The SEC, Big 12, and Sun Belt have all changed commissioners fairly recently and the Big Ten and ACC both have regime changes in their not-too-distant futures, but the MAC will enjoy a reign of continuity for the foreseeable future.
The conference announced Monday it had extended commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher through the 2019-20 academic year. He has run the Cleveland-based conference since 2009.
“I am very appreciative to the Council of Presidents and the confidence they have placed in me during my years as Commissioner of the Mid-American Conference,” Steinbrecher said in a statement. “We share the same vision and I look forward to continuing to lead this conference, our members and our students.”
Like his contemporaries, Steinbrecher has succeeded in extending the reach of his league and lining his membership’s pockets. The MAC recently inked a longterm extension with ESPN - think #MACtion - and another four-year deal with CBS Sports Network. He’s also expanded the MAC’s bowl lineup, moving beyond just the GoDaddy and Famous Idaho Potato bowls to create the Camellia, Boca Raton and Bahamas bowls.
On top of that, Steinbrecher also held on to his entire 12-team roster (remember: UMass resigns its football-only membership after this season) during the first and second rounds of realignment, making the MAC the only league in FBS to not change its membership during this era.
“He has performed extremely well and has been very efficient, specifically in the area of resource enhancement and management for all of our Conference Athletic Departments,” said Western Michigan president Dr. John Dunn. “Ultimately, he has enhanced the national profile of the Mid-American Conference, its programs and students. His national profile is very high as a result of his superior leadership, innovation and his positioning of the Conference office as a service organization for member universities. We look forward to continued growth under his leadership.”