Shannon will begin his new duties at the January 2015 NCAA Convention.
Newswise — The NCAA Division I Board of Directors on Tuesday approved the appointment of Brian Shannon, the Charles B. “Tex” Thornton Professor of Law at Texas Tech University School of Law, to serve on the new NCAA Division I Council.
The Division I Council is a part of the recently completed overhaul of the NCAA’s governance structure. The Council will have primary responsibility for Division I legislation, developing and recommending policies to the Board of Directors and supervising and acting on a wide array of issues, including NCAA championships.
“I am pleased and honored to have the opportunity to serve on the new Council,” Shannon said. “The NCAA and its member institutions have a strong historical commitment to the collegiate model. This means as future policy is developed, we must recognize and embrace our student-athletes’ opportunities to develop fully not only on the field or court, but also in the classroom and in their pursuit of a college degree; not only as superb athletes, but also as well-rounded students fully integrated into the full range of campus life; and not only for their efforts as members of a collegiate athletic team, but also for their future contributions as citizens.”
The new Council is composed of 40 members, including a representative from each of the 32 conferences within NCAA Division I, four conference commissioners, two student-athletes and two faculty athletics representatives.
Shannon has served as the NCAA faculty athletics representative (FAR) at Texas Tech since 2008 and is serving his second term as national president of 1A FAR. Shannon’s peers within 1A FAR recommended him for the appointment.
“We are proud of Brian not only for his service to Texas Tech University but to intercollegiate athletics as a whole,” Texas Tech President M. Duane Nellis said. “He is a tireless champion of ensuring that the ‘student’ in student-athlete is well represented on campus, in the Big 12 Conference and nationally. Brian’s dedication to Texas Tech University as a law professor is matched by his integrity and passion for the success of our student-athletes. He is a leader on our campus but also a great representative of Texas Tech on the national stage.”
Shannon was appointed to a seat on the Council designated for a member of 1A FAR, which is the association of faculty athletics representatives at the 125 NCAA Division I institutions in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A. These schools are from the various FBS conferences including the Big 12, Big Ten, Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeast Conference, Pac-12, Conference USA and others.
“Brian Shannon is a tremendous leader in higher education and intercollegiate athletics,” Texas Tech Athletics Director Kirby Hocutt said. “With his commitment to student-athlete welfare and comprehensive excellence, he continually focuses and leads with the values that are so important to both Texas Tech University and nationally. I am extremely pleased that Brian will be serving on this new national Council at a time when there are significant external challenges facing intercollegiate athletics.”
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CONTACT: Kari Abitbol, director, School of Law, Texas Tech University, (806) 834-8591 or [email protected].
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