Jonathan Duncan was officially named the NCAA’s vice president of enforcement last month.
Duncan joined the NCAA in March 2013 as the interim vice president of enforcement, after serving the association for 15 years as outside counsel with Spencer Fane Britt & Browne, LLP and Husch Blackwell.
“As interim vice president of enforcement, Jon led the team through a difficult time, and the enforcement team, and national office as a whole, grew and benefited from his service.” said Mark Emmert, NCAA president. “As Jon’s term as interim vice president drew to a close, I knew he was the best person to continue leading our enforcement team.”
Jim Isch, NCAA chief operating officer, added that “over the past year,” he has “watched Jon lead his team with exceptional integrity and poise. His leadership reestablished the confidence of his staff and of the membership. I look forward to his continued success.”
As interim vice president of enforcement, Duncan focused on completing an in-depth review of all department policies and procedures, consulted with the membership about what they envision for the enforcement department and provided staff with new tools, training and other resources to develop investigative skills.
“Our team provides a valuable resource to the membership — satisfying our charge to uphold integrity and fair play by conducting investigations that are fair, accurate, collaborative and timely,” said Duncan.
He elaborated on this membership-first approach recently in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
“We’re professional service providers working for our clients—the colleges and universities in the membership,” he told the paper. “The membership owns the bylaws, and the membership owns the outcomes through the Committee on Infractions. Our charge is that narrow part in the middle between potential violations and presenting the case.”
Duncan certainly had the pedigree for the job.
At Spencer Fane and Husch Blackwell, education and sports were the core of his work. He first represented the NCAA in litigation in 1998. Since then, he has served as a legal advisor for the NCAA and offered legal counsel to NCAA committees, working groups and task forces.
Duncan is a graduate of William Jewell College, now part of Division II, and graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1995, where he was a published member of the Kansas Law Review. After law school, he spent two years working as a law clerk for the Honorable D. Brook Bartlett, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
Experts Like What They See in Duncan
At least two seasoned attorneys believe the NCAA has found the right person for the job.
“Jon’s apparent commitment to the integrity of the enforcement process and his willingness to listen and engage in meaningful discussions, on issues large and small, have been evident to us during his interim status,” Richard Evrard of Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC told Sports Litigation Alert. “We look forward to the continuation of Jon’s leadership of the enforcement staff.”
Meanwhile, Chuck Smrt of The Compliance Group said he has found Duncan to be “a fair person, who listens and considers the positions of the institution and all involved parties.”
