CLEVELAND – Saint Louis University Director of Athletics Chris May is one of 28 individuals nationwide to be named a 2023-24 Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY) by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
 
Presented to four individuals in each of seven divisions, the ADOY Award highlights the efforts of athletics directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, campuses, and their surrounding communities. SLU is classified in Division I-AAA, NACDA's designation for the group of NCAA Division I non-football institutions.
 
Winners will be recognized in conjunction with the NACDA & Affiliates Convention in June.
 
"I am humbled and honored to be recognized by NACDA for the success our program has enjoyed," May said. "These honors are a direct reflection of the success driven by our program's focus on our strategic objectives and values. A great group of student-athletes, coaches and staff have bought into the culture we believe it takes to succeed at the highest levels. I am also grateful for our supporters in the Billiken community, who have been critical to our success.
 
"I especially would like to thank my family, our athletics staff and our student-athletes, as well as President Pestello and the University leadership, for their unwavering support," May said. "This is an honor I am so very proud to accept on behalf of our entire program, and I firmly believe the future couldn't be brighter for the Billikens."
 
"Chris May is a champion of Billiken student-athletes – ensuring that they are supported in their journey to reach their full potential in competition, in the classroom, as community members, and as leaders," Saint Louis University President Dr. Fred P. Pestello said. "Chris is also a trusted and respected leader of his talented team who, like him, are committed to values of gratitude, integrity, and community. This is a well-deserved honor. We are grateful and proud that Chris is at the helm of athletics at SLU."
 
Now in his 17th year leading the Saint Louis Department of Athletics, May conceived the idea and spearheaded fundraising efforts for the O'Loughlin Family Champions Center, SLU's privately funded, 25,000-square-foot best-in-class facility that opened last October. The O'Loughlin Family Champions Center impacts all 400+ Billiken student-athletes by delivering programming related to academic advising, spiritual development, sports operations, nutrition, wellness, and sports psychology.
 
May leads a Billiken athletics department that enjoyed considerable success in the 2023 calendar year. The women's basketball team won the Atlantic 10 Championship for the first time and made the program's first NCAA Championship appearance; the softball team captured its first conference title, claiming the A-10 regular-season crown; Toby Gillen became the first Billiken to compete in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, qualifying in the 5,000 meters; and the women's soccer team made its deepest advance in the national tournament, reaching the round of 16 after winning the A-10 Championship for a sixth consecutive year and the league's regular-season title for a fifth time in six campaigns.
 
SLU student-athletes also have continued to compile outstanding academic achievements. Last June, 271 Billikens were named to the A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll, and the department's aggregate grade point average for the fall 2023 semester was a robust 3.48.
 
In addition to his role as SLU's athletics director, May has had significant involvement in NCAA governance. Since 2018 he has served on the NCAA Division I Council, a group of high-level administrators and student-athletes tasked with day-to-day decision making within Division I. May also is a member of the Division I Council Coordination Committee and chair of the Division I Student-Athlete Experience Committee.
 
Among the criteria for the ADOY Award are service as an AD for a minimum of five academic years; demonstration of commitment to higher education and student-athletes; continuous teamwork, loyalty and excellence; and the ability to inspire individuals or groups to high levels of accomplishments. Special Divisional Selection Committees composed of current and former directors of athletics, current and former commissioners and other key athletics administrators voted on nominees for the award.
 
For more information on the ADOY Award, click here.