SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – With just one game remaining in the NCAA Division II men's basketball season, Northwest Nazarene University athletic director Rich Sanders is starting to breathe a little easier. As chair of the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championships Committee, it's his job to make sure it all comes together.

The NCAA D.II national championship game, which will air live on CBS at 3 p.m. MT on Saturday afternoon, will feature Findlay University (35-0) against Cal Poly Pomona (25-7) and Sanders will be the one handing out the national championship trophy after the game.

Appointed as chair of the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championships Committee in September, Sanders has been especially busy the last three weeks, administrating the NCAA West Regional in Laie, Hawaii and is now in Springfield, Mass. running the NCAA D.II Elite 8 tournament.

A member of the NCAA West Region Regional Advisory committee (RAC) since 2004-05, Sanders was selected chair of the West Region RAC in 2007, and served as a member of the national men's basketball committee last spring.

As chair of the national committee he is responsible for the national tournament operations, team selections and directing the rating and selection process of eligible teams throughout the season. Sanders will serve as chair for two years and then remain on the committee for three additional years.

“Rich is considered by all of our members to be an outstanding representative of the conference,” commented Richard Hannan, commissioner of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). “While he possesses many attributes, his basketball background, his experience as a member and then chair of the Regional Committee along with his experience as the NCAA representative at several Men's Regional tournaments serve him well.”

Sanders served as the NCAA representative at the 2005, '07 and '08 West Regional Tournaments, directing the regional championships and guiding the selection of officials at each regional.

“His excellent organizational skills and calm demeanor enable him to provide excellent leadership for the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Committee,” Hannan added.

As a member of the national committee, Rich worked with the NCAA at the Elite 8 men's national championships in Springfield last March and returns to lead the effort for the NCAA.

Sanders, who is in his 18th year at NNU, has served as chair of the GNAC management council for the past two years and currently serves on the GNAC management finance committee.