NDSU President Dean L. Bresciani has been invited to serve on the NCAA Division I board of directors' Division I sport organizational structure working group.

The group includes members from the board, NCAA Division I Presidential Forum and NCAA Division I Council. The work of the group will be conducted primarily via monthly teleconferences during the next 12-to-18 months.

“The working group is another first for our state in terms of being represented at the highest working levels of the NCAA, and a testament to the attention and respect NDSU is bringing to North Dakota," Bresciani said.

In his invitation to Bresciani, Kevin Lennon, vice president of Division I governance, said the working group will play a critical role. "One of the most important elements of the collegiate model is that a broad and diverse group of student-athletes have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of sports," he wrote. "A continued commitment to gender equity and multi-sport sponsorship to member schools is critical to the future of the Division I collegiate model of sports."

The group is one of two ad hoc working groups created by the NCAA Division I board of directors to consider strategic areas emerging from the NCAA Division I Strategic Summit. The second group will work to develop concepts for the values-based revenue distribution plan.

Bresciani also is a member of the NCAA Division I Presidential Forum and chairs the Summit League’s Presidents’ Council.

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