Southland’s Burnett named Vice Chair of NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee

League’s Commissioner Scheduled to Chair the 2021-22 Committee

FRISCO, Texas – Southland Conference Commissioner Tom Burnett will assume the role of vice chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee, replacing Northwestern’s outgoing vice president for athletics and recreation Jim Phillips, as announced Thursday by the NCAA. Burnett will serve as Chair of the prestigious committee in 2021-22.

Burnett has been a member of the committee since 2017 and has held his role as Southland Commissioner since December 2002. He is the longest-tenured commissioner in the Southland Conference’s nearly 58-year existence.

“It remains a tremendous honor and privilege to represent the Southland Conference on the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee,” said Burnett. “I look forward to further assisting committee chair Mitch Barnhart and working alongside our terrific committee colleagues through the rest of the season as we work toward March Madness in Indianapolis.”

The Houston native and Louisiana Tech University graduate has a long history with the tournament, including service as the public and media relations chair for the New Orleans Local Organizing Committee at the 2003 Final Four, and a decade-long tenure on the Final Four’s media staff. Burnett will serve in his new committee role when New Orleans hosts the 2022 Final Four.

“We’re thrilled about Tom being elected by his peers to step in as the vice chair to help lead this team of dedicated professionals,” said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball.

In addition to Burnett, other committee members include current Chair Mitch Barnhart, the director of athletics at Kentucky; Mike Bobinski, vice president and director of athletics at Purdue; Bubba Cunningham, the director of athletics at North Carolina; Charles McClelland, the commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference; Bernadette McGlade, the commissioner of the Atlantic 10 Conference; Mike O’Brien, the director of athletics at Toledo; Jamie Pollard, the director of athletics at Iowa State; Chris Reynolds, the direct of athletics at Bradley; and Craig Thompson, the commissioner of the Mountain West Conference. Bobinski is filling the committee seat vacated by Phillips.