INDIANAPOLIS – Faculty Athletics Representative Dr. Bennett Cherry of Cal State San Marcos was appointed to a one-year term as the NCAA Division II Management Council chair by the Division II Executive Board, the NCAA announced this week.
 
Cherry will begin his role as the Management Council chair after the conclusion of the 2026 NCAA Convention in January.

"It's been an honor to represent CSUSM Athletics and the CCAA on the Management Council for the past three years," Cherry said. "The topics we discuss span a wide range of issues affecting college athletics and the hundreds of thousands of current NCAA student-athletes.  We can't lose sight of the student-athletes who are at the heart of all our deliberations, and it's from that lens that we seek to make decisions that benefit them and ensure a positive overall student-athlete experience going forward."
 
The Management Council is charged with recommending administrative policy and regulations that govern the division. The council also adopts noncontroversial and intent-based amendments, administrative bylaws and regulations to govern Division II. Additionally, the council is authorized to sponsor legislative proposals for a vote at the annual NCAA Convention; take final action on matters delegated to it by the Executive Board; and review and act on the recommendations of the Division II committee structure and the recommendations of committees with Association-wide functions.

"We are so excited for Ben to serve in this leadership role and represent CSUSM and our conference on a national level," CSUSM Director of Athletics Morod Shah said. "In his role as our Faculty Athletics Representative at CSUSM, Ben is thoughtful, intentional and tremendously supportive of our student-athletes. I have no doubt that Ben will continue to keep the student-athlete at the center of how he leads the Management Council. We are very fortunate and proud to have him as a part of our Cougar Family."
 
In addition to his role with the NCAA Management Council, Cherry is also a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Executive Council and serves on the conference's Strategic Planning Committee. Cherry is also a member of the CSU Ad Hoc Intercollegiate Athletics Task Force.

"The political and legal landscape is changing rapidly, and so too is higher education more broadly," Cherry continued. "I know it's the intent of all the dedicated professionals at the NCAA National Office to lead rather than to respond, even in the midst of a shifting landscape. And while I certainly don't have the answers, I have every confidence that the many people involved in decision-making, across the association, are trying their best to make sense of it all.

"I look forward to the work ahead in the coming year, and I am ever so grateful for the support of President Ellen Neufeldt, Vice President Viridiana Diaz, Director of Athletics Morod Shah and all the Cougar Athletics Family."

Cherry has been in his role as CSUSM's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) since his appointment in 2004 and is a professor of Entrepreneurship and Management in the College of Business Administration.