SWAC Q&A: First-year commissioner Duer Sharp talks league’s future

As the Southwestern Athletic Conference holds football media day, we check in with first-year commissioner Duer Sharp. A former interim athletic director at Grambling, Sharp previously served as the SWAC’s assistant commissioner and had a previous tenure in the Big Ten Conference. He replaced Robert Vowels in January.

Question: Any surprises so far?
Answer: Coming from the Big Ten to the SWAC, you see that we have a long way to go. You are in here early, and you work late. But we feel like we’ve made a lot of advances. It took some time, but we’re partnered with corporate sponsors now like Russell and State Farm. If we continue to work with member institutions as a team, and the conference office stays ahead of the curve, we can continue to have a voice.

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SWAC names Duer Sharp, Commissioner

Photo: Duer Sharp, SWAC Commissioner

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Southwestern Athletic Conference Council of Presidents and Chancellors – Chairman Ronald Mason Jr. – has announced the selection of Duer Sharp as the new Commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Sharp will replace Robert Vowels Jr. as commissioner.

Commissioner Sharp, who assumes his duties immediately, joined the SWAC staff in January 2004 as an assistant commissioner. He was promoted to associate commissioner in June 2005, coordinating the football championship and basketball tournament as well as managing the day-to-day operations of the SWAC office.

The 38-year-old Sharp’s duties also included the enforcement of SWAC and NCAA policies for 18 intercollegiate sports. He also has served as the interim athletic director at Grambling State.

“I am honored and excited to lead the Southwestern Athletic Conference, and I am grateful to the Council of Presidents and Chancellors for giving me this opportunity to be a part of the exciting future of the SWAC,” Sharp said.

Vowels stepped down in June to become vice president for educational services with the NCAA.

From October 2005 to June 2006 Sharp was the interim athletics director at Grambling State University.

Prior to joining the SWAC, Sharp spent six years as a sports management administrator at the Big Ten Conference. During that time Sharp worked with a number of coaches and administrative groups as a staff liaison.

Sharp received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Afro-American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he was a four-year starter for the Badger football team (1988-1991). He was the recipient of Jay Seiler award for team leadership and was the recipient of Kappa Alpha Psi Tom W. Shick Scholarship awarded for intellectual vigor, concern for social justice and equality.