LANCASTER, Pa. – August 15, 2018 - Centennial Conference Executive Director Steve Ulrich has announced his plans to retire from the position at the end of the 2018-19 academic year.
The only Executive Director in the Conference’s history, Ulrich joined the Centennial in January 1993 and has served in the position for the past quarter-century. During his tenure, the Centennial Conference has grown into an elite small college athletic conference and one of the most respected in NCAA Division III and the region.
"It has been my honor and privilege to serve the Centennial Conference since 1993,” said Ulrich. "This decision is one that has been a couple of months in the making. I have given a great deal of myself over the past 25 years to the Conference. We have accomplished so much and achieved more than many thought possible. The Centennial is regarded as one of the finest in the region and in Division III. I take a great deal of pride in that. As the Conference embarks on its next quarter century, it is time for me to take stock and consider my next challenge. I know I have much more to contribute and am excited to follow my interests and passions in the next phase of my professional career."
"The Presidents Council would like to thank Steve for the dedication, passion, and enthusiasm that he has provided the Centennial Conference for the past 25 years," said Janet Morgan Riggs, president of Gettysburg College and chair of the Presidents Council. “As the Conference looks ahead to the future, we are grateful that Steve will leave us with a strong foundation on which to build and we wish him well.”
Working for 11 colleges and universities and 24 championship sports, Ulrich has led the Centennial to the forefront in Division III athletics. Within Division III, the Centennial had the first conference website, the first conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the first conference Twitter account, and the first conference-wide streaming video portal – CentennialConference.TV. Ulrich was instrumental in the creation of the annual Snell-Shillingford Coaching Symposium, encouraging female undergraduates to enter the field of coaching and athletics. The Symposium will be celebrating its 20th year this winter. He also led the successful passage of landmark legislation governing the length of the nontraditional segment of the playing and practice seasons in Division III.
Ulrich’s vision bolstered the Centennial’s football conference with the addition of Juniata, Moravian, and Susquehanna as associate members, while wrestling benefitted from associate members Stevens Institute of Technology, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and Washington and Lee. Ulrich also oversaw the addition of Marymount and Neumann to the women’s golf program.
Ulrich’s leadership led to the creation of the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series that pits the Conference’s three top teams that do not receive a NCAA tournament berth against the top three teams from the Middle Atlantic Conference, thereby ensuring additional postseason opportunities for students who participate in football. The Bowl Series was the first of its kind and has spawned numerous other conference Bowls since its inception in 2015. Last winter, 10 Conference basketball teams participated in “Centennial at the Palestra,” an opportunity for students to play in one of the sport’s most revered venues.
Ulrich has served nationally as a member of the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf and Men’s Basketball committees, serving as chair of the basketball group in 2013, and on regional advisory committees for Football and Women’s Golf. He is a member of the Division III Commissioners Association and served on the Executive Committee for six years, two as Chair. Ulrich received the DIIICA Meritorious Service Award in 2017 for his many significant and substantial contributions to Division III athletics. He is also a founding member of the Middle Atlantic Regional Commissioners Association, a consortium of 10 conferences in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Ohio.
Ulrich has provided valuable leadership and mentoring for his staff, as two of his former assistants moved on to Division III Commissioner positions – Kim Wenger with the Northwest Conference and Jessica Huntley with the Atlantic East Conference. Another assistant – Megan Patruno – is the associate director of athletics at Muhlenberg College.
Prior to joining the Centennial, Ulrich served in Athletic Communications as the Director at Yale University, an Assistant at Cornell University, and as Director at McDaniel College.
Ulrich received his bachelor’s degree in history from Franklin & Marshall College in 1982.
A national search for Ulrich’s replacement will be launched in the near future.