Partnerships with conferences benefit stakeholders

Dan McKane has experienced 30 years of college athletics from a variety of vantage points — as student-athlete, coach, and administrator — with each perspective preparing and informing him for his next role. Now in his 20th year as Commissioner of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, McKane understands coaches and administrators might hold onto the “common misconception that conferences primarily serve as rule enforcers or arbiters of disputes.” But he also knows from firsthand experience that “while governance is an important role, conferences are also resources for innovation, collaboration, and professional growth. “Administrators sometimes overlook how conferences can provide tools and programs that benefit their schools, staffs, and student-athletes,” he added.