ACS News

Situation Critical: Student-Athlete Information Management

bkerin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:42:21 +0000

Up until recently, many athletics administrators and coaches viewed technology as a means to get a leg up on the recruiting front or improve the monitoring of recruiting information such as telephone calls and text messages. Certainly, technology has helped a great deal in managing those areas of risk, but what about the nuts and bolts of your program – managing student-athlete information?

Most departments are critically deficient in maintaining, storing, transferring, entering, analyzing and sharing data in an efficient manner. Usually, one or two staffers are responsible for obtaining important student-athlete information from one system and then entering it into one or more other systems. Or worse, information is obtained from hard-copy forms and hand-entered into the necessary system. Sound familiar? This creates a large margin of error and increases an institution’s risk in areas such as admissions, eligibility certification, financial aid tracking, student-athlete complimentary admissions and even communicating quickly and effectively with student-athletes and parents.

ACS Athletics clients have improved staff performance in a number of areas through integration, monitoring, communication and mobilization. These solutions are offered at a fraction of the cost of adding just one entry-level staff member, yet benefit dozens of coaches and administrators across the department. Included below are some recent examples involving ACS clients and the ACS Team Manager solution:

Brown University

Partnered with ACS: 2010

Challenge Addressed: Centralizing Student-Athlete Information through Campus Integration

“At Brown, we have over 900 student-athletes, so keeping up with all of that information can be a huge challenge. ACS’s ability to integrate with our Banner system has made this task much more manageable due to the seamless transfer of student-athlete information from Banner into our ACS system. This has eliminated the burden and risk of manually entering student-athlete information into multiple systems. With ACS, I have a central location for all student-athlete information.” Sarah Fraser, Assistant Athletics Director

Texas Christian University

Partnered with ACS: 2006

Challenge Addressed: Student-Athlete Forms

“We now have the ability to identify and analyze information almost immediately, which previously took tons of time and energy. It has made the difference between simply collecting and storing information, and the ability to analyze and monitor student-athlete responses via the ACS Athletics reporting features.” -Andrea Nordmann, Associate Athletics Director

University of Louisiana

Partnered with ACS: 2009

Challenge Addressed: Student-Athlete Complimentary Admissions

“Monitoring (student-athlete) complimentary admissions lists has always been a challenge, simply as a result of the nature of the process. We now have a streamlined, online system, capable of being accessed 24 hours/day. The compliance office staff can spend more time monitoring the relationship of student-athletes to their guests and be more proactive in preventing potential violations after reviewing student-athletes’ answers to questions asked by (the) ACS (system) when requesting complimentary admissions. Reports can be generated in a matter of seconds indicating our monitoring efforts.” –Jessica Clarke, Associate Athletics Director

University of Houston

Partnered with ACS: 2006

Challenge Addressed: Roster Management

“The roster management tools ACS provides have been big help to our department. With ACS, everyone has the same roster and this sharing of information keeps everyone on the same page. With the roster auto-notification, everyone knows when a student-athlete’s status has changed in real-time, reducing the likelihood that a student-athlete will practice or compete while ineligible.” -Kevin Klotz, Assistant Athletic Director

ACS Athletics is now offering its proven, battle-tested Team Manager solution separate from the full InControl suite. If you would like to learn more about how this affordable solution might benefit your program, please contact us at sales@acsathletics.com.

Fresno Pacific University Partners with ACS Athletics to Improve Staff Performance during Transition to NCAA Division II

kbresser — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:58:08 +0000

AUSTIN, TX – Fresno Pacific University has selected ACS Athletics to improve staff performance and more efficiently manage the student-athlete life-cycle.

“We are very pleased to be formally working with ACS Athletics especially as we transition into NCAA Division II membership,” said Dennis Janzen, FPU Director of Athletics. “After considerable research, we believe that ACS is simply the best tool available for helping FPU athletics achieve our goals of academic and athletic excellence. Our coaches and compliance personnel are extremely pleased.”

