Jason Fein named NACDA Division III AD of the Year

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bates Athletic Director Jason Fein was named a 2020-21 Division III AD of the Year today by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, in recognition of his leadership in the unprecedented past year.

He becomes only the seventh person to win the Division III honor in multiple years. Fein also won the honor in 2015-16 while at Drew University. 
 

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• Listen to our interview with Jason on this week's Bates Bobcast!

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Fein is one of four honorees from Division III to win the NACDA honor, joining Renee Bostic of Notre Dame University of Maryland, Erin Quinn of Middlebury and Meg Stevens of Averett. 

The ADOY Award highlights the efforts of athletics directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, campuses and their surrounding communities. Winners will be recognized leading up to and in conjunction with the 2021 NACDA & Affiliates Virtual Convention, July 27-28.

In a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic pushed aside intercollegiate athletic competition, Fein and the Department of Athletics have been vital to Bates College's efforts to continue operating successfully, while maintaining the team identities and structures so indispensable to the well-being of Bates student-athletes.

Fein oversaw the successful transformation of Underhill Ice Arena into the Bates COVID-19 testing center, which was then organized and primarily staffed by athletic department coaches and staff throughout the year. In addition, he helped convert auxiliary gym space into an additional dining facility, which Bates assistant coaches helped to staff. Both of these initiatives helped ensure that athletics staff and coaches were able to continue working. 

Among other initiatives this year, Fein instituted programming around equity and inclusion for the department; facilitated the start of a NESCAC 21-Day Allyship Challenge; oversaw the creation of two new social justice groups for the department, the Bates Athletics Agents of Change and the Bates Athletes of Color Coalition; oversaw the reconfiguration of the fitness center for health and safety, offering a number of virtual opportunities for remote students and staff or those who felt safer working on fitness at home, and a number of pop-up outdoor fitness classes for students; and secured funding for and oversaw construction of an outdoor fitness plaza, which allowed expanded fitness opportunities for students during the pandemic when indoor options were extremely limited.

Fein continues to be highly involved in national NCAA affairs. In January he became chair of the NCAA Management Council, making him a member of the NCAA Board of Governors. Fein also chairs the NCAA Subcommittee on Legislative Relief and the NAD3AA Communications Committee. He is also a member of the NCAA Championships Committee, the NCAA Oversight Committee on Name and Image Likeness, and the NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Working Group. 

Nominators for the award were NACDA-member directors of athletics, institutional presidents and conference commissioners, as well as other respected intercollegiate athletics administrators. Special Divisional Selection Committees composed of current and former directors of athletics, current and former commissioners and other key athletics administrators voted on nominees for the award. A complete listing of Selection Committee members can be found on NACDA's website. 

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.