GREENVILLE, S.C. - With an extensive background that included stints as Athletic Director at Nichols College (Mass.) and Associate Athletic Director at nearby Furman University, Chris Colvin understandably felt prepared to accept the Commissioner job at Conference Carolinas last June.

Nine months later, COVID-19 turned the world upside down.

College students were dismissed from campuses. Classes transitioned to online courses. And the remaining game schedules of spring sports were canceled. Athletic administrators and coaches entered the great unknown.

“There was no playbook for what the conference and our members were facing,” recalled Colvin. 

Fortunately, adaptability is one of Colvin’s strongest suits. While his wife, Megan, is upstairs home-schooling their three children, Chris has set up shop in the basement of his home.   

“My daily commute consists of walking downstairs,” he mused.

Even though the scenery has changed, the Commissioner’s job is as hectic as ever. 

“I’m averaging more than one Zoom call a day,” he said. “I have had one-on-one calls with every college president in the conference to learn what are their most pressing issues on campus and their thoughts about students returning to campus this fall. I’ve also had online weekly Conference Championship Committee meetings for the last four weeks, as we try to best prepare for the ‘new normal’ and explore cost-saving measures where we can due to the changing landscape.”

Focus On Future Scheduling, Championship Sites, COVID-19

Colvin said that he and his staff continue to spend the majority of their time addressing routine work requirements done at this time of the year—with an eye, of course, toward the current challenge of COVID-19.

“Our focus is twofold,” said the Commissioner. “We have tasks that we would normally do on the spring calendar, such as identifying future championship venue sites and future scheduling. But there’s no denying the COVID-19 dynamic has come into play, too.”   

There are many unanswered questions, Colvin admits. 

“How do we resume sporting events, and can we do it on time? We are spending many hours exploring ways to keep our student-athletes and the sports community safe for competition and making plans for various contingencies.” 

While much energy and consternation has been caused by an uncertain future, Colvin says the current shutter-in-place environment gives him and others time to reflect on the conference’s accomplishments during this past sports year.

Overseeing the hiring of an entirely new conference staff and the league office’s relocation to Greenville, S.C. in the first three months after his hiring, Colvin has built a sound foundation for Conference Carolinas. 

“When I was hired, the philosophical goal I wanted to institute was to use the conference to help our institutions achieve their overall mission and further the potential of intercollegiate athletics at each school. We wanted to add value to their campuses."

Reflecting On Some of the 2019-20 Accomplishments  

 Professionally upgrading and modernizing the conference constitution and bylaws.    

 Adding acrobatics and tumbling as a conference sport, becoming only the second NCAA Division II conference to add the sport. Conference Carolinas now offers its member institutions 25 sports, which is the most of any Division II conference in the nation.  

 Offering of new and different programming, such as a mental health workshop to the “Leading the Way: Champions in Body, Mind and Soul” SAAC Retreat and Leadership Event for select student-athletes, having monthly student advisory committee conference calls and a new monthly “SAAC Spotlight” feature on social media.  

 Upgrading of “the championship experience." A prime example is this year’s men’s and women’s basketball championships that were held at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium at Wofford College. Colvin wants to replicate that event with more Conference Carolinas championships in the near future and will be looking for other first-class venues and different experiences for member schools. 

 Finishing third among all NCAA Division II conferences in community service with 14,082 hours in volunteering by member schools. 

 Announcing that Francis Marion University and UNC Pembroke will become the 12th and 13th members of Conference Carolinas, beginning in 2021-22.  

 Becoming one of the few NCAA Division II conferences to gain national media exposure this year, as a newly-instituted Body, Mind and Soul feature series on the conference website were picked up by the NCAA’s social media network and garnered related articles in Sports Illustrated, ESPN.com and various regional media outlets. 

 Improving its Instagram followers by almost 150 percent, increasing the number from 1,806 to 4,513 in a matter of less than nine months. Meanwhile, Twitter followers grew by more than 1,100 (from 5,619 to 6,780).

Student-Athlete Safety On Spring Meeting Agenda 

Next week, Colvin and his staff were scheduled to host the league’s Spring Meetings in Spartanburg, S.C. While the meetings require much advance preparation by the conference office, the two-day meetings will now be staged virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Without question, the highest priority at those meetings will be the safety for student-athletes, coaches and staff for each member institution. 

“Our athletic directors have some real challenges on their plates,” Colvin said. “Among other things, they need to determine safety procedures and protocols for team travel, practices, campus housing; just a myriad of issues.” 

No doubt, those athletic directors will respond in lockstep with NCAA Division II leaders, their school presidents and Conference Carolinas directives. For Commissioner Colvin, the biggest concern is simply not knowing what the future holds.

While every AD’s budget ledger will look differently this fall, Colvin does not believe any of Conference Carolinas' members are in danger of not carrying the minimum number of sports programs required by NCAA Division II guidelines. In fact, from a financial standpoint, Colvin points out that the student tuition each team brings to campus far outweighs the cost of operating a sports program.

The 'New Normal' in Age of COVID-19 

So, what’s the "new normal" in the Age of COVID-19? That’s a question haunting every leader in America, including the Commissioner of Conference Carolinas.

“First, I suspect Zoom calls will be a lasting way for schools and the conference to meet,” Colvin predicted. “While it’s not as good as meeting in-person, the past few months have proven it’s an efficient and effective way to gather people and accomplish your goals (for example, Zoom media availability on addition of Francis Marion and UNC Pembroke pictured below that allowed media to ask questions on the day of the announcement)."

The Commissioner thinks conference schedule-making will remain status quo. 

“At this point, we do not have plans to reduce the number of conference games. If a member school chooses to play a smaller schedule or is mandated to do so by the NCAA, it’s most likely to be non-conference competition. However, we have discussed the option of moving some game times so a team might be able to play on the road without an overnight hotel stay."

Commissioner Looks to the Future 

Taking a look toward the future, the Commissioner shared some new conference goals for the upcoming school year.

“We will continue to find ways to add value to our members, whether it’s finding new revenue streams in sponsorships, internet broadcasting rights or offering more educational sessions to benefit student-athletes, coaches and administrators,” he promised. “We will also continue to modernize our operation by establishing uniform manuals, improving how we hold conference meetings and how we stage championships.”  

Even though Francis Marion and UNC Pembroke will be welcomed into the conference after next year, Colvin has not ruled out more expansion in the future.  

“We are always looking for ways to improve the conference,” he said. “If there are other institutions with our shared values that bring something to the table and show interest, we won’t close off that possibility.”

In this new world of COVID-19 that has profoundly affected social conditions, Colvin knows that leadership at the top is critical. While our country slowly re-opens and student-athletes eventually return to the playing field, the Conference Carolinas Commissioner will not sway from his No. 1 priority.   

From his basement office at home, he offers a parting message to his member schools.

“Regardless how and where we’re working, the conference will continue to help our institutions reach their goals, keep them safe and keep them strong.”

Bob Rose is a longtime sports public relations executive who has worked for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, the NFL Cardinals, Cal, Stanford and other organizations.