Jump to content

Gloria Nevarez

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gloria Nevarez
Biographical details
Born (1971-06-15) June 15, 1971 (age 53)
Santa Clara County, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Massachusetts, Amherst (BS)
University of California, Berkeley (JD)
Playing career
1989–1992UMass
Position(s)Forward
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1998–1999San José State (asst. AD for compliance)
1999–2001California (SWA)
2002–2007West Coast Conference (assoc. commissioner & SWA)
2007–2010Oklahoma (SWA)
2010–2018Pac-12 Conference (Senior assoc. commissioner & SWA)
2018–2023West Coast Conference (commissioner)
2023–presentMountain West Conference (commissioner)

Gloria Elaine Nevarez (born June 15, 1971)[1][2] is the current commissioner of the Mountain West Conference (MW). Nevarez assumed the position from retiring MW commissioner Craig Thompson on January 1, 2023. Before joining the MW, she had been the fourth full-time commissioner of the West Coast Conference (WCC).[3] Nevarez is the first Hispanic-American to become a commissioner of an NCAA Division I conference.[4][5][6] Prior to her duties as WCC commissioner, Nevarez served as a senior level administrator at the WCC as well as the Pac-12 Conference, University of Oklahoma, University of California, Berkeley, and San Jose State University.[7][8]

Early life and education

[edit]

Nevarez was born in Santa Clara County, California[2] and raised in Santa Clara, California. Nevarez graduated from Santa Clara High School in 1989[1] and played on its basketball (as forward and center) and softball (as shortstop)[9] teams.[10][11] During the 1986-87 girls' basketball season, as a sophomore, Nevarez earned second team all-league honors.[12][13] Nevarez followed up during her junior year by earning both third team all-regional honors and all-league first team honors during the 1987-88 girls' basketball season, and finished the 11th best scorer in the Peninsula region by "averag[ing] nearly 15 points per game last season".[14][15][16][17] Her team finished 4th in the league.[18] During the 1988-89 girls' basketball season, Nevarez earned second team all-regional honors and, once again, earned all-league second team honors.[19][20]

Nevarez also earned second-team all-league honors during the 1988 girls' softball season.[21] Nevarez went on to attend the University of Massachusetts (UMass), where she was a scholarship student-athlete in basketball[22] under second-year head coach Kathy Hewelt.[23] Nevarez graduated from UMass (cum laude) with a B.S. in Sports Management in 1993.[24][8][25][7] After completion of her career at UMass, Nevarez attended the UC Berkeley School of Law where she graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1997[26][7]

Career

[edit]

Finishing the completion of her J.D. degree, Nevarez began a career at a law firm.[10] After a brief time practicing law, Nevarez was hired as the first full-time director of compliance for athletics at San Jose State University.[26] From there, Nevarez returned to UC Berkeley, joining the athletic program staff as the Assistant Athletics Director of Compliance and Legal Affairs, while also serving as the interim Senior Woman Administrator.[27] Following that, Nevarez began a term as the Associate Commissioner and Senior Woman Administrator for the West Coast Conference for the next five years.[7] In August 2007, Nevarez was named Senior Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator at the University of Oklahoma.[28]

In March 2010, Nevarez was named Senior Associate Commissioner and Senior Woman Administrator of the Pac-10 Conference, known since 2011 as the Pac-12 Conference.[27] During her time at the Pac-12, Nevarez oversaw all sports and championships except football and was the leagues' point person for men's basketball.[7] Additionally, Nevarez was instrumental in the Pac-12's expansion from 10 institutions to 12, the relocation of the men's basketball tournament in Las Vegas, and the women's basketball tournament in Seattle.[29] She was the lead on various international trips to China and Australia taken by Pac-12 teams, notably, Nevarez was instrumental in assisting UCLA when three players were arrested in China for stealing.[30]

In March 2018, the West Coast Conference Presidents' Council selected Nevarez as its fourth full-time commissioner.[7][31]

In November 2022, the Mountain West Conference Board of Directors selected Nevarez as the new commissioner; she officially assumed her duties on January 1, 2023.[32]

Personal

[edit]

