MEAC

Commissioner of the MEAC from 2002-21, Thomas transformed the MEAC into one of the nation’s preeminent Div. I conferences by increasing student-athlete graduation rates, operating with financial prudence and expanding the conference’s corporate footprint. He negotiated multi-million dollar contracts with ESPN and Nike, the former of which allowed for national broadcasts of football, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, women’s bowling, track & field, softball and baseball. Thomas was the brainchild behind the Celebration Bowl, the only FCS postseason bowl game, between the MEAC and SWAC champions televised live on ABC with a $1 million payout to each conference, and he was also a driving force behind the creation of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, which has kicked off the HBCU football season on ESPN or ESPN2 for 15 years. Prior to serving as Commissioner of the MEAC, Thomas spent 12 years as Director of Athletics at Hampton University, where he spearheaded the Pirates’ transition from the CIAA and Div. II to the MEAC and Div. I. The Pirates won 11 MEAC championships under Thomas, and the men’s basketball team upset No. 2 seed Iowa State in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.