In his seventh year as Commissioner of Conference USA, Britton Banowsky directs a league that is focused on excellence in athletics, academics and the community with his progressive leadership.

Under his direction, Conference USA has maintained a solid foundation, developed a strong identity and reinforced its position in collegiate athletics.

With a wealth of experience in intercollegiate athletics, Banowsky became the new Commissioner of Conference USA on October 28, 2002. He is only the second Commissioner in C-USA replacing Mike Slive, who held the reins since the Conference's inception in 1995. Banowsky arrived in his new role during a dynamic time in intercollegiate athletics. With schools changing allegiances among their conference memberships, Banowsky led the Conference through a transitional period and orchestrated a restructured Conference USA that began competition in August 2005.

Six nationally prominent universities - Marshall, Rice, SMU, Tulsa, UCF and UTEP - joined tradition-rich members - East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulane and UAB - to form the new look of the league. Twelve members are concentrated within nine states, with four members in the state of Texas. As a result, the Conference headquarters were moved from Chicago to Irving, Texas during the summer of 2004.

With the foundation for the Conference in place, Banowsky guided Conference USA through a 10th Anniversary celebration and transition to a 12-team league competing in all sports. The new Conference USA entered into a long-term agreement with CSTV and renewed its partnership with ESPN, ensuring significant national and regional television exposure into the next decade with increased television and marketing revenues.

The league secured six (6) bowl tie-ins for postseason football participation and achieved a significant milestone when the inaugural Football Championship made its debut in 2005.

The Conference also completed a five-year strategic plan which establishes clear direction for the future and is grounded on the league's commitment to excellence in athletics, academics and community involvement conference-wide.

Banowsky, a licensed attorney in the state of Texas, has more than 17 years experience as a collegiate conference administrator. He came to Conference USA from the Big 12 Conference, where he has served as Associate Commissioner and General Council. Banowsky was instrumental in laying the organizational foundation for the Big 12 prior to its official launch in July 1996.

He was responsible for management of the Big 12 Conference's legal affairs, including the administration of television, bowl, and championships agreements. He oversaw national policy development, governance and NCAA regulatory matters, as well as assisted the commissioner in strategic planning and the management of the league office. Banowsky also served as a corporate officer and liaison to the league's Board of Directors.

Prior to joining the Big 12, Banowsky was the Commissioner of the Southland Conference. During his tenure at the Southland, the Conference was incorporated and its Board of Directors were engaged. He was also involved in negotiating a multi-year television agreement, founding a corporate sponsorship program, directing a conference-wide initiative to develop women's athletics, and engineering the expansion of the Southland Football League, one of the nation's premier Division I-AA football conferences.

Banowsky was an Assistant Commissioner at the Southland before joining the former Southwest Conference as an Assistant Commissioner. While at the SWC, Banowsky was responsible for the league's legal affairs and compliance activities.

The 48-year-old Banowsky has served on several national committees, including the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Television Negotiations Committee; the NCAA Division I Management Council; and the NCAA Committee on Academic Performance. He has also served as an officer of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) and is a current member of the Dallas Assembly.

Born in Los Angeles, Calif., Banowsky has spent most of his professional career in the state of Texas. He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, where he earned both a business and a law degree. Banowsky and his wife, Cindy, have three children: Kendall, Brit and Wade.

The Banowsky File

Membership on National Committees (Current)
Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA)
Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Properties, LLC
Basketball Academic Enhancement Working Group

Membership on National Committees (Past)
NCAA Committee on Academic Performance
NCAA Special Committee to Review Marketing and Licensing Activities
NCAA Two-Year College Relations Committee
NCAA Division I Management Council
Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Television Negotiations Committee