In this 2017 file photo, Bradley athletics director Chris Reynolds listens as students and city leaders gather for an inspirational celebration of Black History Month at the City Link Terminal.
PEORIA — Chris Reynolds is getting ready to exit the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee stage.
The Bradley University vice-president for intercollegiate athletics has held a commanding presence as one of the most powerful voices in college basketball for the last five years. Yet his term on the NCAA Div.-I Men’s Basketball Committee — both as chairman and committee member — comes to an end on Thursday.
The former Peoria High School basketball star (and a man who played at Indiana under Bobby Knight) spent the final year of his NCAA term as chairman of the basketball committee. As he continues on in his role at Bradley, Reynolds will have a wealth of experiences gained from his NCAA stint.
Background: How Bradley AD Chris Reynolds landed atop the NCAA men’s basketball committee
During his time on the committee, he has seen the NIL era of the game launched; he has been in a 29-day bubble in Indianapolis during the March Madness tournament amid the COVID pandemic; and seen his own Bradley athletics programs thrive in Peoria.
Reynolds, who arrived at Bradley in 2015, took a moment to consider his time on the committee. Here is what he learned, in his own words:
What he learned while on the committee
“Upon my selection to the NCAA Division-I Men’s Basketball Committee, I soon learned that the responsibilities of committee members go well beyond selecting, bracketing, and seeding of the tournament field of 68.
“Setting ticket prices, collaboration with television partners, tournament operations oversight, determining the host cities of future Final Fours, and the selection and evaluation of officials are just some of the tasks under the committee’s purview.”
An education in television and college sports
“Committee work is a 12-month endeavor, and in addition to time spent with committee members and NCAA staff, my experiences with our television partners at CBS Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery were exceptional and transformational.
“Getting a comprehensive understanding of the television side of college athletics was both educational and enlightening.”
More: ‘Battle tested’: How Bradley basketball assembled its 2023-24 nonconference schedule
One word to summarize NCAA Basketball Committee experience
“It’s challenging to put into words how meaningful serving on the committee has been to me both professionally and personally.
“Gratitude is the word that comes to mind as I reflect upon my five years on the committee.”
A parting thought at the end of a basketball journey
“After sitting courtside at the past five Final Fours, and for NCAA regional tournament games in San Francisco, New York City and everywhere else in between, the most important thing I have learned is that there is no place like home.”
Vision, leadership & Bobby Knight: One-on-one with Bradley athletic director Chris Reynolds
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 4 takeaways from Bradley’s Chris Reynolds as his term expires on NCAA basketball committee
