Intercollegiate Athletics Mission, Policies, and Procedures
Mission Statement
The Loyola Wolfpack intercollegiate athletic program competes in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), Division I, as a member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC). Loyola currently fields teams in the following sports: men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, men’s baseball, women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball. By a student referendum conducted in 1991, the program is financially supported by a student fee dedicated to the intercollegiate athletic program. Since 2004, selected members of the men’s and women’s basketball teams have received scholarships. Loyola does not offer athletic scholarships to its athletes in other sports.
Loyola University New Orleans places highest priority to the overall quality of the educational experience. Loyola recognizes that value-oriented education must occur in the context of total human development and is founded upon an appropriate integration of the religious and intellectual development of the student and the education of the whole person. The university also seeks to strengthen the integration of objectives and programs in athletics with academic and developmental objectives and to assure the integration of athletes with other students.
The athletics program:
a) provides opportunities for students to learn self discipline, responsibility, accountability, life skills, and attainment of goals;
b) ensures that participants receive similar treatment as other students. They have no unique privileges in admissions, academic advising, grading, class attendance, and living accommodations. Similarly, athletes are not denied rights and opportunities that would be available to them as non-athletes. Athletes representing the university will be bona fide students pursuing degree programs, as well as being amateur competitors;
c) is funded mostly from the student athletic fee and external fund-raising. Scholarships are funded through the university. Additional sports offered will be contingent upon an increase in the student athletic fee and the external funding. The program and all funding is controlled, budgeted, and staffed through the same general procedures as other departments of the university;
d) supports students in their efforts to reach high levels of performance by providing them with adequate facilities, competent coaching, and appropriate competitive opportunities with students from similar institutions;
e) gives primary emphasis to in-season competition, but will make efforts to provide exceptional teams and individuals the opportunity to participate in postseason championships;
f) advances the university locally, regionally, and nationally through intercollegiate athletics.
Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Council
To assist in the direction of the department and to ensure continued student, faculty, staff, and alumni input into the program, the Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Council has been formed. The council serves the following purposes:
- To act as an advisory committee for intercollegiate athletics activities.
- To advise the director on the formulation of policies and in the operation of the department.
- To advise the director on capital improvements for facilities.
- To represent the interests of the campus community to the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Protocol for the Addition of Intercollegiate Varsity Sports
The following procedure will be used in the decision-making process for the addition of varsity sports to the intercollegiate athletic program.
- A group of students interested in establishing a new intercollegiate sport at Loyola must first be recognized as a student organization and play as a club sport. The procedure for recognizing student organizations, including club sports, is published in the Loyola University Student Handbook.
- As a recognized student organization, the club sport will be eligible to petition the Student Government Association (SGA) for funding and for partial budget support through the recreational sports and intercollegiate athletics club sports budget.
- As a club sport, the organization will be responsible for organizing and administering of practice sessions, contests, equipment purchases and accountability, travel arrangements, and self-governance. The recreational sports and athletics staff will be available to advise these organizations in all of the above matters.
- After one season of operation, the club may petition the Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Council (IAAC) to become an intercollegiate sport. Upon receiving the petition and the supporting documentation, the IAAC will evaluate the following:
a. the history of club operations, i.e., records of practice and participant attendance, win/loss records and spectator attendance, and inventory of equipment procured;
b. the feasibility of obtaining opponents and/or a conference affiliation;
c. the feasibility of a home facility;
d. the feasibility of replacing current members and how they will be recruited;
e. the feasibility of obtaining a coach;
f. the cost of the new program and what, if any, increase in the athletic fee will be required to support the new program;
g. the assurance that the new sport will be operated in accordance with all academic eligibility requirements of the NAIA.
- Following the evaluation, the IAAC will submit a recommendation to the director of intercollegiate athletics who in turn will forward his recommendation to the vice president for student affairs and associate provost. The recommendation for a new sport must include a detailed plan for financing the program in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board of Trustees for funding the intercollegiate program
- The university administration will forward all proposals receiving their endorsement for program expansion through the Student Affairs Committee to the Board of Trustees. Changes in the athletic fee will be considered by both the Student Affairs Committee and the Finance Committee of the board and approved by the Board of Trustees.
- No proposal submitted by an organization will be rejected on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, physical impairment, national or ethnic origin, or age.
