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MIAC adds Arturo Casas as Assistant Commissioner

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced that Arturo Casas has been hired as the conference's next Assistant Commissioner.
 
Casas will officially begin in the conference office on August 3, 2026, for a one-year internship made possible by the NCAA Division III Pathways to Excellence Internship Grant. 
 
As part of the position, Casas will participate in a mentorship program with St. Catherine University athletics director Madge Makowske to guide him as he continues his career in athletic administration.
 
A former NCAA Division III student-athlete, Casas graduated with a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Manchester University in 2025 after being a three-year letterwinner and two-year captain on the Spartans' baseball team. A left-handed relief pitcher, Casas was credited with a win and a save in the team's 2025 run through the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Tournament to clinch an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Off the field, Casas was one of NCAA Division III's most engaged student-athlete leaders. He served as the HCAC's representative on the NCAA Division III National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), where he represented D-III student-athletes on issues impacting the Association. He also served on the NCAA Board of Governors Student-Athlete Engagement Committee and the NCAA Division III Championships Committee, where he provided the critical student-athlete perspective in national governance discussions. In addition to committee work, Casas gained valuable hands-on experience as a site manager and production assistant at numerous collegiate championship events, including the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Midwest Regional and Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, as well as the HCAC Baseball Championships at Kokomo Municipal Stadium in Kokomo, Indiana.
 
"Division III has had a huge impact on my life, and I am excited to continue serving student-athletes in a conference that shares my passion for the Division III philosophy and championship experiences," Casas said. "I am incredibly grateful to Commissioner Dan McKane, Associate Commissioner BJ Pickard, and the entire MIAC membership for this opportunity, and look forward to learning from the outstanding professionals within the MIAC while contributing to the conference's continued tradition of excellence."
 
In his new role with the MIAC, Casas will oversee the conference's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and assist with the administration of conference championships, governance initiatives, strategic planning, future scheduling, and other conference operations, while continuing to gain broad experience in Division III conference administration. He joins Commissioner Dan McKane and Associate Commissioner BJ Pickard as the third member of the MIAC office staff.
 
"We are excited to bring Arturo's experience and passion for Division III athletics to the MIAC," McKane said. "He has already established himself as a respected and effective young leader at the national level, and we look forward to helping him further develop as an athletics administrator in the MIAC."
 
Casas is now the 12th MIAC office beneficiary of the NCAA's internship grant program. He succeeds previous MIAC Assistant Commissioner Andrea Palmen, who was hired by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference as its Assistant Commissioner for Operations earlier this summer. Other previous NCAA grant recipients from the MIAC office include Kelly Anderson Diercks, Brittany Feser Heinz, Natalie Arians, Afton Goebel, Megan Gaard Gunderson, Sheridan Blanford, Lindsay Madryga, Emily Carr, Emma Nelson, and Jax Collins.
 
| All-Time MIAC Pathway to Excellence Grant Recipients |