July 11, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has named Samford director of athletics Bob Roller chairman of the United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup committee, it was announced at the recent NACDA Convention in New Orleans.

Roller, who has been Samford's director of athletics since May of 1999, will oversee a committee of 18 athletics administrators around the country in the management and implementation of the Directors' Cup activities. The Directors' Cup is the first-ever all-sports national recognition award for both men and women. It was developed in 1993 by NACDA and USA Today as the all-sports award for NCAA Division I. The program was then expanded in 1995 to include NCAA Divisions II and III and the NAIA.

"The Directors' Cup has become the measuring stick by which colleges and universities evaluate their athletics programs and it is symbolic of athletics excellence," Roller said. "It is particularly gratifying for me to chair this committee, having been a part of the initial group to create the award back in 1993."

The United States Sports Academy, located in Daphne, Ala., is an independent, non-profit, special mission graduate school of sport. The 2005-06 national winners of the Cup were Stanford (Division I), Grand Valley State (Division II), Williams College (Division III) and Azusa Pacific (NAIA).