FPU is currently in its first year of reclassifying from the NAIA to NCAA Division II and will join the Pacific West Conference in 2012-13. FPU will complete a two year candidacy period followed by a provisional period of no less than one year. During FPU’s reclassification, the institution will be required to meet certain benchmarks in order to become an active NCAA Division II member.

FPU’s Associate Athletics Director, Chris Moore, believes ACS will assist FPU in meeting these benchmarks. “I am extremely excited to be working with ACS,” said Moore. “As an institution transitioning into the Division II membership, the InControl Product Suite will assist our staff by improving performance and automating many of the paper-driven processes we currently have in place. This will allow our coaches and staff more time to focus on meeting transitional benchmarks and improving the overall student-athlete experience.”

“ACS Athletics is excited to assist Fresno Pacific during this important time in its institutional history,” said Phillip Engle, ACS Athletics President and CEO. “We’re committed to helping the FPU staff and coaches achieve their goals through the use of our proven technology solutions.”

About ACS Athletics

ACS Athletics (ACS) is the leading provider of integrated web and mobile solutions for increasing operational performance and reducing risk in collegiate athletics departments. ACS gives customers a competitive advantage by providing an integrated, holistic approach to managing athletic department operational, compliance, student-athlete information and communications on one platform. ACS customers are more efficient, organized and compliant, and are better positioned to communicate and develop relationships that are vital to their success. ACS proudly services athletic departments in the top conferences including the Atlantic 10 Conference, Atlantic Sun Conference, Big 12 Conference, Big East Conference, Big Sky Conference, Big South Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big West Conference, California Collegiate Athletic Association, Capital Athletic Conference, Centennial Conference, Colonial Athletic Association, Conference Carolinas, Conference USA, Empire 8, Great Lakes Valley Conference, Ivy Group, Mid-American Conference, Missouri Valley Conference, Mountain West Conference, Northeast Conference, Ohio Athletic Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, Pacific-12 Conference, Southeastern Conference, Southern Conference, Southland Conference, Sun Belt Conference, Sunshine State Conference, The Summit League, West Coast Conference, and Western Athletic Conference. ACS Athletics was founded in 1999 and is a privately held company headquartered in Austin, Texas.

About Fresno Pacific University

Intercollegiate athletics at Fresno Pacific University has been an important part of the campus and community life for over five decades. As the only accredited Christian university in central California, Fresno Pacific University has emerged as a leading west coast university known for academic excellence, innovative programming and spiritual vitality. Fresno Pacific offers outstanding academic programs integrated with ethical and spiritual development through traditional bachelor’s and master’s degrees, adult degree completion degrees, certificate and credential programs. Founded on Christ, FPU strives for excellence in all areas of students’ lives including intercollegiate athletics. FPU fields 16 teams in total (8 men’s and 8 women’s) including: men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, and water polo, women’s volleyball and men’s baseball.

University of California, Riverside to Improve Operational Efficiency – Partners with ACS Athletics

kbresser — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:21:49 +0000

AUSTIN, TX – The University of California, Riverside, a member of the Big West Conference, has partnered with ACS Athletics to improve operational performance. The Highlanders now will have the benefit of using the ACS InControl software suite, which will provide the school with state-of-the-art technology solutions that will improve staff performance in the areas of recruiting, compliance monitoring and student-athlete information management.

“The University of California, Riverside is extremely excited to partner with ACS Athletics, the industry leader in recruiting and operational software,” Senior Associate Athletic Director Kevin Price said. “Because we are in the winning business, our clear priority was to partner with the best, most comprehensive, most experienced company in the marketplace that is being used by all the top BCS schools. Using the ACS system shows a clear and unequivocal commitment to the success of our coaches and staff. Our folks know that we are providing them with the best tools possible to make their lives easier.”

ACS Athletics is the first company to make technology solutions of this magnitude. The solution is able to integrate the ACS InControl system with that of campus information systems. This new partnership allows The Highlanders many tools and benefits that will give them an extra edge they would otherwise not have.

