Essay Sample on A Description of the Conference's History and Members

Introduction

Human development involves both mental and physical growth of the body. Academics make the brain tired and inactive, therefore, sports are used to enhance physical and mental refreshment. The need to involve students in both academic and sporting activities is pivotal in improving experiences and talents of young people. NCAA is a body that constitutes several conferences of institutions in America. One of these conferences is The Big Ten which was initially called The Western Conference(Kaburakis, Pierce, Cianfrone & Paule, 2012). This Big Ten is grouped in the Division of athletic Conferences. The name does not suggest that the conference is made up of ten members because the actual number of members is fourteen. The members of the conference include institutions like; University 0of Illinois, North-western University, University of Wisconsin, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota and many others. The conference was started in 1895 when leaders of these institutions meet together to analyze policies affecting them in terms of athletics and general sports. The above-mentioned universities are leading members of the conference with a lot of dues. Ohio State University is ranked the best institution in terms of revenue while University of Illinois is ranked the best institution based on performance as compared to other to other institutions.

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Commonality and Governance Structure of the Conference

A unique feature observed in the Big Ten is the annual awards given to the best athletes. The members normally vote for the best female and male participants. Another commonality of the conference is the annual award called sportsmanship where all members of the organization vote for the best male-female athletes in each institution. a general characteristic of the conference is an award given to the leading sports director of the organization basing on their performances. The awards are given to people deserving them because the criteria for choosing the best athletes are fair. Policymaking is a process that involves participation representatives from all member institutions. the decisions are contributed by all members regardless of their performances. gender equality is another component of the conference because the sporting activities arranged considers participation of all genders in an unbiased way. The governance structure of the conference is determined by all members(Maxcy & Larson, 2014). the structure is also based on the geographical positions of the institution, therefore, the structure is common because all the members are situated in one geographical location. Sports Directors are the responsible for all the activities of the conference and they are awarded based on their performances.

Stability of the Conference Membership

The governance of the conference determines the stability of its members. the criteria used to select the best participants to be awarded also influences the stability of the members in the conference. The fair competitions observed in the conference may affect the decisions of the member institutions, therefore, the fixtures made by the governing group is important because they determine the effectiveness of the events in the organization. fairness in the conference is therefore, a pivotal factor that will determine the stability of the members in the group. Rules and regulations implemented by the Sports Directors in the conference may also affect the efficacy of membership for the next five years depending on the governance policies(Kaburakis et al, 2012). Since the Big Ten conference is among the groups in the Division I, policies made by this Division may also affect the membership of the conference.

Reference

Kaburakis, A., Pierce, D. A., Cianfrone, B. A., & Paule, A. L. (2012). Is It Still "In the Game", or Has Amateurism Left the Building? NCAA Student-Athletes' Perceptions of Commercial Activity and Sports Video Games. Journal of Sport Management, 26(4), 295-308.

Maxcy, J., & Larson, D. (2014). Reversal of Fortune or Glaring Misallocation: Is a New Football Stadium Worth the Cost to a University? Available at SSRN 2382280.