Northwest Missouri State University announced Dr. Robert Boerigter, the school athletic director since 2001, has been selected as the next commissioner of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) by the conference’s Chief Executive Officers Council.
Boerigter will succeed Jim Johnson, who announced his resignation in July to become director of athletics at Pittsburg State University. Boerigter will begin work with the MIAA on Sept. 20.
In a statement released, Boerigter said, “Obviously Northwest is a very, very special place consisting of a special group of student-athletes, special staff and a very passionate alumni and fan base. It has certainly been my privilege to have served as athletics director. You have to be in this position to appreciate the loyalty of the people we deal with every day, and I’m certainly going to miss that.”
One of Boerigter’s accomplishments was helping put together the annual Fall Classic game between the Bearcats and Pittsburg State, which has been held at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City since 2002, which by the way, that first game set an attendance for a Division II football game.
Prior to his time at Northwest, Boerigter worked at Hastings (Neb.) College, where he served 13 years as director of athletics, chair of physical education and professor of physical education. He also held administrative and coaching positions at Adams State in Alamosa, Colo.; Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa; and Whitworth College in Spokane, Wash.
