The Missouri Valley Conference Presidents Council has announced that Jeff Jackson – currently the Executive Associate Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference – has been named the Conference’s 10th commissioner.
He will officially begin his new role on July 1, following Doug Elgin as he ends his 33-year tenure as commissioner of the MVC on June 30, 2021.
“The Missouri Valley Conference Presidents Council is excited that Jeff Jackson will serve our student-athletes, athletics professionals, and universities as our next commissioner,” said Mark Nook, president of the University of Northern Iowa and the Presidents Council chair. “Jeff is a visionary leader. And his strong personal values, depth of experience as a student-athlete, coach, and athletics administrator – along with his commitment to the success of student-athletes both academically and athletically – will provide him with the foundation to successfully lead the MVC. The future of The Valley looks very bright.”
Jackson has worked in two Division I conference offices over the past seven years, and he also brings extensive basketball experience from a 30-year collegiate coaching career prior to his entry into athletics administration in 2014.
“I would like to thank the MVC Presidents Council, and its chair Mark Nook, for this opportunity,” said Jeff Jackson. “The Missouri Valley is one of the premier conferences in the country that, under the leadership of Doug Elgin, has prospered in a fashion that is in many ways unrivaled. I look forward to continuing the success of this great league and finding new avenues to improve and enhance the experiences of our student-athletes.”
In his present role at the Big 12 Conference, Jackson has had responsibilities as the primary administrator overseeing men’s basketball, directing the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament, and serving as a member of the league’s senior leadership team.
“Jeff Jackson has been an exceptional member of the Big 12 senior staff, and his leadership during the pandemic year has been nothing short of impeccable,” said Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “He brings a coach’s perspective to conference leadership, and his high-level experiences inform detailed and well-researched outcomes. He has also served as a member of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee and the NCAA Basketball Rules Committee. And he has also been a leader among his peers in the Autonomy 5 Conferences in shaping and guiding college basketball. Jeff has also been an engaged and vital participant in Conference-wide policy development and implementation through his work with our Directors of Athletics, and our Presidents and Chancellors. I do not have the slightest doubt that Jeff Jackson will provide visionary and highly-principled leadership for the Missouri Valley Conference.”
Prior to joining the Big 12 staff, Jackson was the Deputy Commissioner of the Big South Conference, with a wide range of responsibilities that included oversight of men’s and women’s basketball and conference championships, public relations and marketing, and league officiating programs.
“It was clear from the first day that Jeff Jackson stepped into our Conference offices that he was destined to sit in a commissioner’s chair,” said Big South Conference Commissioner Kyle Kallander. “A coach by trade, he had a hunger to learn, a deep curiosity of conference administration, and a willingness to do the hard work that is required to succeed. His background was a real asset to the Big South, and he developed strong relationships with institutional leadership. There is no question that the Missouri Valley will benefit immensely from Jeff’s talents. This is a great match – a tremendous conference and an outstanding leader.”
A 1984 graduate of Cornell University, Jackson’s coaching career included seven seasons leading the Furman program, and three years as head coach at New Hampshire. Earlier coaching stops included stints as an assistant basketball coach at Vanderbilt, Stanford, Colorado State, St. Bonaventure, Southern California, and Cornell.
A New York City native, Jackson and his wife Carolyn – also a Cornell University graduate – have three children: Xavier, Jenai, and Taylor.
