D2 CCA names Dr. Alan Patterson as its Award of Merit Recipient
Special 90th Anniversary Feature on Dr. Patterson (LINK)
CLEVELAND - The Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2 CCA) has awarded Dr. Alan Patterson, former Conference Carolinas Commissioner, the 2021 D2 CCA Award of Merit.
Patterson will be recognized in person at the 2022 D2 CCA Summer Meeting. In addition, the D2 CCA also plans on recognizing the 2020 Award of Merit recipient, Dr. Jerry McGee, at that time as well.
"The D2 CCA is proud to recognize former colleague Dr. Alan Patterson as the recipient of the 2021 Award of Merit," stated Great Midwest Athletic Conference Commissioner and D2 CCA President Tom Daeger. "Dr. Patterson contributed significantly to Division II in his over 30 years of service as Commissioner of Conference Carolinas. Dr. Patterson, who led Conference Carolinas from NAIA to NCAA Division II membership, was vocal in focusing the Division's efforts on supporting student-athletes and driving consideration of the supporting role athletics plays in developing their educational experience. A long-time treasurer of the D2 CCA, Dr. Patterson served as a steady presence and trusted mentor to many commissioners during his time with the organization."
Patterson began his career part-time as the Conference Carolinas Commissioner back in 1982, marking his tenure the longest in Conference Carolinas history following his retirement in 2019. During his early part-time commissioner years, he was also employed as head of the physical education department at High Point University. Following that, while still in a dual role, he served as Athletics Director at Catawba College until 1989 before starting his own real estate investment business. His role as conference Commissioner did not become full-time until 1995 when Conference Carolinas transitioned from NAIA to Division II. Throughout Patterson's 37 years as Commissioner, he saw numerous member school changes and also oversaw the sponsored championships increase from 14 to 23 sports.
In his honor, the top award given in the conference was named the Body, Mind & Soul Dr. Alan Patterson Cup, which goes on to measure athletic and academic achievements. This award is the ultimate comprehensive conference award that recognizes the member institution with the best average ranking when combining the Hawn Cup, the Allan Sharp Award and the Messick Award.
In addition to his role at Conference Carolinas, Patterson also served as the D2 CCA Treasurer for nearly two decades before he retired. In this role, he led the financial health of the Association and used his decision-making process for the betterment of the Division II members. Patterson was also involved at the national level with his service on the NCAA's Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct and the Playing Rules Oversight Panel.
The Award of Merit is the highest honor presented by the D2 CCA and is reserved for individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the entire NCAA Division II membership and the Division II student-athlete experience.
Dr. Patterson joins an extraordinary group of individuals who have been honored with the D2 CCA Award of Merit: Noel Olson, former Commissioner of the North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1998); Bob Vanatta, former Commissioner of the Sunshine State Conference (1999); Fred Jacoby, former Commissioner of the Lone Star Conference (2000); Sonny Moran, former Athletic Director at Morehead State (KY) University (2001); Bill Moore, former Commissioner of the New England Collegiate Conference (2002); Mike Racy, former NCAA Vice President for Division II (2003); Dr. Adam Herbert, former President of the University of North Florida (2004); Dr. Kent Wyatt, former President of Delta State University (2005); Don Landry, former Commissioner of the Sunshine State Conference (2006); Dr. Charles Ambrose, former President of Pfeiffer University (2007); Arend D. (Don) Lubbers, former President Emeritus of Grand Valley State University (2008); Elwood "Woody" Hahn, former PacWest Commissioner (2009); Doug Echols, former SAC Commissioner (2010); Tom Brown, former GLIAC Commissioner (2011); Terri Steeb-Gronau, Vice President of NCAA Division II (2012); Nancy Mitchell, former Executive Director of the DII CCA (2013); Robert Hiegert, former CCAA Commissioner (2014); Butch Raymond, former commissioner of the NSIC (2015); Barry Blizzard, former WVIAC Commissioner (2016); Ruth Reinhardt, executive assistant for Division II at the NCAA (2017); Mike Marcil, former Sunshine State Commissioner (2018); Bob Boerigter former director of athletics at Northwest Missouri State University and former commissioner of the MIAA (2019); and Dr. Jerry McGee, former Wingate University president (2020).
About D2 CCA: Initiated in 1992 to promote its member conferences and institutions, D2 CCA has made its mark in providing a united front for NCAA Division II athletics. Created after the break-up of the College Division Commissioners Association, the D2 CCA continues to create lines of communication and opportunities for its member conferences. The D2 CCA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 56
th year. For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit
www.nacda.com.
Please visit
HERE to see the official release.
**Story by D2 CCA**