MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama athletics director Dr. Joel Erdmann has been appointed to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament selection committee.
Erdmann’s term begins Sept. 1, 2012, and runs through Sept. 1, 2016.
Committee’s Role
Members of the committee are chosen by geographic region to provide equal representation across the country. The committee selects and seeds the field for the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament each spring and oversees the College World Series, held annually in Omaha, Neb. It is also responsible for promoting the sport’s national exposure.
Selection Process
Erdmann learned of his appointment this spring, but becoming a member required a lengthy process. He was first nominated through the Sun Belt Conference for a place on the 10-member committee. Along with the nomination, each candidate must submit a justification explaining why he or she is qualified to serve, including any relevant past experience or knowledge of the sport that would benefit the committee.
Previous Experience
Erdmann served on the NCAA Division II Football Committee during the 2006-07 academic year while at the University of North Alabama. He also co-chaired the NCAA Division II Football Southeast Region Advisory Committee during his time at UNA.
Erdmann has prior ties to South Alabama athletics. He was an assistant coach at USA in 1996-97, and before that was a graduate assistant with the Jaguars in 1992.
Erdmann on the Appointment
“I’m very humbled and honored to be nominated and selected to be on the committee,” Erdmann said. “I think part of the benefit is to try and make sure the game itself is healthy and the championships are healthy and good.”
He added that serving brings benefits to the school and the league. “Any time a person can represent a university and a conference, that’s also a benefit and has some intangible benefits to it,” Erdmann said. “I’m looking forward to serving on the committee. I think it will be a great experience. It’ll be a bit of work and a lot of time, but it’ll be well worth it.”
