SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Summit League Commissioner Josh Fenton announced Tuesday the hiring of Jessie Carmack as the League's next Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer.

Carmack joins The Summit League from the NCAA national office, where she has served as Assistant Director of Women's Basketball since 2023. In that role, she directed administration of the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), overseeing tournament operations, the selection committee, championship execution and cross-functional stakeholder coordination.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jessie Carmack to the Summit League as our next Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer. Jessie is an emerging sports executive with a thoughtful and collaborative approach to leadership and creativity that will add tremendous value to our existing team and member schools. We are excited for the impact she will have as we continue to advance experiences and opportunities for Summit League student-athletes and member institutions,” Summit League Commissioner Josh Fenton said. 

Carmack brings more than 13 years of experience across the NCAA national office, Division I and Division II athletics, conference governance, championship administration and collegiate coaching. Prior to joining the NCAA, she served as Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations and Senior Woman Administrator at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee, while concurrently serving as the school's head women's basketball coach.

“I am thrilled to join The Summit League and grateful for the opportunity to serve our member institutions. Working alongside our membership, there is an incredible opportunity to continue to elevate the conference, create meaningful opportunities, and build on the impact we have on our student-athletes. The strength of The Summit League comes from its people, and I am excited to join such a strong organization and contribute to its continued growth and success. I look forward to all that we can accomplish together,” said Summit League Deputy Commissioner and COO Jessie Carmack.

At Christian Brothers, Carmack directed internal athletics operations, including business operations, event management, vendor relationships, financial reconciliations and departmental logistics. She also served as sport administrator for softball, men's tennis, women's tennis and volleyball and represented the institution on the Gulf South Conference Media Rights Committee. As head women's basketball coach, she oversaw all aspects of the NCAA Division II program, including recruiting, budgeting, scheduling, fundraising, compliance and student-athlete development.

Carmack previously spent seven seasons as an assistant women's basketball coach at Ohio Dominican University, where she contributed to recruiting, player development, scouting, game preparation, scheduling and daily operations. She also supported the planning and execution of the 2017 and 2019 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Elite Eight.

In her new role, Carmack will support and work closely with Fenton to advance League strategic priorities across student-athlete success, revenue growth, brand development and membership service. She will support and manage the Summit League Leadership Team, serve as the League Sport Administrator for men's and women's basketball and serve as the League liaison to the Joint Council.

Carmack earned a bachelor's degree in sport business from Northern Kentucky University and a Master of Business Administration from Ohio Dominican University. She also holds an executive certificate in sport management from the University of Nevada, Reno. 

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