— Courtesy of the Big Sky Conference

 INDIANAPOLIS, IND. (May 27, 2021) – Dr. Andrew “Andy” Feinstein, president of the University of Northern Colorado and current chair of the Big Sky Conference Presidents’ Council, has been appointed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Board of Directors. 

The Board is the top governing body for Division I and is responsible for providing strategic direction and collective oversight for the Division I collegiate model. The Division I Board of Directors reports to the NCAA Board of Governors and oversees committees that include the Division I Council, Committee on Infractions, Infractions Appeals, Presidential Forum, and Committee on Academics. 

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve alongside colleagues from across the country on such an impactful committee to support the mission of the NCAA, especially as we navigate this particularly dynamic environment in today’s world of intercollegiate athletics,” Feinstein said. “It will be a privilege to represent the University of Northern Colorado and the Big Sky, both of which have long taken pride in having representatives actively participate at a national level for the betterment of our student-athletes and the enterprise at large.” 

Comprised of 24 members, the Board includes 20 presidents and chancellors – one from each of the 10 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conferences and 10 from the remaining 22 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and Division I conferences – as well as one athletic director representative (who is the chair of the NCAA Division I Council), one faculty athletics representative, one senior woman administrator representative, and one student-athlete representative. 

Feinstein’s two-year term officially begins July 1, 2021, with his first regular Board meeting scheduled for Aug. 4, 2021. His term will conclude after the August 2023 Board meeting. Feinstein will fill the seat on the Board of fellow Big Sky president Rita Hartung Cheng of Northern Arizona University, who is retiring this summer.