Sports

“Huge News” Georgetown’s Elite Selected for NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee

Nero Scofield

The Hoyas’ Athletic Director has some new responsibilities

Lee Reed, the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics for the Georgetown Hoyas, has been named to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee. He will take over the role from Mark Jackson, who left Villanova to become the athletics director at Northwestern. Reed will represent the BIG EAST Conference, completing the last two years of former Butler AD Barry Collier’s five-year term, which ends in August 2026. He is one of five new members joining the 12-person committee.

To clarify, this 12-member committee seems to be the official Selection Committee for March Madness. For example, a press release from February revealed that the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee announced its top 16 seeds about a month prior to Selection Sunday during the Bracket Preview Show.

Additionally, just before Reed’s appointment, the committee chose Atlanta to host the 2031 Men’s Final Four, which is a significant comeback after missing out on hosting the 2020 event due to the pandemic.

In July, the committee also designated Indianapolis as the host for the 2026 Division II and III men’s basketball championship games, as well as the semifinals and finals of the National Invitation Tournament, with all five games planned for the same weekend as the Men’s Final Four.

Additionally, this committee is likely a major factor in deciding whether the NCAA Tournament will expand or undergo other changes. In July 2023, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee discussed the potential expansion of the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

The committee also played a significant role in the multimedia rights agreement with CBS Sports and Turner, which extends tournament coverage through 2032.

Furthermore, a separate group known as the “Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee” is tasked with reviewing recommendations from the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee (like those from Reed’s new committee) and addressing other matters related to championship administration. So, while it’s not solely on AD Reed and his team, this 12-member group holds considerable influence in the basketball landscape.

NCAA.org Press Release:

Lee Reed has been named to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee.

Georgetown Athletics Director Lee Reed has been appointed to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee, taking over from Mark Jackson, who resigned as athletics director at Villanova to accept the same role at Northwestern last month. Jackson was initially chosen to represent the Big East Conference following the retirement of Butler Athletics Director Barry Collier on April 30. Reed will now complete the final two years of Collier’s original five-year term, which expires in August 2026.

With 30 years of experience in athletics administration, Reed began his career as an intern at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics in 1994. He spent seven years at Eastern Michigan before becoming the athletics director at Cleveland State in 2002, a position he held for eight years before joining Georgetown in 2010.

A former team captain of Cleveland State’s basketball team, Reed also has coaching experience, having been an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at New Mexico, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Nearly 25 years after his internship, Reed served as president of NACDA during the 2018-19 season, following his recognition as the 2017 NACDA Athletics Director of the Year. He chairs the Big East Conference Men’s Basketball Issues Group, mentors participants in the NCAA’s Pathway Program for senior-level athletics administrators, and is a member of the Black AD Alliance. Additionally, he has been president of the NCAA I-AAA Athletics Directors Association and has served on the NCAA Division I Management Council and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Academic Enhancement Group.

“Joining the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee is both an honor and a privilege,” Reed stated. “I am excited to represent the Big East Conference and Georgetown University on this prestigious committee, which oversees one of the most thrilling events in all of sports. I look forward to collaborating with current committee members and NCAA staff to enhance the championship and preserve its legacy for the future.”

Reed is one of five new members joining the committee, alongside Irma Garcia of Manhattan, Stu Jackson of the West Coast Conference, Brian Thornton of the Western Athletic Conference, and Chad Weiberg of Oklahoma State. Bubba Cunningham of North Carolina will chair the committee for the 2024-25 season, with Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill serving as vice chair. Other returning members include Greg Byrne of Alabama, Mark Coyle of Minnesota, Arthur Johnson of Temple, Martin Newton of Samford, and Tom Wistrcill of the Big Sky Conference.

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