Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner Jon A. Steinbrecher will become commissioner of the Mid-American Conference July 1. Steinbrecher will follow Rick Chryst, who announced earlier this year his intention to leave the MAC when his contract expires June 30.

“Jon has a superior background at the highest levels of intercollegiate athletics,” said Western Michigan President John M. Dunn, chair of the search committee. “He is a proven talent, an innovative thinker, with excellent administrative and academic credentials. Clearly, he shares the same values as the conference’s member institutions and student-athletes, and he will continue our tradition as one of the nation’s premier conferences.”

Steinbrecher spent the last six years leading the Ohio Valley, increasing television exposure for league schools through a five-year contract extension with ESPN, streaming video through OVCSports.TV. He also partnered with IMG College to manage the league’s multimedia rights and sponsorship sales.

Before the Ohio Valley, Steinbrecher was commissioner of the Mid-Continent Conference (now the Summit League). He has served on many national committees, including the Division I Basketball Issues Committee, the Collegiate Commissioners’ Association, the Men’s Basketball Academic Enhancement Group and the Legislative Council.

He has campus experience at Houston Baptist, Indiana and Davidson. He holds degrees from Valparaiso, Ohio and Indiana.