The Culture of Sports: WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner

The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) is unique in many ways, all contributing to its being a premier Division III sports conference. A major part is that all eight of its members are located in Wisconsin, leading to fierce interstate clashes. To kick off the “Coffee with the Commissioner” series for CollegeAD, Jonathan Yates from “The Culture of Sports” traveled to Madison, Wisconsin to interview Dr. Gary Karner, the WIAC Commissioner. Karner is in his 23rd year as the WIAC commissioner. Prior to becoming the commissioner of the WIAC, Karner spent nearly eight years with the NCAA national office. During his tenure with the NCAA, he played a key role in the development of the institutional compliance review process as well as the NCAA Division I Athletic Certification Program.