Dallas, TX - At the opening of the 17th Annual National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) Convention at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, the Association recognized the Second Annual Community Engagement Award of Excellence. The award is geared exclusively for NCAA Division II member institutions. The 2008 award was presented to Northern Michigan University.

Northern Michigan was selected for its Fall Sports Kick-Off that was designed to shine a light on what Wildcats athletics has to offer to the university campus and the surrounding community. The university opened its facilities to the community and allowed the more than 3,000 community members to meet the coaches, student-athletes and faculty. The event also included carnival games, face-painting, a bounce house, pony rides, fitness activities for kids, live TV and radio broadcasts and a barbeque sponsored by a local grocer.

"We are pleased to recognize Northern Michigan with the Second Annual Division II Community Engagement Award of Excellence," stated NACMA President Mary Pink, Associate Athletics Director for Marketing at Iowa State University. "This initiative is important to NACMA and the association looks forward to its continued partnership with Division II."

The Community Engagement Award of Excellence was designed to recognize one Division II school for its work in tying together the athletics department, student-athletes and the community where the school resides with an enriching program. The essence of the Community Engagement Division II initiative is bringing the division's strategic position platform to life at the local level.

About NACMA: NACMA 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 athletics marketing administrators. For more information about NACMA, please visit www.nacma.com. NACMA is administered by NACDA. In its 43rd year, NACDA is the professional and educational association for more than 6,100 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,000 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 11 professional associations for the separate business units that report directly to the athletics director.