The Summit League Extends Contract of Commissioner Tom Douple
ELMHURST, Ill. – The Summit League’s Presidents Council voted at its summer meeting to extend the contract of Commissioner Tom Douple to 2017. Douple is entering his eighth year as league commissioner and serves on the NCAA Championships Cabinet and the NCAA Committee on Institutional Performance.
“The Presidents Council voted to extend Commissioner Douple’s contract for another four years and look forward to his continued leadership,” said South Dakota State University President and Council chair Dr. David Chicoine. “The Summit League continues a renaissance of growth that began with the Summit Plan and increased commitments from each of our institutions. Commissioner Douple has proven to be an excellent steward of the league’s development and its athletic and academic achievements. This contract extension speaks to his work to date and our league’s continued vision going forward.”
Selected as the league’s fifth commissioner in September 2005, Douple has been instrumental in the growth of The Summit League. Under his direction, the league has added five new members and increased its visibility with record attendance marks and increased performance. During that time, Douple implemented The Summit Plan, which included the league’s new name and logo along with a branding plan and institutional commitments to facilities, staffing and scholarships.
Douple is in his 36th year in athletics, including 28 years of Division I athletic administration experience. He has served as Director of Athletics at Southern Utah University and Southeastern Louisiana University and had stints as an assistant athletics director at LSU, his alma mater, and Cornell University.
“I am grateful to the Presidents Council for their confidence and support and look forward to continuing to be part of the league’s future growth,” said Douple.
The Summit League, which celebrated its 30th anniversary season in 2011-12, has crowned seven of its nine NCAA Champions and produced a total of 54 All-Americans and 37 Academic All-Americans since 2007. A record 15 teams received Academic Progress Rate (APR) Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA for their 2010-11 academic achievements.
In 2011-12, The Summit League set records with four NCAA Championships, five men’s and four women’s basketball teams in national postseason tournaments and its highest men’s basketball RPI ranking. The Summit League’s 2012 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships yielded record attendance figures and all 14 men’s and women’s games were available on national cable television for the first time.
In the past seven seasons, Summit League teams have achieved national rankings in six different sports, won regional championships in two and advanced in three additional NCAA team championship tournaments.
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