WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2 CCA) has awarded Mike Marcil, former commissioner of the Sunshine State Conference and the North Central Conference, the 2018 D2 CCA Award of Merit.

Marcil was presented his award on Wednesday, June 27, at the D2 CCA Award of Merit reception in conjunction with the NACDA and Affiliates Convention Week at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

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.

"On behalf of the D2 CCA, it is my honor and privilege to recognize Mike Marcil with the 2018 Award of Merit," stated South Atlantic Conference Commissioner and current D2 CCA President Pat Britz. "Mike was a key figure in helping develop Division II intercollegiate athletics into what it is today. From his time at the NCAA to being the Commissioner of two Division II conferences, Mike's drive and leadership was instrumental in improving our division and assisting the CCA in becoming more involved in the NCAA governance process."

Marcil received degrees from Creighton University, Marquette University Law School, which has the National Sports Law Institute, and St. Thomas (Florida) University. He then served in collegiate athletics for 24 years in a variety of administrative capacities. In 1985, Marcil began his athletics career by working as an assistant director of athletics at St. Thomas. In July 1986, Marcil moved to Omaha, Nebraska, to take over as the athletics business manager at Creighton University. Marcil then traveled back to the Sunshine State to become the athletics business manager at Miami-Dade College in 1988. He held the position until January 1991 when he moved on to become associate commissioner of the Northeast Conference for a year. Following his stint in Woodbridge, New Jersey, Marcil went to work as a membership service representative at the NCAA, holding the position until October of 1997. From the National Office, Marcil traveled to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to serve as the commissioner of the now dissolved North Central Conference. In 2004, he left the North Central Conference to move on to what would be the final stop of his illustrious career in collegiate athletics. In August 2004, Marcil returned to Florida to assume the role as commissioner of the Sunshine State Conference. After nearly five years at the helm of the conference, Marcil retired following over two decades in service of NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics. He now teaches Sports Law for the Sports Management program at Bellevue (Nebraska) University.

Throughout his career, Marcil served in numerous capacities on the national level including as D2 CCA President in 2008 NCAA Executive Committee in 2002 and was a member of the Division II Management Council from 1999-2003. He also served on 16 different NCAA Division II Committees including as Chair of the Committee on Infractions, a member of the Championships Committee, Community Service Committee, the Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee and as the Chair of the Compliance Blueprint Program Project Team.

Marcil made a lasting impact on Division II athletics during his career by helping enhance and formulate the DII-SAAC program, DII championship events, and the DII Strategic Positioning Platform. He assisted in the development of the DII Strategic Initiatives, assisted with the development of the DII "nullification system", helped with the development of the DII Championship Festivals and a national DII television and broadband streaming package. A true Division II pioneer, Marcil helped in developing the DII Graduation Success Report and undoubtedly had an immense impact on making the Division what it is today.

Marcil 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); Doug Echols, former SAC Commissioner (2009); Tom Brown, former GLIAC Commissioner (2010); Terri Steeb, 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) and last year's recipient Ruth Reinhardt, executive assistant for Division II at the NCAA (2017).

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. For more information about the D2 CCA visit www.d2cca.com. The D2 CCA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 53rd year. For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.