Ursuline College Athletic Director, Cindy McKnight, has been nominated for the NCAA 50^th Anniversary Gold Award. The standing Athletic Director for 23 years, McKnight has been with the institution since 2000.

McKnight guided the Arrows through the transition from NAIA to NCAA DII in 2013-2014, which was initiated under her leadership in 2010. 
 
Cindy McKnight was a driving force behind the creation, development and launch of the Great Midwest as an NCAA Division II athletic conference in 2011. The G-MAC is now one of the NCAA DII powerhouse conferences with 14 member institutionswhich sponsor 26 conference championship sport offerings. 
 
In 2022, Cindy received the Great Midwest Distinguished Founders Awards that acknowledged individuals who have made significant and distinct contributions to the origination and success of the conference. Her exemplary leadership and loyalty to the conference is recognized as a catalyst to the initial and ongoing success of the organization. 

McKnight currently serves as a NCAA Division II Management council member, joining representatives from each of the multi-sport voting conferences to provide recommendations for policies and regulations that govern the division. She also is a member of the NCAA DII Membership Committee, reviewing and considering issues pertaining to the membership requirements and membership compliance issues.
 
Cindy McKnight's persistence and commitment to the student-athlete experience are driving factors every day behind the success of Ursuline College athletics start and continue to push the conference in a promising direction.