“UC Riverside and ACS InControl are a perfect fit,” says Phillip Engle, ACS Athletics founder and CEO. “Like all ACS clients, they are actively seeking ways in which to operate more efficiently by saving time, energy and resources, and they want to provide coaches and staff with proven technology tools that will improve performance. We look forward to assisting the UCR athletics department achieve its goals.”

About ACS Athletics:

ACS Athletics (ACS) is the leading provider of integrated web and mobile solutions for increasing operational performance and reducing risk in collegiate athletics departments. ACS gives customers a competitive advantage by providing an integrated, holistic approach to managing athletic department operational, compliance, student-athlete information and communications on one platform. ACS customers are more efficient, organized and compliant, and are better positioned to communicate and develop relationships that are vital to their success. ACS proudly services athletic departments in the top conferences including the Atlantic 10 Conference, Atlantic Sun Conference, Big 12 Conference, Big East Conference, Big Sky Conference, Big South Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big West Conference, Capital Athletic Conference, Centennial Conference, Colonial Athletic Association, Conference USA, Empire 8, Ivy Group, Mid-American Conference, Missouri Valley Conference, Mountain West Conference, Northeast Conference, Ohio Athletic Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, Pacific-12 Conference, Southeastern Conference, Southern Conference, Southland Conference, Sun Belt Conference, The Summit League, West Coast Conference, and Western Athletic Conference. ACS Athletics was founded in 1999 and is a privately held company headquartered in Austin, Texas.

About the University of California, Riverside:

The University of California, Riverside was founded in 1954 and is a member of the University of California system. The Highlanders compete in NCAA Division I and in the Big West Conference. Formerly a member of Division II, the Highlanders made the jump to the NCAA’s most competitive level in 2000. Prior to their move up, the Highlanders claimed a total of five Division II national championships in men’s baseball (2) and women’s volleyball (3). Since joining the Big West, the Highlanders have won multiple conference championships and several teams have competed in post-season NCAA tournaments. Varsity sports at UCR include; men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women’s cross-country, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s baseball, women’s softball, men’s and women’s golf, and women’s volleyball.

ACS Athletics Helping Strengthen Athletics Directors Association Voice in Division II Athletics

kbresser — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:51:50 +0000

AUSTIN, TX – ACS Athletics has made a substantial contribution to the NCAA Division II Athletics Directors Association (DII ADA) to help the Association increase membership and strengthen its goal of being the voice of Division II athletics directors. ACS has a history of assisting professional associations in athletics expand and accomplish long-term objectives and this partnership further demonstrates ACS’s commitment to NCAA Division II.

“We don’t form these relationships to get our logo on a website or a podium at a meeting,” said Phillip Engle, President and CEO of ACS Athletics. “We want to be a responsible citizen in this community and contribute in a meaningful way. Helping the Division II Athletics Directors Association achieve their goals helps ACS become a part of the conversation about issues that these schools face.”

Greg Waggoner, President of the DII ADA and the Director of Athletics at Western State College of Colorado also shared his excitement.

“We partnered with ACS Athletics not only due to their reputation as an established and responsible service provider, but because we strongly believe ACS will assist our Association become an even stronger voice in NCAA Division II governance. We could not be more excited about this new partnership.”

About ACS Athletics

About DII ADA: The DII ADA is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities; enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics; and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of Division II athletics directors. For more information about the DII ADA, please visit www.div2ada.com. The DII ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 47th year. For more information on NACDA and the 11 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.

ACS Athletics and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Partner to Benefit Institutions

kbresser — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:21:49 +0000

AUSTIN, TX – ACS Athletics and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference have partnered to afford institutions in the 16-member NCAA Division II conference a unique opportunity to access the ACS InControl system. The collaboration provides institutions that elect to implement the ACS InControl software suite incentive opportunities to significantly improve staff performance and efficiency.

