The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced a contract extension for commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland on Friday.
McClelland’s contract now runs through 2032 and was unanimously approved by the SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors. The council’s chairman, Alabama State University president Quinton T. Ross, said the SWAC has made “significant strides” over the past five years.
“The visionary and dynamic leadership of Commissioner McClelland has helped propel our conference to prominence on a national stage while also increasing the availability of financial resources that have positively impacted the overall student-athlete experience,” Ross said. “We are undoubtedly excited about the continued upward trajectory of our league under his leadership.”
McClelland was named the SWAC’s sixth commissioner in 2018.
A SWAC release credited McClelland with increasing the SWAC’s visibility through broadcasting arrangements with ESPN and HBCUGO. It said overall viewership of SWAC football games reached a historic high last season with most games available either through television or streaming services, though the release didn’t mention specific viewership numbers or ratings.
McClelland recently completed a five-year appointment to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee. This past season, he became the first person representing an HBCU league or institution to chair the committee.