Newsroom
RMU President Named to NCAA Committee on Sports Wagering, Selected Chair of NCAA Honors Committee
Chris Howard is one of 12 members of the committee charged with studying the implications of legalized sports betting.
![Dr. Howard](/sites/default/files/news/howard_0.png)
"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Ad Hoc Committee on Sports Wagering."
Robert Morris University President Chris Howard has been named to the NCAA Board of Governors Ad Hoc Committee on Sports Wagering and chair of the NCAA Honors Committee.
The new Ad Hoc Committee on Sports Wagering will examine the potential impact of sports wagering on current NCAA rules, educational efforts, player availability reporting, and any associated risks as more states legalize betting on sports. Read more about the committee here.
Other members of the committee include Syracuse University President Kent Syverud; Desiree Reed-Francois, athletics director for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and Gary Berta, athletics director for the University of Iowa. A complete list of members can be found here.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Ad Hoc Committee on Sports Wagering. The widespread legalization of sports betting takes us into unknown territory, and the NCAA is wise to address its implications now,” said Howard.
The NCAA Honors Committee reviews the nominations and selects the recipients for five NCAA awards: the Theodore Roosevelt Award; the Silver Anniversary Awards; Today’s Top 10 Awards; the Inspiration Award; and the Award of Valor. Howard himself is a past recipient of the Silver Anniversary Award, given to distinguished former student-athletes on the 25th anniversary of the end of their intercollegiate athletic eligibility.
“It is a privilege to lead the NCAA Honors Committee and help to recognize the outstanding achievements of student-athletes at all levels,” said Howard.
Howard was an Academic All-American running back at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he won the Campbell Trophy, the highest academic award in the nation presented to a senior college football player. Currently he is a member of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. He is also of the Armed Forces Merit Award, the latter given by the Football Writers Association of America.