“Ethical student recruitment, a wholesome and healthy student-athlete experience and strong competition based on good sportsmanship describes the NSIC, and ACS Athletics, with their battle tested technology software, gives our 16 schools an opportunity for improvement in all areas,” Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference commissioner Butch Raymond said.

ACS athletics is the first company to provide technology solutions of this caliber. ACS InControl integrates with on-campus student information systems, eliminating duplicate and time consuming data entry. Further, ACS InControl automates many of the antiquated, paper-drive processes that plague today’s athletics department.

“We’ve learned that while many Division II institutions have worked to develop effective processes over the years, those processes are typically not very efficient,” ACS CEO Phillip Engle said. “We look forward to exploring ways to appropriately and responsibly apply technology at NSIC institutions to assist in improving efficiencies in day-to-day operations.”

About ACS Athletics:

ACS Athletics is a web and mobile technology company that improves operational performance and reduces risk for collegiate athletic programs. Through the InControl™ software, ACS provides a structure that gives programs a competitive advantage by simplifying, integrating and automating processes. InControl™ delivers the flexibility and security athletic administrators, coaches and campus stakeholders need to stay organized, decrease risk of non-compliance and stay focused on winning and developing relationships. The expertise ACS possesses in athletic department process helps meet clients’ needs by enabling better communication, improving the all-around efficiency of their program and ensuring student athlete welfare.

About the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference:

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference was created in 1932 as a six-team conference comprising mostly of schools from Minnesota. Now, the league consists of 14-members and two expansion institutions that will join in 2012. The conference now consists of institutions from the states of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North and South Dakota. Members include; Augustana College(SD), Bemidji State(MN), Concordia University, Saint Paul, University of Mary(ND), University of Minnesota-Crookston, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State University-Mankato, Minnesota State University-Moorhead, Northern State University(SD), St. Cloud State University(MN), Southwest Minnesota State University, Upper Iowa University, Wayne State College(NE), Winona State University (Minnesota). Future members include Minot State University (ND) and the University of Sioux Falls (SD).

The conference has achieved great success in recent years, winning nine team Division II national championships since 2006. This includes four in volleyball (Concordia), two in football (Minnesota-Duluth), one in women’s basketball (Minnesota State), and two in men’s basketball (Winona State).

The conference competes in eight men’s sports and nine women’s sports. Those sports include; football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, wrestling, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s soccer. All compete an the NCAA Division II level.

Conference Carolinas Paving the Road of Technology for Member Schools with ACS Athletics Partnership

kbresser — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:25:14 +0000

ACS Athletics and the Conference Carolinas have now officially been brought together to benefit the institutions of the 12-member NCAA Division II conference. The new collaboration provides institutions incentive opportunities to implement ACS InControl, a proven and battle-tested technology solution that improves staff performance in the areas of recruiting, compliance monitoring and student-athlete information management.

“All members of Conference Carolinas value fair competition, ethical student recruitment and a healthy student athlete experience,” Conference Carolinas Commissioner Alan Patterson said. “ACS provides an opportunity to enhance each of these important areas and has a proven commitment to the needs and values of Division II members. Conference Carolinas is privileged to partner with ACS Athletics and endorse the value brought to our members.”

ACS Athletics is the first company to provide technology solutions of this caliber. The ACS InControl system integrates, or “bridges,” with campus information systems, providing institutions that have teamed up with ACS many timesaving benefits.

“We are hopeful that we’ll have an opportunity to help many Conference Carolinas institutions improve operating efficiencies, recruit better and more effectively manage the student-athlete life-cycle from beginning to end,” ACS President and CEO Phillip Engle said. “For ACS customers, this translates into greater success in every aspect of the program.”

About ACS Athletics:

About Conference Carolinas:

The Conference Carolinas is one of the older conferences in the NCAA’s Division II. Formed on December 6^th, 1930, the conference is made up of 12 teams from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. These programs include: Barton College, Belmont Abbey College, Coker College, Converse College, Erskine College, King College, Lees-McRae College, Limestone College, Mount Olive College, North Greenville University, Pfeiffer University, and Queens University of Charlotte. .

