The Minority Opportunities Athletic Association Inc. is putting an emphasis on “opportunity” with a new partnership with NCAA Division II that will provide ethnic minority administrators within the division a chance to enhance their careers.

Division II has pledged $100,000 during the next two years (2009 and 2010) for one ethnic minority representative from each Division II conference (and independents) to attend the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics annual convention and the MOAA’s annual symposium at the convention.

Each recipient will receive a grant to cover convention transportation, hotel and registration expenses and an MOAA membership. The MOAA will host a Division II-specific professional workshop on the division’s philosophy, governance structure and community-engagement platform, as well as Management Council service and sport-committee participation. The first grant recipients will be selected in time for them to attend next summer’s 2009 NACDA convention and MOAA symposium.

MOAA President Clint Bryant, the director of athletics at Augusta State, said the new partnership is mirrored after another Division II arrangement that helps ethnic minority administrators attend the National Association of Women Collegiate Athletic Administrators convention.

“We are trying to develop people for service in the NCAA governance structure,” said Bryant. “We see this as a way we can further grow Division II in a very positive way.”

The MOAA plans to present a similar proposal to Division III in the near future.

Though the MOAA has been in operation for fewer than 10 years — it was established in 2000 — forming partnerships is a frequently used strategy for the organization. It joined NACDA in 2006 and collaborates with the National Association of Athletic Development Directors to provide scholarships to MOAA members to attend the NACDA convention. In addition, the MOAA works closely with other groups such as the diversity and inclusion unit at the NCAA national office and the John McClendon Foundation to provide opportunities for administrators in all three NCAA divisions.

“We’re not an organization with an office and overhead expenses. It’s just a number of athletics administrators around the country volunteering their time and services, trying to partner with like organizations and trying to make a difference,” Bryant said. “We have some bright people in our profession and if they chose athletics administration as a profession, we want to be there to help them grow.”

With a current membership of about 300, Bryant is aiming to drive that number to 1,000 within the next four years.

“The MOAA is not just for minorities,” said Bryant, noting that an already widely diverse MOAA board of directors and membership are working hard to bring people of all ethnicities and backgrounds into the conversation. “Diversity and inclusion is important and has real merit. We want to ensure job opportunities are open and fair, and we want to continue to provide an opportunity for people to grow. That’s basic in our mission.”