Ralph McFillen | |
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![]() McFillen in 1963 | |
2nd Commissioner of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association | |
In office July 1, 1997 – June 30, 2007 | |
Preceded by | Ken B. Jones |
Succeeded by | Jim Johnson |
Commissioner of the Metro Conference | |
In office September 1, 1987 – June 30, 1995 | |
Preceded by | Steve Hatchell |
Succeeded by | conference dissolved |
3rd Commissioner of the Gulf South Conference | |
In office July 1, 1984 – August 31, 1987 | |
Preceded by | Hayden Riley |
Succeeded by | Sonny Moran |
Personal details | |
Born | 1942 (age 81–82) Belleville, Kansas, U.S. |
Spouse | Pat McFillen |
Residence | Mission, Kansas |
Alma mater | Kansas State University |
Ralph McFillen (born 1942) is a former American National Collegiate Athletic Association conference commissioner. McFillen, before retiring in 2007, served as the commissioner for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), an NCAA Division II conference since 1997. Before serving as the MIAA commissioner, McFillen was the commissioner for Metro Conference and Gulf South Conference. [1]
After graduating from Belleville High School in 1960, McFillen attended Kansas State University where he played on the football team. [2] McFillen graduated from Kansas State in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in history and physical education, and a master's degree in education in 1967. [3] In 1972, McFillen began his forty-year career in athletics as an assistant director of championships at the NCAA. [4]
In 1984, 12 years after working at the MIAA, [5] McFillen became the commissioner for the Gulf South Conference, an NCAA Division II conference. [6] After three years, McFillen moved to the NCAA Division I level as the next commissioner for the now-defunct conference, the Metro Conference. [7] While at Metro Conference, McFillen faced many obstacles, such as trying to expand the "super conference". [8] McFillen was the final commissioner for the conference when it dissolved in 1995. [9]
Two years after the falling-out of the Metro Conference, McFillen was hired to replace Ken B. Jones as the second commissioner for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, an NCAA Division II school. [6] While his time as commissioner, McFillen first was able to secure a contract to air five football games on KSMO-TV in the Kansas City area in 1997. [10] All games were on Thursday nights. Other accomplishments during McFillen's term as commissioner were an addition of two schools – Fort Hays State University in 2006 [11] and University of Nebraska Omaha in 2008. [12]
In 2007, after 10 years in the MIAA and 40-plus years in collegiate athletics, McFillen retired. [13]