Jay Jones was named the Commissioner of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, beginning July 1, 2019.
Jones previously served as an administrator at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), serving as both the Associate Director of Division III Governance and a Director of Academic and Membership Affairs. His work for the NCAA occurred in two different time frames and included service in many roles, primarily working with Division II and III committees. In between his two tenures with the NCAA, Jones served as the Commissioner of the Division II Sunshine State Conference (Florida) for four years.
Jones’s other work experience includes service as a graduate assistant in the compliance office at the University of South Florida and as director of compliance at Saint Louis University. Jones earned his bachelor's degree in Sport Management from the University of Tennessee where he served as a student employee in the events management area of the athletics department. He obtained his masters of business administration and juris doctor degrees from Stetson University, in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Jones grew up in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Jones also serves as an adjunct professor of Sports Law at IUPUI.