The league sponsors eighteen season-ending conference championship tournaments with nine women’s and nine men’s sports. The conference also has NCAA qualification in Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Softball, Baseball, Women’s Tennis, Men’s Tennis, Men’s Golf, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Cross Country, Men’s Cross Country, and Women’s Volleyball. NCAA regional and national selection opportunities in Men’s Soccer, Men’s Lacrosse, Women’s Lacrosse, Men’s Outdoor Track & Field, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field, Women’s Golf and Men’s Volleyball are also available based on end of year regional rankings and/or season r

ACS Athletics and the Heartland Conference Partner to Benefit Schools

kbresser — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:57:14 +0000

ACS Athletics and the Heartland Conference have teamed up to create a special partnership in an effort to benefit institutions in the eight-member conference. The partnership provides member institutions incentive opportunities to implement ACS InControl technology solutions that improve staff performance in the areas of recruiting, compliance monitoring and student-athlete information management.

“We feel the Division II Conference Commissioners Association has aligned with a company that could bring great benefits to our NCAA Division II schools,” Heartland Conference commissioner Tony Stigilano said.” The Heartland Conference is looking forward to our working relationship with ACS Athletics.”

ACS Athletics is the first company to provide technology solutions of this caliber and the only company that has integrated the ACS InControl system with campus information systems. This gives institutions that have teamed up with ACS many timesaving benefits.

“ACS is honored to have the opportunity to help Heartland Conference institutions and support new technology initiatives on each of these campuses,” ACS President and CEO, Phillip Engle said. “We look forward to a long and productive partnership.”

About ACS Athletics:

About the Heartland Conference

The Heartland Conference, which formed in 1999, is the newest member of the NCAA’s Division II conferences. The conference is made up of eight schools, five of which are from Texas, and one each from Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma. The current members include St. Edwards University (TX), St. Mary’s University (TX), Dallas Baptist University, Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Newman University (KS), Texas A&M International University, University of Texas of the Permian Basin (TX), and the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.

The conference sponsors 13 championships in baseball, men’s and women’s golf, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, and men’s and women’s basketball.

Heartland Conference members claim national championships in several sports including baseball, golf, swimming, basketball, and softball, and have nationally ranked teams in all sports.

Northern Kentucky University Goes Automated – Implements ACS InControl

kbresser — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:09:25 +0000

When Northern Kentucky University Athletics Director Scott Eaton agreed to be an ACS Athletics NCAA Division II Flagship institution at the 2011 NCAA Convention in January, he expected not only a great product, but exemplary service. Eaton got more than he bargained for, as did the NKU athletics department, which sponsors 13 varsity sports and competes in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

“The NKU coaches and staff have been receiving nothing short of outstanding, excellent, superb, and fantastic customer service and treatment from ACS,” Eaton said.

In addition to receiving this type of service, NKU will automate many paper-driven and time-consuming processes in the areas of recruiting, compliance monitoring and student-athlete information management, resulting in improved in staff performance and productivity. With ACS InControl, NKU coaches will have access to the latest in mobile technology, allowing them to recruit smarter and stay ahead of the game.

Eaton has also been impressed with the ACS staff’s ability to rally the troops and get coaches excited about using this type of technology.

“The ACS staff has taken a group of reluctant and hesitant coaches and turned them into believers and (ACS) now has them excited about the capabilities of this system,” Eaton said.

If you would like more information, please contact sales@acsathletics.com or at (512) 343-8811.

The Great Lakes Valley Conference Partners with ACS Athletics

kbresser — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:31:27 +0000

ACS Athletics and the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) have entered into an exclusive partnership to benefit conference institutions by providing incentive opportunities for those institutions that elect to implement the ACS InControl software suite.

