Missouri State University

Missouri State Director of Athletics Bill Rowe was announced today as one of 29 winners of the Under Armour AD of the Year Award, presented by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). Rowe is the Division I FCS Central Region AD of the Year.

Rowe will presented with the honor at ceremonies during the 44th Annual NACDA Convention in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday, June 20. The AD of the Year Award presentation will come one day after Rowe is enshrined into the NACDA Hall of Fame along with seven other inductees.

Within NACDA, there are four geographic regions - northeast, southeast, central and west; while the membership is separated into seven categories - Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A); Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA); Division I (formerly Division I-AAA); Division II; Division III; NAIA; and Junior/Community Colleges, along with one International winner. One winner was selected in each of the seven categories, for a total of 29 honorees. 

Rowe will retire as Missouri State’s director of athletics on June 30, a post he has held since 1982. He has been affiliated with the university for more than 50 years, including his time as a student, athletics business manager and a coach. 

The Marionville, Mo., native became Athletics Director as Missouri State was transitioning to NCAA Division I status in 1982. During his tenure, the MSU men’s and women’s intercollegiate teams have made 46 trips to the NCAA championships along with numerous individual NCAA appearances.

Under Rowe, the Bears Fund foundation, established in conjunction with the move to Division I, has grown exponentially, as has the Annual Auction Benefiting Intercollegiate Athletics which developed under Rowe in 1987. The Bears Fund alone has raised more than $34 million to contribute to the financial stability of MSU’s Intercollegiate Athletics programs.

Likewise, the expansion and improvement of athletics facilities on and around campus have been the envy of Rowe’s contemporaries around the nation. Missouri State’s athletics teams now enjoy some of the finest practice, competition and support facilities in the region. Most noteworthy among the many capital projects undertaken by Rowe and his staff are the new JQH Arena, which opened in November; Forsythe Athletic Center renovation in 2002-03; Plaster Field improvements from 1987-91 and the new Plaster Field scoreboard in 2008; multiple renovations to Hammons Student Center, including the most-recent upgrades in the summer of 2008; and collaborative efforts with community and privately-owned facilities such as Hammons Field, Cooper Tennis Complex, various golf courses, and Killian Softball Stadium.

As a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, Missouri State has finished in the top five in all but one season in the 10-team Valley All-Sports Award competition. Missouri State has won the Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Title three times 2000, 2002 and 2003.

In 1988, Rowe was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame and named an MSU Outstanding Alumnus. He was inducted into the Missouri State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994, the Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

NACDA, now in its 45th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,300 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 11 professional associations that come under the umbrella of the Athletics Director. For more information, visit www.nacda.com.