CHARLOTTE, NC (October 3, 2025) – The NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact (CAOI), chaired by Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams Parker, convened its first official meeting this week in Indianapolis. The 25-member Association-wide group, which includes representatives from across all three NCAA divisions, spent two days establishing its mission, operating structure, and subcommittee framework while outlining future initiatives.
The CAOI was created following a comprehensive 2022 review of all NCAA Association-wide committees and a subsequent 2024 working group recommendation. In January 2025, divisional governing bodies approved legislation to transition the work of several longstanding committees, including the Committee on Women’s Athletics, the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, the Gender Equity Task Force, and the Board of Governors Committee to Promote Cultural Diversity and Equity, into the newly formed CAOI.
At its inaugural meeting, the committee approved the following mission:
“The NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity, and Impact reinforces the NCAA constitution by advancing equitable opportunities and holistic well-being for student-athletes and those in the membership who support them. The committee is dedicated to fostering cultures of respect and meaningful academic and athletic experiences.”
McWilliams Parker, who has served as CIAA Commissioner since 2012 and is recognized nationally for her leadership in equity, belonging, and student-athlete experience, emphasized the importance of unifying the work of these committees under one banner.
“This committee is both important and necessary, bringing together the work of four former committees into one,” said McWilliams Parker. “We accomplished much in two days, building on decades of collective effort that has created pathways for all of us. This group brings expertise that carries real influence across our industry and meaningful impact in the lives of student-athletes. We also bring our own lived experiences, which show up with passion, energy and voice in everything we do.”
Subcommittees will begin their work immediately to carry forward the CAOI’s charge. The committee will reconvene in February 2026.
Media Contact:
Anna M. Butzlaff
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications & External Partnerships
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
abutzlaff@theciaa.com | 704-910-2133
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University.
For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.