The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- May 24, 1999

Former CFA, Big Eight head selected as Corbett Award winner

Chuck Neinas, former executive director of the College Football Association, former commissioner of the Big Eight Conference and former assistant executive director of the NCAA, has been chosen by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) to be the recipient of the 33rd James J. Corbett Memorial Award.

The award is presented annually to the athletics administrator who "through the years has most typified Corbett's devotion to intercollegiate athletics and has worked unceasingly for its betterment." Corbett, former athletics director at Louisiana State University, was NACDA's first president in 1965. The award is considered the highest honor one can achieve for collegiate athletics administration.

In addition, Neinas will receive an honorary degree from the Sports Management Institute, an educational institute sponsored by the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; the University of Notre Dame; the University of South Carolina, Columbia; the University of Southern California; and NACDA.

Neinas was selected as the first and only executive director of the College Football Association (CFA) in 1980, a position he held until the association was dissolved in 1997. He promoted the CFA as a forum where chief executive officers, faculty, athletics directors and football coaches could work together to achieve consensus on important issues related to college football.

From 1984 to 1995, he negotiated television contracts and administered a TV plan that included ABC, CBS and ESPN on behalf of the CFA members.

Neinas assumed responsibility for promoting CFA-sponsored NCAA legislation that included the improvement of academic standards, development of the continuing-eligibility rule requiring progress toward a degree, establishment of more reasonable and enforceable NCAA rules -- including the development of the recruiting calendar -- and elimination of the alumni and boosters from the recruiting process. In addition, he represented the CFA and college football in matters related to Title IX.

Under Neinas' direction, the CFA developed the "Good Works Team" and "Scholar-Athlete Team" to highlight the positive accomplishments of those associated with college football. He developed, sold and implemented the "Promise of Tomorrow" program that provided $5,000 scholarships on an annual basis to individuals associated with football at CFA-member institutions. He also initiated the "Academic Achievement Award" that was given annually to the CFA member that recorded the highest graduation rate among members of its football squad.

From 1971-80, Neinas served as the commissioner of the Big Eight Conference, where he developed promotional and marketing programs for the conference that were later adopted by other conferences.

As assistant executive director of the NCAA, a position he held from 1961-71, Neinas served as the secretary to the NCAA Council and Executive Committee and was responsible for all financial and business affairs. He was the supervisor of NCAA championships and had oversight of the National Collegiate Basketball Championship and College World Series. He was responsible for the development of the NCAA's College Division sports program, served as the NCAA's congressional liaison, and was responsible for the NCAA's involvement in Olympic and international affairs.

A national leader in athletics, Neinas served on NACDA's Executive Committee from 1990-93, was a member of the USOC Board of Directors for eight years, served on the initial USOC Development Committee, was chair of the Olympic Basketball Committee from 1976-80 and chaired the NCAA Olympic and International Relations Committee that recommended the NCAA withdraw from the USOC, eventually resulting in the reorganization of the USOC and the adoption of the Amateur Sports Act of 1978. Neinas also was the recipient of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, the highest award presented by the American Football Coaches Association.

Neinas received his bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He currently is the president of Neinas Sports Services, a company designed to provide consulting services in management, organization, television analysis, and negotiation and personnel placement. He presently serves as an advisor to the AFCA and as a consultant to Host Communications, Inc., in the development of NCAA Football.