Thomas Walter Jernstedt (November 24, 1944 – September 6, 2020) was an American basketball administrator, working for the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

from 1972 until 2010. He was enshrined into the

National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Kansas City, Missouri, is a hall of fame and museum dedicated to men's college basketball. The museum is an integral portion of the College Basketball Experience created by the National ...

as a contributor in 2010 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. Jernstedt died in

Tequesta, Florida Tequesta is an incorporated village in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,158 at the 2020 Census. It is the northernmost municipality in the South Florida- Miami metropolitan area, which in 2010 had a total population ...

Early life and education

Jernstedt was born in

McMinnville, Oregon McMinnville is the county seat of and largest city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. The city is named after McMinnville, Tennessee. As of the 2019 census, the city had a population estimate of 34,743. McMinnville is at the confluence of ...

and raised in

Carlton, Oregon Carlton is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,135 as of the 2020 Census. History The origin of Carlton's name is disputed. An ex-county commissioner claims that the name was derived from Wilson Carl, whereas ...

and was a three-sport athlete at

Yamhill Carlton High School Yamhill Carlton High School is a public high school in the northwest United States, located in Yamhill, Oregon, southwest of Portland. The school was built in the 1930s and was to cost $65,000, with the Public Works Administration providing $ ...

.Tom Jernstedt, longtime boss of the NCAA Tournament, steps down
/ref> He received his

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

and

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast t ...

degrees from the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

in 1967 and 1973, respectively. He was a football student-athlete while at Oregon, playing quarterback from 1964 to 1966 before injuries derailed his career. He was named senior class president in 1966. After graduation, Jernstedt spent two years in private business and then joined the athletic department at his alma mater, where he served in administrative positions between 1969 and 1972.

Career

NCAA

The NCAA hired Jernstedt in 1972 as a director of events. He is credited with guiding the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship to what it is today. Jernstedt oversaw his first Final Four in March 1973. He was promoted to assistant executive director in 1974. He held a number of senior-level management positions over the next 29 years, culminating in his appointment in 2003 as executive vice president. Jernstedt's duties included everything from managing events and overseeing branding to negotiating TV and corporate-sponsorship contracts. Jernstedt was let go after new NCAA President Mark Emmert took over in 2011. In 2013, Jernstedt was selected to be a member of the first-ever College Football Playoff selection committee

USA basketball

Jernstedt first became associated with USA Basketball in 1975, serving as a member of its Council. Jernstedt was vice president for men from 1976-1980 and served another stint as vice president for men from 1992-1996. He was USA Basketball's vice president from 1997-2000 and was the organization's president from 2001-04. Under Jernstedt's tenure, the men's basketball team had disappointing results with a sixth-place finish in the 2002 FIBA World Championship and a bronze finish at the 2004 Olympics, leading to changes in how the team was selected.

Awards and honors

*2001

John Bunn Award The John Bunn Award—in full, the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award—is an annual basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete wit ...

, the highest honor given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame *2009 USA Basketball's Edward S. Steitz Award

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jernstedt, Tom 1944 births 2020 deaths Oregon Ducks football players National Collegiate Athletic Association people National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees People from Carlton, Oregon Players of American football from Oregon Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees College Football Playoff Selection Committee members