April 25, 2008
Caulton Tudor, Staff Writer
When she wasn't playing basketball, volleyball or the piano as a youngster growing up in Durham, Ingrid Wicker-McCree was busy plotting a career path.
At George Washington University, there were times when she studied pre-med and pre-law, eventually graduating with a degree in criminal justice.
"I was pretty sure I was going to be a lawyer," Wicker-McCree said Thursday. "That was how I saw it turning out in those days."
It turned out to be something entirely different when N.C. Central on Wednesday announced that Wicker-McCree, 41, had been hired from a large pool of candidates as the school's athletic director, a job she had held on an interim basis for five months.
In landing the job, Wicker-McCree qualifies as a rarity in college athletics. Less than 2 percent of the NCAA's 300-plus Division I schools have female African-American ADs, which in part explains her surprise when the school made the decision.
"It was a big surprise, but it was a big, pleasant surprise," she said. "I don't know who all of the candidates were, but I do know there were a lot of very good ones."
Wicker-McCree and her husband, Geno McCree, an employee of the Durham County tax department, have three children, ages 10, 7 and 4, meaning there are few dull moments around the house.
On campus at NCCU, the pace is more hectic.
The school is in the process of making the jump from NCAA Division II to Division I. It's a demanding five-year journey that hopefully will culminate with the Eagles becoming an accredited, full-fledged Division I program for the 2011-12 school year.
Before that can occur, there's a small world of work to be done, and most of it will be Wicker-McCree's responsibility. The Eagles' athletics operations budget, currently $4.7 million annually, needs to be increased to at least $8 million.
"We've got a lot of fundraising to do, and we need to get into action fast," she said. "We're planning to kick off a campaign in May, but that's just the start. It has to be an ongoing project."
Some of the budgetary needs will be met from student fees, but Wicker-McCree wants to make significant increases in regional corporate and business support for the Eagles teams. For now, most of the school's athletic infrastructure is in sufficient condition to meet demands. Long term, upgrades will be needed, and those, too, will require major investments.
"I know we can get out and find the support we need," she said, "but we all understand it's going to take some doing."
And during trying times.
While the Eagles' football team ended its 2007 schedule with a winning record, the departure from Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association competition in men's and women's basketball was painful. Against the most aggressive scheduling in the school's history and playing the majority of those games away from home, the men's team finished 4-26, the women 6-20.
"What happened in basketball was disappointing but completely understandable," Wicker-McCree said. "Everyone knew last season was going to be difficult, but we survived it, and things are going to get better pretty fast. Next season, the schedules will be much more balanced and with more home games. Our teams will be better, too."
On-field competition is only half of the Division I equation. Wicker-McCree said she'll devote much of her time during the 2008-09 school year to advancing the department's academic support system in order to meet new eligibility guidelines.
"It's a two-pronged process. On one hand, you have to gradually increase scholarship numbers and play more difficult schedules," she said. "But on the other hand, you have to put just as much effort into making sure you're on the proper path in academics."
In the meantime, NCCU's application for eventual membership in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference awaits action from the league. The MEAC currently has a moratorium on expansion, so there hasn't been a formal review of the Eagles' status. That could change when league officials meet in May to review the expansion issue.
"It's one other thing we have to be prepared to address and quickly, if needed," she said. "There's just a lot going on. But really, it couldn't be a more exciting time for us. There's a lot to do, but it's going to be fun accomplishing it."
Spoken like a first-degree multi-tasker. Oh yes, in her spare time, Wicker-McCree is still a student. She's wrapping up a higher education doctoral program at N.C. State, where she previously earned a master's in recreation resources administration.
caulton.tudor@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-8946
