current master plan.  He was also involved with securing some of the largest concerts ever to come to Columbia, including the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Kenny Chesney. In his role as chief financial officer for the department of athletics, Hickman has consistently managed a balanced budget that will exceed $68 million for fiscal year 2013.

Along with his duties with Missouri, Hickman has also been heavily involved in the Columbia community.  He serves on the boards of the United Way and Callaway Bank.  During his tenure, Hickman has also served on numerous boards and committees, including the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Mid-Missouri Tourism Council, Missouri Balloon Corporation and the Central Missouri Food Bank to name a few.

A Certified Facility Executive, Hickman is a past board member of the International Association of Assembly Managers and is a current member of the College Athletic Business Management Association and the Country Music Association.

A 1989 graduate of Missouri, Hickman earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration.