Jackson and the Fruitful Valley

MVC Commissioner Jeff Jackson

(St. Louis, MO) – Commissioner Jeff Jackson is working to maintain a fruitful Valley in more ways than one. Now in this third season in this position, Jackson has navigated the inclusion of three new teams, continuing long-standing media agreements and hiring great people that continue to grow and advance their individual careers.

The shifting landscape of college athletics has made the commissioner’s job more difficult than ever, but Jackson continues to shore up the league’s foundation and keep the conference advancing. For the first time in one of our conversations, I did not bring up ‘expansion’.

One of the signs of a great leader is when they can recruit and retain outstanding staff members and when they help those staff members grow and advance. Deputy Commissioner Sherika Montgomery was recently named the Commissioner of the Big South Conference. Shortly after her departure, Montgomery was able to hire Valley Assistant Commissioner Kirsten McCowan as her chief assistant.

These highly qualified and personable women were able to take large leaps in their career due in part, to their time working for Jackson. The Commissioner is happy for and proud of those women and what their advancements say about the MVC.

 

 

The challenges for a conference commissioner are daunting and it requires a lot of research for Jackson. From the invention of NIL opportunities for players, transfer portal changes and conference realignment, there are no days off for the Valley’s main man. He says leisurely reading is a thing of the past.

 

 

Media rights and broadcast schedules are a ‘bread & butter’ issue for the league. While their regional partner, Bally’s Sports is going through financial struggles, its national partner (ESPN) is investigating distribution changes. The Commissioner says he’s confident that the Valley’s television future is bright.

 

 

The Basketball Season

Basketball teams open their seasons tonight and Jackson is bullish on the Valley’s strength of talent and team success. Drake has recently been named the top-ranked mid-major team on the men’s side. Northern Iowa, Drake and Belmont are ranked in the top twenty on the women’s side.

Jackson believes the Valley’s men’s season will be superior to last season and brags about the depth of the conference’s strong programs.

 

 

The Valley’s women’s teams rank better than the men’s. Five conference teams reached postseason play and the league recording a collective NET ranking of 13. Our recent conversations with Tanya Warren and Beth Cunningham convinced us this is a quality league in capable hands.

 

 

This conversation took place at the Valley men’s basketball media day. Jackson’s labors to nurture a fruitful Valley are tangible and measurable.

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