The women’s track and field team will receive a new facility to resolve Title IX and NCAA compliance issues.

Currently, the team uses the track facilities at DeKalb High School in the fall and the facilities at the Convocation Center in the colder months to practice, said Connie Teaberry, head coach of the women’s track and field/cross country team.

The problem with the DeKalb High School facilities is not of quality, but of conflict with NCAA regulations stating that team coaches cannot be present while prospective student-athletes are practicing or competing, Teaberry said.

The purpose for building a new track facility for the team is not related to meeting minimal requirements for the team, but rather having a facility the team can use, which NIU currently does not, said Donna Turner, athletics associate director of communications.

Initially, the lack of a facility for the team started 10 years ago when NIU dropped women’s field hockey, added soccer and had to add another women’s sport, said Bobbie Cesarek, associate athletics director of compliance. A survey found a large turn-out for women’s track and the sport was chosen, Cesarek said.

The indoor facilities at the Convocation Center were intended to be used by the team. However, due to design constraints, the facilities do not meet requirements to host competitions, Cesarek said. In the interim, NIU used the DeKalb High School facilities, which led to the NCAA compliance issue, she said.

NIU appealed to the NCAA and received a one-year waiver to continue to use the high school facilities, Cesarek said. However, the NCAA declined a second waiver for NIU, stating the university could not continue to use waivers as an alternative to building appropriate facilities, she said.

The existing facilities the team can use at the moment raise questions about sufficiency.

“They’re trying to practice to compete at a Division I level with no facility,” Cesarek said.

The new facility will be a great asset to the team for not just practicing and working out, but also for recruiting new athletes, Teaberry said.

“It will be a great asset to the program because we’re an outdoor sport,” Teaberry said. “Not to have an outdoor track is uncommon at this level.”

The soccer programs will also benefit from the new track facilities from the lights that will be provided for the soccer field, Cesarek said.

In 2009, NIU is due for NCAA certification and the new facilities will aid in fulfilling the NCAA’s requirements, Cesarek said.