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Ohio University President To Join NCAA Board Of Directors


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Ohio University president Roderick J. McDavis has been appointed to the NCAA's Division I Board of Directors and Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Presidential Oversight Committee, the university announced Thursday. McDavis will represent the Mid-American Conference on the Board.

"I am extremely honored to have been selected to serve on the NCAA's Division I Board of Directors and the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee," McDavis said, according to the university's official release. "I hope that my background and experiences will enable me to be a strong advocate for student-athletes in Division I universities."

McDavis replaces Northern Illinois University president John Peters, who is retiring, and will serve a four-year term beginning July 1, 2013, and ending August 31, 2017.

McDavis was elected by presidents of fellow MAC universities during the annual spring conference.

"I am very pleased for (McDavis) and his appointment," said MAC Commissioner Jon A. Steinbrecher. "Throughout my four years as MAC Commissioner, Dr. McDavis has been very engaged with legislative and conference matters and has provided leadership with our budget and finance committee as a member of our executive committee."

Members of the NCAA's board in Division I are authorized to adopt or modify legislation. According to the NCAA, there are 340 member institutions in Division I, subdivided based on football affiliation. 120 schools comprise the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), characterized by postseason play outside the NCAA structure and higher financial aid accolations. The 122 schools in the Football Championship Subdivision participate in the NCAA Division I Football Championship. The remaining 98 schools do not sponsor football.

The Mid-American Conference, established in 1946, has become one of the country's oldest conferences and has grown progressively in recent years. Northern Illinois represented the MAC in the 2013 Orange Bowl as the conference's first school to ever play in a BCS game.

McDavis, 64, graduated from Ohio Univesity in 1970 with a B.S. in social sciences in secondary education and holds a PhD. from the University of Toledo in counselor education and higher education administration.

He has served as president of Ohio University since July 2004.

McDavis and his wife have two adult sons.