McDaniel Honored by NJCAA

Tompkins Cortland Community College Director of Athletics Mick McDaniel has been honored by National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) at its annual convention. McDaniel was presented the NJCAA Appreciation Award, given to recognize superior contributions to the association. The presentation was made at the annual convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

McDaniel has been a highly successful coach of various sports at Tompkins Cortland since 1995 and was named director of athletics and recreation in 2000. He has been active in leadership roles within the NJCAA for nearly 20 years on both the regional and national levels. After serving as a Region III Director, he was elected Second Vice President of the NJCAA in 2010. He rose through the ranks, eventually being elected the President of the NJCAA. Following a restructuring of titles within the NJCAA, has served as the Chair of the NJCAA Board of Regents since its inception in 2018.  

In presenting the award, it was noted that “As the Chair, McDaniel has been instrumental in the Board of Regents navigating the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics that the association experienced including the relocating of the National Office to Charlotte, securing the association's first-ever national television agreement, the COVID-19 pandemic, student-athlete name, image, and likeness, emerging sports, and many more.  McDaniel's unwavering leadership has allowed the association to continue to progress as a governing body of two-year collegiate athletics.”  

Since 1938, the NJCAA has served as the nation’s premier governing body for two-year collegiate athletics, providing athletic and academic opportunities for college students across the globe. The NJCAA is the second-largest national intercollegiate athletic organization in the United States with over 500 member schools in 42 states. Each year, nearly 60,000 student-athletes compete in one of 28 different sports as the organization sponsors 48 national championship events and eight football bowl games.