NCAA Division II Vice-President Mike Racy recently was honored with the Award of Merit by the Division II Commissioners Association.

The honor is the highest that the group bestows. It is awarded annually to an individual who has served Division II with distinction, who has exhibited high personal and professional standards, and who has been active in the affairs of the NCAA and the Division II Commissioners Association. He is the first non-commissioner to receive the award.

Racy joined the NCAA staff in 1993 as a legislative assistant. In 1995, the NCAA Presidents Commission assigned Racy to assist with a special project to provide primary staff support for a reorganization of the governance structure for all three divisions. In January 1996, he was promoted to assistant chief of staff for Division II. When the national office relocated to Indianapolis in 1999, Mike replaced Nancy Mitchell to become Division II chief of staff (titled as vice-president this year).

During Racy's tenure, Division II has deregulated its amateurism legislation; strengthened membership requirements; developed a multi-million dollar annual conference grant program; and expanded several championship brackets.

Racy attended Washburn University of Topeka and also holds a law degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Before joining the NCAA, he practiced law as a general litigation attorney with the Gage & Tucker law firm of Kansas City, Missouri.