Mid-American Conference

Chryst was introduced as the seventh commissioner in Mid-American Conference history on May 11, 1999, at the Renaissance Hotel in Cleveland, site of the league’s current headquarters. He replaced Jerry Ippoliti, who announced his retirement in January, 1999. Dave Reese served as the MAC’s first commissioner from 1946-64, followed by Bob James (1964-71), Fred Jacoby (1971-82), Jim Lessig (1982-90), Karl Benson (1990-94) and Ippoliti (1994-99).

Chryst has completed a two-year term as President of the CCA and had previously served a two-year term as chair of the I-A Collegiate Commissioners. He additionally serves on the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, the CCA Subcommittee on the Standardization of Instant Replay, as well as a board member of NCAA Football and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. During his time as commissioner, he has also served on the Executive Board of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (2003-05) and the National Football Foundation I-AA Honors Court (2001-04).  He also has served on the NCAA Baseball Issues Committee.

During his tenure at the MAC, Chryst has spearheaded the league’s growth to include a guaranteed three bowl slots; a neutral site basketball tournament at Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland that ensures all 12 men’s and all 12 women’s teams play in a first-class facility; and the league’s football championship game at Ford Field in Detroit. The league has also secured neutral site championships in volleyball, softball, and baseball.

The MAC television growth under Chryst has been unprecedented as this year no less than 19 contests involving a MAC football team will be aired via ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU this season.

Chryst, 47 and a native of Madison, Wisc., came to the MAC from his position of assistant commissioner with the Atlantic Coast Conference. He first entered intercollegiate athletics administration as the assistant sports information director at the Naval Academy (1983-86), before going on to earn a Juris Doctor with Honors from Duke University in 1989. Chryst’s first position in conference administration came with the Southwest Conference in May of 1989. At the SWC, Chryst was under the tutelage of former MAC Commissioner and MAC Hall-of-Fame member Fred Jacoby and worked with current MAC Deputy Commissioner Bob Gennarelli.

Chryst was a student-athlete on the Notre Dame baseball team and in 1983 was honored with the school’s Byron V. Kanaley Award, which has been presented each year since 1927 to the senior monogram athletes who have been most exemplary as both students and athletes. He also earned All-Midwestern Collegiate Conference honors that year. Chryst graduated magna cum laude with a 3.78 GPA from Notre Dame in 1983 with a B.A. in Economics.

Athletics and academics working in tandem are paramount to both Chryst’s belief in the values of intercollegiate athletics and his personal background. His father, George, who passed away in December of 1992, was a long-time high school and college football coach and administrator in Wisconsin. His mother, Pat, is still in Catholic education in Madison. The oldest of five children, Chryst’s brother, Paul, is the offensive coordinator at Wisconsin, and his brother George (Geep) is the tight ends/offensive quality control coach for the Carolina Panthers and has also coached professionally in the NFL with Arizona, Chicago and San Diego. Chryst also has two sisters ? Cathy (Omaha, Neb.) and Mary Ellen (Champaign, Ill.).

Chryst and his wife Laura are parents of a three-year old son George Thomas and 19-year old son Richard, and reside in Lakewood, Ohio.