CLEVELAND-Former Utah Valley University athletic director, Michael V. Jacobsen, is among nine new members of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame as was confirmed Monday.
Jacobsen, who is responsible for leading UVU into Division I from junior college status, was joined by Warner Alford of the University of Mississippi, Ron Case of Rowan College at Gloucester County (N.J.), Deborah Chin of the University of New Haven, Ed Farrington of Western Connecticut State University, Ed Matejkovic of West Chester University, Steve McCarty of Stephen F. Austin State University and Brian Quinn of Cal State Fullerton in the class of 2018.
The honorees will receive their awards Saturday June 30 at NACDA’s 53rd annual convention at the Learfield Directors’ Cup Luncheon at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center of Washington D.C.
Jacobsen retired from the AD position in 2013 after 29 years at the helm. Under his direction, the Wolverines made the unprecedented jump from the NJCAA to NCAA Division I while also leading the Wolverines from Division I independence to the Great West Conference.
Until the Great West’s dissolution in 2013, the Wolverines dominated competition in this league, winning all four Commissioner’s cups as well as 40 team conference titles in numerous sports.
One day after Jacobsen’s retirement, the Wolverines officially joined the Western Athletic Conference, which is where they remain today.
This gave the Wolverines’ various athletic teams the opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Tournament as the WAC is an automatic NCAA Tournament bid league, status that the Great West lacked.
In 2000, Jacobsen, a San Diego native, was named the NACDA Athletics Director of the year for the Junior/Community College West Region as well as the recipient of the L. William Miller award in 2001. This is the administrator of the year award for the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators.
Before coming to Utah Valley, Jacobsen was the head football coach at Springville High for 16 years and the assistant principal for three years.
Recently, Jacobsen and his wife Alice served in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ Michigan Lansing Mission, as he was called as the mission president there. They have four children and 15 grandchildren.
