Commissioner Patrick Britz and Associate Commissioner Eliane Kebbe Named to NCAA Committees

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – South Atlantic Conference Commissioner Patrick Britz was named to the NCAA Division II Championships Committee and the NLI Football Recruiting Working Group, while Associate Commissioner Eliane Kebbe was named to the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Committee, the NCAA announced recently.

Britz, who is in his seventh year at the South Atlantic Conference, will begin his appointment with the Division II Championships Committee on Sept. 1, 2014.  Britz will help direct the committee that is charged with making budgetary recommendations to the D-II Management Council for the conduct of all D-II Championships.  The committee also supervises qualifications for selection procedures for Division II Championships and reviews and acts on recommendations from Division II sports committees regarding the administration of the respective championships.  Britz and the committee additionally will act for the Division II Presidents Council and Management Council as the final authority regarding championship matters in D-II that are subject to appeal.

"I am honored and excited to serve on one of the most important committees within the Division II governance structure," said Britz. "The championship experience is one of the most memorable ones for any student-athlete and that is one of the top priorities of this committee."

The NLI Football Working Group is made up of members across FBS, FCS and Division II and will study the possibility of instituting an early signing date for recruits.  The group is chaired by Jon Steinbrecher from the Mid-American Conference and will analyze the current recruiting calendar and the culture of football recruiting.  They will also look at recruiting from the coach's, administrator's and the high school's perspective to ultimately determine what is in the best interests of the student-athletes and member instructions.  The group is scheduled to meet in late September or early October to begin the process.

Kebbe, who is also in her seventh  year with the SAC and serving a second term on the D-II Women's Basketball Committee (she previously served on the committee from 2001 to 2005), will assist the committee that is charged with the responsible oversight of NCAA Division II Women's Basketball.  The committee is responsible for selecting the teams in the annual NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship and as a member of the committee; she will act as the chair of the Southeast Regional Advisory Committee.  Kebbe will begin her appointment with the committee on Sept. 1, 2014.

"I am excited about this opportunity to continue to serve the sport of women's basketball within NCAA D-II," said Kebbe. "I look forward in assisting this committee in continuing their good work."

As a League, the South Atlantic Conference is represented by eight different member institutions and the conference office on a total of 19 NCAA Committees throughout Division II. "I am very proud of the involvement our conference has in the NCAA governance structure," Britz added.  "The individuals serving on these committees are volunteering their time and energy and it shows a great commitment from our league to the importance of helping provide a quality student-athlete experience to the thousands of young men and women that compete in intercollegiate athletics." 

Below is a look at the South Atlantic Conference NCAA Committee delegates:

• Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports – Bob Casmus, Head Athletic Trainer, Catawba
• Division II Baseball Committee – Doug Jones, Head Baseball Coach, Tusculum
• Division II Committee for Legislative Relief – Katy Flaherty, Assoc. AD/SWA, Coker
• Division II Football Committee – Joe Reich, Head Football Coach, Wingate
• Division II Legislation Committee – Marty Gilbert, Faculty Athletics Representative, Mars Hill and Steve Poston, Director of Athletics, Wingate
• Division II Management Council – Steve Poston, Director of Athletics, Wingate
• Division II Membership Committee – Kaye Crook, Faculty Athletics Representative, Coker
• Division II Men's Soccer Committee – Gary Hamill, Head Men's Soccer Coach, Wingate
• Division II Men's and Women's Tennis Committee – Craig Turnbull, Sr. Asst. AD, Catawba
• Division II Nominating Committee – Lynn Griffin, Director of Athletics, Coker and Steve Poston, Director of Athletics, Wingate
• Division II Presidents Council – Dr. Robert Wyatt, President, Coker
• Division II Planning and Finance Committee – Dr. Robert Wyatt, President, Coker
• Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee – Bradley Maldonado, Lincoln Memorial and Katelyn McElvee, Coker
• Division II Women's Basketball – Eliane Kebbe, Associate Commissioner, SAC
• Division II Softball Committee – Vickee Hollifield, Head Softball Coach, Carson-Newman
• Division II Women's Volleyball Committee – Michelle Caddigan, Assoc. AD/SWA, Wingate
• Research Committee – Nyaka NiiLampti, Faculty Athletics Representative, Queens
• Division II Championships Committee – Patrick Britz, Commissioner, SAC
• NLI Football Recruiting Working Group – Patrick Britz, Commissioner, SAC
• Walter Byers Scholarship Committee - Steve Poston, Director of Athletics, Wingate