John Sullivan was named Deputy Commissioner and Cheif Operating Officer of the Southland Conference in August of 2022.
Sullivan is engaged in several facets of the conference’s operations, primarily overseeing the Southland’s long-standing partnerships with ESPN and Van Wagner and serving as the conference’s liaison to the athletic directors. He oversees the sport management of football, including a lead role in the conference’s host responsibilities for the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game and men’s basketball programs, as well as men’s golf.
Sullivan joins the Southland after spending 12 years at the Mountain West. At the Mountain West, Sullivan began his career as a Championship Coordinator in 2010, then was promoted to Assistant Commissioner for Championships in 2015 and Associate Commissioner in 2018.
After winning All-America honors as a placekicker in his senior season at the University of New Mexico (which he played after a relatively short, non-surgical rehabilitation from a massive knee injury), Sullivan completed a master’s degree in sports management at Fresno State. After two months of an internship at the Mountain West, he was offered a full-time role that led to 12 years of service in the league’s Colorado Springs headquarters. Along the way, he earned a reputation as an innovator with a relentless focus on the student-athlete experience.