Coca-Cola Bowl Season

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2018
 
   
            Craig Thompson, the very first Mountain West employee when he was named Commissioner in October 1998, will address Executive Directors and other personnel representing the Football Bowl Association's 40 games, it was announced today by FBA Executive Director Wright Waters.
 
            Thompson's remarks will be heard by the collective FBA membership on Wednesday, April 18, the second day of the FBA's 3-day annual meeting in Boise, ID.
 
            A 39-year veteran of athletic administration, Thompson has devoted all but eight of those years sitting in a Commissioner's chair.  He is one of only two active FBS Commissioners [Jim Delany, Big Ten] with more than 30 years' experience leading a conference.
 
            "Craig has grown the Mountain West Conference literally from its infancy to the ever-growing Group of Five power that it is today," said Waters.  "He has been instrumental in positioning the Mountain West to continually move forward in college football."
 
            Over the decades, Thompson has held many prestigious NCAA posts.  He currently sits on the NCAA Division I Council and CFB Management Committee.  He also serves on the College Football Officiating Board of Managers, LLC.  Last June, Thompson was appointed to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee for the second time in his career.
 
            Since 2014, Thompson has been on the College Football Playoff Management Committee, working on the philanthropic, operations and site selection subcommittees.             During his Mountain West stewardship, Thompson expanded the conference in 2012 with the addition of both Fresno State and Nevada to the MW.  The following year, San Jose State and Utah State came on board.  He also added Hawai'I as a football-only member in 2012.
 
            Through revolutionary agreements with CBS Sports Network and ESPN, Thompson substantially increased the MW's national broadcast footprint.  He was also, in 2006, instrumental in the launch of The Mtn – Mountain West Sports Network -- the very first sports network dedicated to serving a single collegiate athletic conference.
 
            Thompson has worked tirelessly, via both the BCS and CFP, to be at the forefront of increasing postseason bowl opportunities for non-automatic qualifying conferences.  Over the last 18 years, the Mountain West has participated in 84 bowl games, with a 46-38 [.548] record in those games.
 
            A University of Minnesota journalism graduate, Thompson was American South Conference Commissioner from 1987-91 and Sun Belt Conference Commissioner from 1991-98 before taking the Mountain West reins.
 
            His collegiate communications experience included stints on the campus level at Kansas State and on the league level at the Metro Conference.
 
 
CONTACT:
Doug Kelly
FOOTBALL BOWL ASSOCIATION
916.202.0552 [office/mobile]
DKelly1416@aol.com [email]