NCAA President Myles Brand has been chosen to receive the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Merit of Honor Award.  Only six times in NACDA’s 44-year history has the organization presented the award. Brand will be honored June 19 at the NACDA convention at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort. 

“NACDA’s Merit of Honor Award is bestowed upon individuals who show a dedication to the betterment of intercollegiate athletics,” said Boston College Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo, who chairs the NACDA honors and awards committee. “Myles’ devotion to our industry is unparalleled, and we couldn’t be happier to honor him at the 2009 NACDA convention.”   

The Merit of Honor Award recognizes an individual “whose superior integrity is displayed in tireless commitment to the highest ideals of athletics in general and intercollegiate athletics in particular.”

The inaugural award was presented to former NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1989. Other recipients include Bob Bronzan, former director of athletics at San Jose State; Joe Crowley, former president of Nevada and the NCAA (when the president was a membership designation); former Los Angeles Dodgers manager U.S. Olympic team coach Tommy Lasorda; and Ben Carnevale, retired director of athletics at William and Mary.

“This award is a great honor,” said Brand. “The infrequency with which it has been presented and the stature of the other recipients are testimony to the significance of NACDA’s Merit of Honor Award. I am touched and deeply appreciative to be selected for this very meaningful award.”

Brand is the fourth chief executive officer of the NCAA, assuming his duties as president on January 1, 2003. Before that, Brand was president of two major universities (Indiana from 1994 through 2002 and Oregon from 1989 to 1994).

Over the course of the past five years, Brand has led the most comprehensive academic-reform package for intercollegiate athletics in recent history, refocusing the attention of the student-athlete, coach and administrator on the education of the student-athlete. He has helped toughen the guidelines for student-athletes and held institutions more accountable via the Academic Progress Rate, a term-by-term measure of team academic performance.