“The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) is pleased to enter into this agreement and to provide our 17 member institutions the opportunity to enhance their NCAA rules compliance efforts with the services and programs provided by ACS Athletics,” said Jim Naumovich, Commissioner of the GLVC. “We have noted the company’s commitment to NCAA Division II through this GLVC agreement and their sponsorship of the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) and look forward to our association with ACS Athletics.”

ACS Athletics is the first company to provide technology solutions that merge recruiting, compliance monitoring and roster management into one, integrated platform. Further, ACS is the only company that has integrated the ACS InControl system with campus information systems, providing a unique and time-saving benefit to customers.

“ACS is honored to have the opportunity to serve GLVC institutions and support the Division II membership in this regard,” said ACS President and CEO, Phillip Engle. “We look forward to a long and productive partnership.”

About ACS Athletics

About the GLVC

Located in downtown Indianapolis, the GLVC membership includes 17 institutions: University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Lewis University, University of Indianapolis, Northern Kentucky University, Bellarmine University, University of Southern Indiana, Drury University, Kentucky Wesleyan College,McKendree University, Rockhurst University, Maryville University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, William Jewell College, Quincy University, University of Illinois-Springfield, Saint Joseph’s College and Missouri University of Science and Technology.

The conference sponsors 17 championships in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, indoor and outdoor track and field, and tennis for men and basketball, cross country, softball, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, golf, and volleyball for women.

GLVC institutions have won 11 national championships in basketball. Kentucky Wesleyan leads all Division II institutions with eight men’s basketball titles, while Southern Indiana won the men’s crown in 1995. Northern Kentucky’s women won the school’s first-ever basketball national championship in 2000 and followed with a national title in 2008. In addition, SIU Edwardsville became the first GLVC school to win a national championship in softball in 2007.

Lynn University Gets Cutting Edge with ACS InControl Technology

kbresser — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:52:09 +0000

This past spring, Lynn University implemented ACS InControl^TM to better manage athletics department operations, and the Fighting Knights are already seeing results. The ACS InControl^TM software will benefit Lynn by improving staff performance in recruiting, compliance monitoring, roster management, eligibility certification, administration of student-athlete forms, and much, much more.

One of the driving forces behind Lynn’s purchase of this technology was to streamline the administration of student-athlete forms, a critical component in Student-Athlete Life-Cycle management.

“Lynn University experienced the initial significant impact the ACS program makes by providing a paperless option for processing student-athlete pre-participation forms,” said Lynn Director of Athletics, Kristen Migliano. “Students prefer to operate through full utilization of technology; the ACS system allows Lynn University to connect with our students to provide this service in advance of them even arriving on campus,” Migliano said.

With ACS InControl^TMLynn will have a centralized student-athlete database that integrates with the campus information system, providing senior administrators unfettered access to critical information used to certify student-athlete eligibility and the awarding of financial aid.

In addition to automating processes that were previously paper-driven on the academic and administrative side, ACS is providing coaches with cutting-edge tools to assist in managing the recruiting process.

“ACS has helped to both streamline and organize our everyday operations,” said Lynze Roos, Head Women’s Volleyball coach. “Not only do we have access to our recruiting information at our fingertips with the mobile application, but our team and academic information is now all in the same hub.”

With a comprehensive system such as ACS InControl^TM, some might think that the implementation of such a system and the training that is involved could be challenging. The staff at Lynn has experienced quite the opposite, however, using the experience of the ACS staff to their full advantage.

“Upon entering into a partnership with ACS, Lynn University has been completely satisfied with the level of service and availability the ACS team has provided our campus administrators,” said Migliano. “The on-campus visit from our appointed Account Representative proved to be more than just a program orientation. She assisted athletics administrators in bringing together coaches and university personnel with compliance-related responsibilities to showcase firsthand how the ACS program will add value to their daily processes. Whenever we have had a question arise on our campus, the ACS team has gladly provided the necessary support to ensure a successful client relationship.”

If you would like to learn more, please contact ACS Athletics at (800) 343-6220 or via email at sales@acsathletics.com.