The Northeast Conference received one of 17 grants as part of the newly designed NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Grant Program.  Approximately $750,000 in grant money was given to schools and conferences by the NCAA.  The NEC received $75,000 as part of the program.

The grant program is designed to foster the growth of women's basketball on NCAA member campuses and within NCAA member conferences.  The NEC is planning to use the grant for several exciting activities and initiatives, including an extensive partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the conference’s footprint.  In addition, NEC institutions will be hosting a series of Chalktalk Seminars to be targeted towards Senior Citizens in their local communities as a means to drive home attendance next season.
 
“We want to grow the game of women's basketball at the grass roots level,” said NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Vice President Sue Donohoe.  “We hope these grants will give schools and conferences the extra resources they need to enhance their women's basketball program.”

“The NEC is proud to be selected as one of the recipients of this grant,” said Brenda Weare, NEC Commissioner.  “The NEC membership is committed to the continued growth of women’s basketball and the funds from this grant will allow us to carry out a number of creative initiatives to help stimulate interest in the sport.”

More than 70 member institutions and conferences submitted proposals in the first year of the three-year pilot program.   National office staff and representatives from the NCAA women's basketball marketing consultant firm Hawkeye Sports and Entertainment evaluated the proposals.  A call for the second round of proposals will be issued this fall for the 2009-10 academic year.

“We were thrilled with the response from the membership but would encourage every conference and institution to submit a proposal for next year,” said Donohoe.  “We want to help our members create a buzz about women's basketball on their campus and in their communities.”

The competition for the grants was very intense as institutions and conferences came up with original ideas for promoting women's basketball. 

"We're very pleased to be awarding this grant to the Northeast Conference,” said Donohoe.  “We're excited for the NEC and can't wait to see the results,” said Donohoe.

The program itself will undergo yearly evaluations to determine if the program objectives are being met.  The grants are awarded on a one-year basis and are not automatically renewed.  Grant recipients are required to submit a monthly progress report and a final summary report.

Other schools and conferences receiving grants are:

Institutional award recipients:
Arizona State University
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Columbia University
East Tennessee State University
Florida State University
University of Louisville
University of Maryland, College Park 
University of Oklahoma
San Diego State University
Texas Tech University
University of Washington
Western Kentucky University

Conference award recipients:
Big Ten Conference
Conference USA
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Patriot League