CLEVELAND — The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced that former Big Ten Conference Commissioner Jim Delany has been selected as the 12^th recipient of the Michael J. Cleary Merit of Honor Award in the Association's 56-year history. The award recognizes an individual whose superior integrity is displayed in tireless commitment to the highest ideals of athletics in general and intercollegiate athletics in particular. Delany will be honored in conjunction with the Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention, to be held virtually, July 27-28.
 
"The influence that Jim Delany had in shaping college athletics and the student-athlete experience into what it is today cannot be overstated," said Bob Vecchione, NACDA chief executive officer. "During his Big Ten career, Jim established the standard for leading courageously and creating opportunities for student-athletes across the entire intercollegiate enterprise. While the BCS, Big Ten Network and conference enhancements are cornerstones of Jim's career, the educational component has always been an integral part of his life as a student-athlete and as an administrator. The network of individuals in this industry who have learned and grown personally and professionally under Jim's guidance extends far and wide across the country, so that his impact will continue to be felt within campuses and conferences for years to come."
 
"I am honored to receive the Michael J. Cleary Merit of Honor Award," said Delany. "Mike was a personal friend for many decades. Mike's service to college athletics and its athletics directors throughout the collegiate system was well known and impactful in so many important ways. On a personal level, Mike's friendship and concern for me as a young administrator was genuine and much appreciated. Many felt that personal touch, and today I'm most appreciative of receiving this award in Mike's name. I am honored to join an esteemed group of former recipients."
 
Delany became the fifth commissioner of the Big Ten Conference in July 1989 after 10 years at the helm of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). The Big Ten expanded to 14 member institutions during Delany's tenure with the additions of Penn State, Nebraska, Maryland and Rutgers, as he focused on strengthening traditional relationships while building a presence in a new region.
 
Under Delany's guidance, the Big Ten administered over $200 million in direct financial support to more than 9,600 students on 350 teams in 42 different sports. The conference added men's ice hockey and men's and women's lacrosse as official conference sports and admitted Johns Hopkins and Notre Dame as sport affiliate members in men's and women's lacrosse, and men's ice hockey, respectively. The Big Ten formed a research collaboration with the Ivy League to study the effects of head injuries in 2012 and developed the first collegiate version of football instant replay beginning in 2004. The Big Ten was the first conference to voluntarily adopt participation goals for female students competing in intercollegiate athletics in 1992 and launched the Big Ten Network (BTN) in 2007, the first national conference-owned television network.
 
During his career, Delany served on numerous boards and committees, including BTN, Collegiate Commissioners Association and National Football Foundation. He was previously inducted into the St. Benedict's Preparatory, Ohio Valley Conference, Newark, N.J. and Chicagoland Halls of Fame. In 2014, Delany and the Big Ten were presented the Torch of Liberty Award by the Anti-Defamation League and in 2016, he was honored with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In May 2018, Delany was named to SportsBusiness Journal's Twenty for 20, a list of the 20 most influential sports executives over the past 20 years.

A native of South Orange, N.J., Delany received his undergraduate degree in political science in 1970 and juris doctorate degree in 1973 from the University of North Carolina (UNC). He was a member of the UNC basketball team, serving as tri-captain and twice participating in the Final Four.
 
In 2012, the University of North Carolina Law School Alumni Association honored Delany with a Distinguished Law Alumni Award, and in 2019 he received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of North Carolina Faculty and Trustees.
 
The last individual to be recognized with the Merit of Honor Award was ESPN's Holly Rowe in 2017. The award was named after former NACDA Executive Director Mike Cleary in 2011. Cleary served at the helm of NACDA from the Association's inception in 1965 through his retirement in 2011, when he became director emeritus, a role he held until his passing in 2015.
 
About NACDA: NACDA, now in its 56th year, is the professional and educational Association for more than 22,000 college athletics administrators at more than 2,200 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 6,500 athletics administrators annually attend NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week. Additionally, NACDA manages 17 professional associations and four foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.