WICHITA, Kan. — The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) Board of Presidents has approved the hiring of Ted Breidenthal as the conference's next commissioner, the conference office announced Thursday. 

Breidenthal joins the KCAC after serving as the commissioner of the Continental Athletic Conference since March 2008. The Continental Athletic Conference is the NAIA's largest conference, with 16 independent full-member schools in 13 states. During his tenure with the Continental Athletic Conference, he earned the NAIA's Charles Morris Administrator of the Year Award for his work in the 2018-19 school year.

“I’d like to thank the KCAC Board of Presidents for giving me this opportunity to lead one of the NAIA’s most historic conferences," Breidenthal remarked. "The KCAC roots run deep and strong throughout middle America, and I am excited for the opportunity to represent the 14 schools and more than 6,000 student-athletes."
 
“As a life-long Kansan, leading this conference is a privilege," Breidenthal continued. "I am honored to become part of such an innovative, bold, and forward-thinking conference, and I am excited to get to work.”

Prior to serving as the commissioner of the Continental Athletic Conference, Breidenthal served in a variety of other positions in the collegiate sports landscape. From 2005-2015, he served as the director of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Independents, a group which ranged in size from 10-22 institutions. He also worked at the NCAA national office from March 1987 to October 1998.

In addition to his experience in collegiate sports, he also served as the Executive Director of the Amateur Baseball Umpires' Association from March 2000 to April 2009, and has been involved with Sports Association Management Inc. (SAMI) since 2001. He served as that company's director from 2001-2010, and has been the President/Owner of SAMI since 2010.

Breidenthal graduated from the University of Kansas in January 1985 with a bachelor of science degree in journalism, with an emphasis in editorial and public relations sequences.

“The KCAC is poised well for the future of collegiate athletics because of the strength of our leadership and the quality of our membership," Dr. Scott Rich, president of Sterling College and the KCAC Board of Presidents chair, said. "Ted brings to the KCAC what we are used to…excellent leadership.  The orchestration of his giftedness, his skill set, and his experience make him wonderfully fit to be the next leader of our great conference”.

"We are very excited to welcome Ted Breidenthal to the KCAC," Justin Morris, Athletic Director at Sterling College and chair of the KCAC's Governing Council Executive Committee, stated. "During the interview process, his passion for the KCAC and his experience and leadership in the NAIA set him apart. The KCAC has been blessed with outstanding leadership for many years, and we are excited to work together with Ted to continue building a highly respected conference in the NAIA that contributes to the overall success of our member institutions and our students.”

Breidenthal will begin his tenure as the commissioner of the KCAC on September 11, 2023.
 

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