American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco has announced that Barbara Jacobs, who has worked with the conference since 1995, has been promoted to Associate Commissioner for Women’s Basketball.
Jacobs will oversee all aspects of The American’s women’s basketball operations, including television, scheduling, branding and messaging, and management of the conference championship. She will be the primary liaison between the conference and member institutions in women’s basketball matters.
“I am pleased to name Barbara to this important position,” said Aresco. “She has proven to be a loyal, skillful and passionate advocate for women’s college basketball and has been instrumental in the success of our conference’s women’s basketball programs. She has earned the respect of our coaches, game officials, school administrators and the college community. She will be a valuable member of our senior staff.”
In serving as The American’s Assistant Commissioner for Women’s Basketball Officiating, she has overseen the regular-season game management policies for member schools and was responsible for the recruitment, training, assigning and evaluation of the conference’s game officials. Jacobs also produced the league’s conference schedule.
Jacobs served as the tournament manager for the highly successful inaugural American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship, which was held at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. She served in that capacity for the Big East Championship from 1996-2013.
Jacobs was the Secretary/Rules Editor for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee from 1998-2006 and was the tournament manager for the 2004 NCAA East Regional. She served as President of the CCA Coordinators of Officials from 1999-2001 and 2011-2013.
Jacobs enjoyed a successful career as a basketball coach before moving to athletic administration. She was head coach at Syracuse from 1978-93, helping the Orange to the 1985 Big East title. She was named Big East Coach of the Year in 1988.
Jacobs was the head coach at Hartwick prior to leading the Syracuse program. During her eight-year tenure at Hartwick, she was also the head field hockey coach, head men’s tennis coach, coordinator of women’s athletics and a tenured professor of physical education.
Jacobs was inducted into the Syracuse Orange Plus Hall of Fame in 1990 and to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. She is a charter member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association. She served on the Media Committee and was elected to the Board of Directors on two separate occasions to serve three-year terms.
Jacobs holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse and a master’s degree in education from SUNY Cortland.