WAC Commissioner Jeff Hurd Says He Will Step Down From Position At End Of 2021

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Western Athletic Conference commissioner Jeff Hurd announced that he will step down from his position at the end of the year.

Hurd announced the decision on Wednesday, July 7.

The move will come at the end of December 2021 and will conclude Hurd’s 10-year run as WAC commissioner.

“The cliché is all good things come to an end and this is no exception. I remember my first day in the office literally like it was yesterday and cannot fathom it was closer to four decades ago,” Hurd said in a statement. “Commissioner Joe Kearney gave me the opportunity to come to the WAC, and I can’t begin to name all of those who have positively influenced me throughout my career. Success in anything also does not occur without the assistance of many others. I have been extremely fortunate to have had outstanding mentors, business counterparts, office staff and friends along with great support from my wife Cheri and our family.”

WAC Commissioner Hurd to Step Down at End of 2021 https://t.co/aTMQ27P2cH pic.twitter.com/CYwuLBdGcp

— The Western Athletic Conference (@WACsports) July 7, 2021

Hurd’s professional career featured 37 years in the WAC, including the past decade as the league’s commissioner. He originally joined the conference as the director of conference relations in 1985.

“Jeff Hurd has done a remarkable job in leading the WAC to its current status. We are grateful to him for putting the WAC in the position of a very promising future as a conference,” said outgoing Chair of the WAC Board of Directors, Fr. Stephen Sundborg, S.J. “The debt of gratitude to him of our thirteen member schools is immense. As we look to his successor as Commissioner, we will build on the legacy of what he has dedicated himself to over many years.  His service to this conference is unparalleled.”

11 of the WAC’s current 13 members joined the conference during Hurd’s tenure, including Dixie State University and Utah Valley University.

Jeff Hurd @WAC_Commish did some redecorating to help our new schools feel at home! 🏡

Welcome to the WAC @ACUsports, @LamarAthletics, @BearkatSports and @SFA_Athletics! pic.twitter.com/D9mCaLpFK3

— The Western Athletic Conference (@WACsports) July 1, 2021

“I am extremely proud of what has been accomplished during my tenure, and the WAC always will be a part of me,” Hurd said. “I know the Conference is very well positioned to move forward.”