Ralph McFillen
McFillen in 1963
2nd Commissioner of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
In office
July 1, 1997 – June 30, 2007
Preceded byKen B. Jones
Succeeded byJim Johnson
Commissioner of the
Metro Conference
In office
September 1, 1987 – June 30, 1995
Preceded bySteve Hatchell
Succeeded byconference dissolved
3rd Commissioner of the
Gulf South Conference
In office
July 1, 1984 – August 31, 1987
Preceded byHayden Riley
Succeeded bySonny Moran
Personal details
Born1942 (age 81–82)
Belleville, Kansas, U.S.
SpousePat McFillen
ResidenceMission, Kansas
Alma materKansas State University

Ralph McFillen (born 1942) is a former American National Collegiate Athletic Association conference commissioner. McFillen, before retiring in 2007, served as the commissioner for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), an NCAA Division II conference since 1997. Before serving as the MIAA commissioner, McFillen was the commissioner for Metro Conference and Gulf South Conference.[1]

Career

Early career

After graduating from Belleville High School in 1960, McFillen attended Kansas State University where he played on the football team.[2] McFillen graduated from Kansas State in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in history and physical education, and a master's degree in education in 1967.[3] In 1972, McFillen began his forty-year career in athletics as an assistant director of championships at the NCAA.[4]

Commissioner years

In 1984, 12 years after working at the MIAA,[5] McFillen became the commissioner for the Gulf South Conference, an NCAA Division II conference.[6] After three years, McFillen moved to the NCAA Division I level as the next commissioner for the now-defunct conference, the Metro Conference.[7] While at Metro Conference, McFillen faced many obstacles, such as trying to expand the "super conference".[8] McFillen was the final commissioner for the conference when it dissolved in 1995.[9]

Two years after the falling-out of the Metro Conference, McFillen was hired to replace Ken B. Jones as the second commissioner for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, an NCAA Division II school.[6] While his time as commissioner, McFillen first was able to secure a contract to air five football games on KSMO-TV in the Kansas City area in 1997.[10] All games were on Thursday nights. Other accomplishments during McFillen's term as commissioner were an addition of two schools – Fort Hays State University in 2006[11] and University of Nebraska Omaha in 2008.[12]

In 2007, after 10 years in the MIAA and 40-plus years in collegiate athletics, McFillen retired.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Gulf South Conference Official Site - GSC History". Gulfsouthconference.org. December 9, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  2. ↑ "6 Mar 1997, Page 6 - The Belleville Telescope". Newspapers.com. March 6, 1997. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  3. ↑ "2001 Truman State University Football Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  4. ↑ "2001-02 Truman State Bulldog men's track Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  5. ↑ "NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee - tribunedigital-orlandosentinel". Articles.orlandosentinel.com. March 12, 1993. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "New Gulf South boss is running tight ship". Gadsden Times. January 30, 1985. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  7. ↑ "McFillen appointed Metro commissioner". Times Daily. August 4, 1987. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  8. ↑ Wolken, Dan (March 5, 2013). "What to name non-departing Big East schools? Revive 'Metro Conference'". Usatoday.com. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  9. ↑ "History lesson: Super-conference concept rooted in 1990 proposal - SportsBusiness Daily | SportsBusiness Journal | SportsBusiness Daily Global". SportsBusiness Daily. September 26, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  10. ↑ "MIAA gets cable TV contract". The Fort Scott Tribune. June 12, 1997. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  11. ↑ "FHSU athletes will play in the MIAA starting in fall '06" (Press release). October 15, 2004. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Southwest Baptist University Athletics - MIAA CEO Council ratifies decision to add Nebraska–Omaha". Sbubearcats.com. June 8, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  13. ↑ Corbitt, Ken (October 6, 2006). "MIAA commissioner announces retirement". CJOnline.com. Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
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