-- Mark Hollis, who has spent the past seven and a half years as athletics director at Michigan State, has been named vice chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee for the upcoming season and chair of the committee for the 2016-17 academic year. Joe Castiglione, the vice president and director of athletics at Oklahoma, will serve as chair for 2015-16.

“I love college sports. Over the past 35 years, I have been afforded the opportunity to learn and collaborate with a diverse collection of individuals through sports on campus,” Hollis said. “Sharing the passion, integrity and dedication of the men and women serving on the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Committee, I look forward to continuing my commitment to the values of education and student-athletes. College athletics provides amazing opportunities for today’s students and value for our nation’s collective future. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is a platform that allows us to share with the world a small glimpse of those broad educational, leadership, teamwork and athletic opportunities available to 460,000 student-athletes annually.

“It is with great responsibility, humility and appreciation that I serve on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee, and I look forward to working with our committee, 2016 Chairman Joe Castiglione, Dan Gavitt and the rest of the NCAA staff over the upcoming seasons.”

During Hollis’ tenure, Michigan State has appeared in 18 consecutive NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournaments, advancing to seven Final Fours and winning the national championship under coach Tom Izzo in 2000. Hollis has been the mastermind for such notable basketball events as the “BasketBowl,” a game played in 2003 between the Spartans and Kentucky at Ford Field in Detroit, which attracted a then-world record of 78,129 fans. He also orchestrated the first basketball game played on a flight deck of an aircraft carrier, which took place between MSU and the University of North Carolina in 2011.

Future events include a 16-team tournament scheduled for November 2017 and a four-team round-robin tournament in 2018, which will feature Michigan State, Florida, North Carolina and Texas.

“Mark has been an outstanding member of the committee for the past three years, and while he is known for his creativity and innovation, he is also exceptional when it comes to studying the game and doing what is in the best interests of the participating teams,” said Gavitt, the NCAA vice president of men’s basketball. “Mark offers unique perspectives and takes into consideration how every decision made by the committee impacts coaches and student-athletes, as well as our fans and media partners.”

Hollis was a student manager under legendary coach Jud Heathcote while earning his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State in 1985. He earned his master’s degree from Colorado in 1992 and spent time working at Pittsburgh and at the Western Athletic Conference before returning to Michigan State in 1995. He was named athletics director designee in the fall of 2007 before moving into the role Jan. 1, 2008.