Nevarez is married to fellow UC Berkeley School of Law graduate Richard Young.[7] Additionally, Nevarez has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Francisco teaching on topics in sports law.[7] Her father is of Mexican descent and her mother is of mixed Filipina and Irish ancestry.[33]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Peninsula high school graduates". The Peninsula Times Tribune. Palo Alto, California. July 1, 1989. p. A-8 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b State of California. California Birth Index, 1905-1995. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics. [1]
  3. ^ "WCC hires first Division I Latina commissioner". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  4. ^ "Q&A with WCC's Gloria Nevarez, first Latin American woman to lead Division I conference". Sporting News. 2018-11-08. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  5. ^ Wharton, David (8 February 2019). "Gloria Nevarez delivers clear message as first Latina commissioner in Division I". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-02-10.
  6. ^ Spears, Marc J. (2019-03-20). "Gloria Nevarez is more than just the first Latino commissioner in Division I". Andscape. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h "Gloria Nevarez Named West Coast Conference Commissioner". Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  8. ^ a b "Gloria Nevarez: A Groundbreaking Commissioner's 'Obligation' To Advocate". www.wbur.org. Boston, Massachusetts. November 30, 2018. Archived from the original on May 14, 2025. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
  9. ^ Baker, Jon (March 11, 1987). "Mtn. View, Santa Clara Lead SCVAL". The Mercury News. San Jose, California. p. 9 – via NewsBank.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ a b "Torchbearers: Gloria Nevarez, PAC 12 - CollegeAD". CollegeAD. 2016-10-10. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  11. ^ "U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: Santa Clara High School; Year: 1987
  12. ^ "Girls Santa Clara Valley All-league team". The Peninsula Times Tribune. Palo Alto, California. February 23, 1987. p. C-5 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "Girls all-stars". San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. March 4, 1987. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Kahl, Dean (December 7, 1988). "Cupertino's leader makes 10 points count". The Peninsula Times Tribune. Palo Alto, California. p. C-7 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ "All-Peninsula basketball". The Peninsula Times Tribune. Palo Alto, California. March 8, 1988. p. D-3 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ "All-league basketball teams". The Peninsula Times Tribune. Palo Alto, California. March 17, 1988. p. B-4 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Baker, Jon (December 21, 1988). "Palo Alto Hopes To Challenge Milpitas For Title". The Mercury News. San Jose, California. p. 9 – via NewsBank.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ "Milpitas has enough experience for a solid title defense in '89". The Peninsula Times Tribune. Palo Alto, California. December 25, 1988. p. E-11 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "All-Peninsula girls". The Peninsula Times Tribune. Palo Alto, California. p. B-2 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ "All-SCVAL (girls)". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. March 22, 1989. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ "Softball". The Peninsula Times Tribune. Palo Alto, California. May 12, 1988. p. C-4 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "1990-91 Roster". University of Massachusetts Athletics. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  23. ^ Cole, Milton (November 7, 1989). "Daily Hampshire Gazette". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, Massachusetts. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ^ "McCormack Alumni Award Winners | Isenberg School of Management | UMass Amherst". www.isenberg.umass.edu. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  25. ^ Inside Out. Vol. 124. Amherst, Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 1993. pp. 119, 238 – via Internet Archive.
  26. ^ a b "NCAA regional another milestone for Pac-12's Nevarez". www.prep2prep.com. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  27. ^ a b "Pac-10 Conference Appoints New Senior Associate Commissioner". Pac-12. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  28. ^ "school-bio_nevarez". OU Athletics. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  29. ^ Henderson, John (2010-04-28). "CU looks like good match for Pac-10 on, off field". The Denver Post. Denver, Colorado. Archived from the original on May 14, 2025. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  30. ^ Bolch, Ben (15 November 2017). "Three UCLA basketball players held in China are suspended indefinitely and offer apologies". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  31. ^ Glass, Alana. "Women In Sports To Watch In 2019". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
  32. ^ Gloria Nevarez Named Mountain West Commissioner Mountain West Conference
  33. ^ Spears, Marc J. (2019-03-20). "Gloria Nevarez is more than just the first Latino commissioner in Division I". Andscape. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gloria_Nevarez&oldid=1294854101"