When the NCAA established its policy against the use of American Indian imagery at championship competitions, the ruling was designed to hurt.

Since the policy came down, attention has focused on the fate of Chief Illiniwek, yet more than the Three-in-One stands to change if Illinois does not appeal the NCAA decision. The University’s symbol is at risk, but so is the opportunity for most of Illinois’ athletic teams to host post-season competitions, a privilege the University of Illinois has enjoyed in recent years.

The NCAA ruling included clauses prohibiting member institutions that use American Indian imagery from hosting postseason events. The ruling goes into effect on Feb. 1, 2006, and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is carefully weighing the potential ramifications.

“If the policy is not somehow repealed, amended or changed, that would be a setback because it would mean a lost opportunity for a certain level of prestige from the intercollegiate athletics standpoint,” said University spokesman Tom Hardy.

Seventeen of Illinois’ 20 athletic teams could potentially be affected by the NCAA decision. Men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are always held at neutral sites. Football does not have an NCAA postseason, and the Bowl Championship Series has not made an announcement like the NCAA’s. But for teams like soccer, volleyball and men’s tennis – all of which have hosted competitions in recent years – the NCAA decision could have a substantial impact.

The University does not make money from hosting postseason contests. The DIA operates independently of the University, and any revenue from ticket sales or merchandising goes back into Illinois’ athletic programs.

In most cases, though, Illinois does not make a profit when it hosts NCAA postseason events. Kent Brown, assistant athletic director for media relations, said the DIA usually breaks even or loses money on hosting.

“Is it a moneymaker for the athletic department? No,” Brown said. “It is more about the prestige of putting on an event like that.”

Where Illinois does benefit is in how athletes perform in Champaign venues. Brown said there are advantages to having athletes familiar with everything from the fans to the climate.

Those advantages make hosting NCAA events an enormous plus for Illini teams.

Last spring, when women’s soccer made it to the Elite Eight, the team benefited from hosting Nebraska in the third round of the NCAA tournament. When the women’s volleyball team went to the regional semifinals in 2003, they had played at home in the first and second rounds of competition. Before the men’s tennis team won the National Championship in 2003, both opponents the Illini faced in the first and second rounds had to come to Champaign.

Michael Kosta, former Illini tennis player and current assistant coach at Michigan, said home court advantage is helpful in every match but is especially beneficial in the postseason. Kosta said playing at home means you know everything from where to eat to where practice balls are stored. These are little details which, Kosta said, add up to an easier experience.

In 2004, Illinois hosted the NCAA men’s gymnastics National Championship. Prior to that, Illinois had not hosted a national championship since the 1970s. In 2004, the University applied to host the 2007 and 2008 men’s tennis National Championships, but did not get the bid.

Kosta said that while home-court advantage can be somewhat overrated, there are substantial benefits to playing in familiar territory. He said players are motivated when there are familiar faces in the audience and that they feel more comfortable in their environment.

“The Illinois program is so supported by the community, compared to going to somewhere like Western Kentucky where maybe there’s one guy wearing blue,” Kosta said. “It’s not the same connection as you see at home. You feel a total sense of team.”

Brown said the DIA is still working to sort out the literal meaning of the NCAA decision. For example, while the NCAA has implied that the ban applies to all rounds of postseason play, the wording says “championships.” Brown said a similarly vague rule regarding states that fly the confederate flag allowed schools in those states to host preliminary, but not championship, rounds.

“The NCAA made a stand against South Carolina because they still fly the confederate flag above the capital, yet they have hosted early rounds of the baseball postseason,” Brown said. “The bottom line is we’re not sure how it will affect us.”

Whatever the details, Kosta says teams have only to gain when staying at home late in the season. It’s a helpful, but not necessary ingredient.

“You really increase your chances to survive and continue on,” he said.