MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Southern States Athletic Conference Board of Presidents unanimously voted to extend the contract of Commissioner Mike Hall through the 2027-28 academic year. 

Hall is in his 13th year as commissioner of the SSAC. He was selected as the 2023-24 Commissioner of the Year by the NAIA Conference Commissioners Association.

Dr. Ben Burnett, William Carey President and SSAC BOP Chair: "I can speak for all the other presidents of our member institutions and say that we are thrilled that Mike has decided to commit to our conference for an extended period of time, and we feel that great times are ahead with the current and future expansion of the conference. His leadership is what has enabled us to grow and his commitment to the future for all our schools gives us the stability we need going forward."

Highlights From His SSAC Tenure

·      Launched Women's Leadership Committee, which features reimbursement of professional development expenses by the SSAC, a virtual conference and an in-person meeting at the league's annual meetings

·      Created a partnership with The Sun Conference to create additional championship opportunities 

·      Added competitive cheer, men's and women's indoor track & field and men's and women's bowling as championship sports

·      Upgraded partnerships with Montgomery and Decatur

·      Significantly increased corporate sponsorship revenue and in-kind gifts

·      Enhanced the championship experience by instituting banquets at SSAC Championships, featuring meals, awards recognition and student-athlete speakers

·      Increased branding and revenue through selling of championship merchandise 

·      Added individual sport Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards to further recognize off-the-field achievements

·      Hired experienced conference staff, including elevating conference sports information director position to senior associate commissioner and adding a business manager

·      Launched SSAC Student Leadership Council

·      Developed a student internship program at SSAC championships

Outside of his duties with the SSAC, Hall serves on the NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament Committee and is the tournament director for the NAIA Women's Golf National Championship. He previously served on the NAIA's Rise Committee, CCA's Sponsorships Subcommittee and spent nine years on the NAIA's National Administrative Council (NAC).

About the SSAC

The SSAC is one of the premier NAIA conferences, founded in 1999, with 12 member institutions across Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. The Montgomery, Ala.-based conference sponsors 20 intercollegiate sports, culminating in 20 neutral-site conference championship events held annually throughout the Southeastern region of the United States.