Athletic director to lead D-II Championships Committee

  Wednesday, July 20, 2016 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

There’ll soon be another splash of red and gold helping lead the NCAA. Pittsburg State University’s Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Jim Johnson, has been selected to chair the Division II Championships Committee. Johnson, who has served on the committee since 2014, will begin his term on September 1.

“It’s an honor to be selected for this role by my colleagues on the committee,” said Johnson. “Over the past two years I’ve had the privilege of serving alongside some of the best athletic administrators in the nation. I’m looking forward to helping us continue to move forward and to providing our student-athletes with the very best championship experiences in Division II.”

The Division II Championship Committee is the primary oversight group responsible for administering policies and procedures surrounding the division’s 25 championships. The committee oversees the budget and conduct of these championships, as well as the qualification and selection procedures for each.

“Football and basketball receive so much attention that it’s sometimes easy for the casual fan to forget the full scope of the Division II championship experience,” said Johnson. “The NCAA administers 90 championships in 24 sports. Last year alone, nearly 17,000 Division II student-athletes competed in and received a championship experience. The highest access ratio in the NCAA.”

Johnson’s appointment marks the second time in less than a year that a Gorilla has been selected to lead an integral NCAA committee. President Steve Scott is currently serving as chair of the Division II President’s Council, a role he accepted in January of this year.

“Both of these committees serve critical roles in the governance of Division II,” said Johnson. “I think it speaks volumes of the high-regard at which Pittsburg State is held at the national level.”

Johnson’s term as chair will begin on September 1. He will also continue to serve as second vice-president of the Division II Athletic Director’s Association. Prior to this appointment, Johnson served a term on the Division II Football Committee and a term on the Men’s Basketball Committee, which he chaired from 2010-12.