Chris May was introduced as Saint Louis University's director of athletics on Jan. 30, 2008. The mission of Saint Louis athletics under May's leadership is to deliver a program of academic and athletic excellence and engage the University community in sharing in the success of Billiken student-athletes. His vision is to fully integrate SLU athletics into the Saint Louis University community through realization of the department's primary goals of educating student-athletes, attaining competitive success and building community. "Chris May possesses a passion and commitment to take our athletic program to national prominence," said University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J. "His strong background in strategic planning and fund raising is essential as we continue to move our program forward." "I am honored to be the director of athletics at an institution that is making the commitment to athletics that SLU is undertaking," May said. "Father Biondi is committed to enhancing intercollegiate athletics at SLU. It is a privilege to work with him as we strive to raise the profile of SLU athletics, win championships and continue the tradition of graduating our student-athletes. I am committed to a teamwork approach to the department, to make sure we are seen as a part of the University team and as team players within the St. Louis community. "With Chaifetz Arena and its new support facilities, SLU has taken a major step in opening a first-class arena that will allow the University to compete on a national level," May added. On the education front, SLU continues to be one of the leading institutions in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Billiken student-athletes posted an aggregate 3.12 grade point average in the 2008-09 academic year, a mark that was bolstered by 46 individuals who achieved a 4.0 GPA. Saint Louis produced five of the A-10's 17 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America, as well as the A-10 Student-Athlete of the Year in three sports and 22 A-10 Academic All-Conference selections. A total of 124 individuals earned a place on the A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll (minimum 3.5 semester GPA) in at least one semester, with 76 Billikens appearing on the list in both semesters. Among the 42 student-athletes awarded a degree by the University in 2009 was women's basketball player Theresa Lisch, the A-10 female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Saint Louis teams also have enjoyed considerable success in the realm of competition during May's brief tenure. An upset of No. 3 Stanford before a program-record crowd of 2,152 propelled the 2008 volleyball team to the most prolific season in program history, a campaign that included the team's first-ever national ranking and NCAA Tournament victory as well as an undefeated slate in A-10 play. The Billikens' success led to their selection by the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association as the nation's top 1-AAA women's volleyball program for 2008-09. The 2008 men's soccer team also reached the NCAA Tournament second round after recording a first-round victory at home, while the Homecoming game against Missouri State drew 5,785 spectators, the second-largest crowd in Robert R. Hermann Stadium history. The 2008-09 men's basketball team tallied an 18-14 record in the inaugural season in Chaifetz Arena, the University's state-of-the-art, on-campus facility. The 10,600-seat Arena hosted three sellout crowds for men's basketball, while the women's basketball team set a program attendance record of 2,018 against Oklahoma. The 2009 baseball team tallied 30 victories, while the men's tennis, women's tennis and women's cross country teams turned in their best-ever A-10 Championship finishes. In track and field, a SLU quartet captured the women's 4x880-yard relay title at the prestigious Kansas Relays, and Brittney Cloudy became the first Billiken to win an A-10 Championship event and participate in an NCAA Regional. Equally as impressive as the academic and athletic accomplishments is the department's strong commitment to community service that coincides with the University's mission. In 2008-09, SLU student-athletes stayed true to the Jesuit tradition by contributing approximately 4,000 service hours to groups and individuals. Under May's guidance, the department of athletics established a Billiken Club fund-raising record in 2008-09 and carried out a successful spectator reseating plan for Chaifetz Arena. May spearheaded the successful negotiation of a three-year agreement with the Bonneville Radio Group to carry Billiken men's basketball on the 100,000-watt 101.1 WXOS-FM/ESPN Radio, dramatically increasing the Bills' broadcast reach in the Greater St. Louis area. May's membership on the A-10's Finance Committee and Men's Basketball Tournament Committee is part of a department-wide involvement, as several SLU staff members hold positions on conference committees. He also was a member of the Athletic Director Committee that participated in the process which culminated in the hiring of A-10 Commissioner Bernadette McGlade. In addition, May is active with the St. Louis Sports Commission and is a member of the Missouri Athletic Club. May came to Saint Louis following more than 22 years of service at the University of Colorado, where he most recently was associate athletic director for external affairs. He was a leader in the "Your Team" campaign for Colorado athletics, which focused on ticket sales, fund raising and image building, and he played a major role in the $46.4 million expansion of CU's football stadium, Folsom Field. Also among May's numerous significant contributions were management of the annual Colorado-Colorado State "Rocky Mountain Showdown" football game in Denver; negotiations with corporate sponsors that culminated in an $18.1 million guaranteed contract with Learfield Sports; management of sport programs that won NCAA national championships; and participation in the management of 18 bowl appearances by the CU football team. In addition, May was co-chair of the development and implementation of a 10-year strategic plan for CU athletics. Among his Big 12 Conference committee assignments was a stint on the league's ad hoc marketing committee, which he once chaired. He also held membership on the Metro Denver Sports Commission. May received a bachelor of business administration degree from Iowa State University, where he was a track and field athlete, in 1985 and an MBA from the University of Colorado in 1988. He and his wife, Joanne, are the parents of Lucy, Jack and Sophia. |
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