Former Commissioner, Big Eight Conference
Chuck Neinas is president of Neinas Sports Services, a company designed to provide consulting services in sports, especially intercollegiate athletics, in the areas of management, organization, and personnel placement.
As executive director of the College Football Association (CFA) for 17 years, he promoted the CFA to a forum whereby chief executive officers, faculty, athletics directors and football coaches could work together to achieve consensus on important issues related to college football.
He negotiated television contracts and administered a television plan on behalf of the CFA members from 1984 through 1995 that included ABC, CBS, NBC and ESPN. He assumed responsibility for promoting CFA-sponsored NCAA legislation that included the improvement of academic standards, eligibility rules, recruiting calendars and the recruiting process.
Prior to his work with the CFA, Neinas served as commissioner of the Big Eight Conference. During his tenure he streamlined operations to foster improved communications between presidents, faculty, directors and coaches. The success of the Big Eight during his time as commissioner was unparalleled. As assistant executive director of the NCAA from 1961 to 1971, Neinas was responsible for all financial and business affairs. He was supervisor of NCAA Championships including direct responsibility for the National Collegiate Basketball Championship and College World Series, and served as NCAA Congressional liaison.
Neinas’ illustrious career includes time as chairman of the board and acting chief executive officer of Ascent Entertainment Group, owners of the Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Denver Nuggets (NBA) and the Pepsi Center arena, majority shareholder of On Command Corporation, a leading provider of entertainment and information services to the lodging industry, and owner of Ascent Network Services, primary provider of satellite distribution services for the NBC television network.
A member of the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors for eight years, he sat on the initial USOC Development Committee, was chairman of the Olympic Basketball Committee from 1976 to 1980, and chaired the NCAA Olympic and International Relations Committee.
Neinas is a recipient of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, the highest award presented by the American Football Coaches Association, and the James J. Corbett Memorial Award, the highest award presented by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, and is one of only two individuals to be so honored by both the AFCA and NACDA. Neinas was honored with an award from The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame for his outstanding contribution to amateur football. He was also recognized by the National College Football Awards Association for a lifetime of achievement in contributing to college football.