View source for Cedric Dempsey

{{Short description|American sports administrator (1932–2025)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Cedric Dempsey
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1932|4|14}}
| birth_place = [[Equality, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|4|5|1932|4|14}}
| death_place = [[San Diego|San Diego, California]], U.S.
| alma_mater =
| player_sport1 = Football
| player_years2 = c. 1953
| player_team2 = [[Albion Britons football|Albion]]
| player_sport3 = Basketball
| player_years4 = ?–1954
| player_team4 = [[Albion Britons men's basketball|Albion]]
| player_sport5 = Baseball
| player_years6 = ?–1954
| player_team6 = [[Albion Britons baseball|Albion]]
| player_positions =
| coach_sport1 = Basketball
| coach_years2 = 1959–1962
| coach_team2 = [[Albion Britons men's basketball|Albion]]
| coach_years3 = 1963–1965
| coach_team3 = [[Arizona Wildcats men's basketball|Arizona]] (assistant)
| coach_sport4 = Cross country
| coach_years5 = 1959–1962
| coach_team5 = [[Albion Britons|Albion]]
| admin_years1 = 1965–1967
| admin_team1 = [[Arizona Wildcats|Arizona]] (assistant AD)
| admin_years2 = 1967–1979
| admin_team2 = [[Pacific Tigers|Pacific (CA)]]
| admin_years3 = 1979
| admin_team3 = [[San Diego State Aztecs|San Diego State]]
| admin_years4 = 1979–1982
| admin_team4 = [[Houston Cougars|Houston]]
| admin_years5 = 1983–1993
| admin_team5 = [[Arizona Wildcats|Arizona]]
| admin_years6 = 1994–2002
| admin_team6 = [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] (president)
| admin_years7 = 2007–2010
| admin_team7 = [[All American Football League|AAFL]] (commissioner)
| overall_record = 29–35 (basketball)
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}

'''Cedric Warren Dempsey''' (April 14, 1932 – April 5, 2025) was an American sports administrator who became the third executive director of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) from 1994 to 2003.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/05/sports/colleges-ncaa-selects-arizonan-as-director.html|title=N.C.A.A. Selects Arizonan As Director|last=Thomas|first=Robert McG.|date=November 5, 1993|work=New York Times|accessdate=21 October 2011}}</ref> Before leaving the post in 2002, Dempsey restructured the organization, cracked down on gambling in college sports, emphasized financial responsibility, and negotiated major television contracts with [[ESPN]] and [[CBS]].<ref>{{cite news|title=NCAA can be trusted now, thanks to Dempsey|date=January 16, 2002|work=Arizona Daily Star}}</ref>

Dempsey served as the [[athletic director]] at the [[University of the Pacific (United States)|University of the Pacific]] (1967–1979), [[San Diego State University]] (1979), [[University of Houston]] (1979–1982) and the [[University of Arizona]] (1983–1993). Dempsey's tenure at Arizona was noted for raising the university's national prominence in NCAA sports, particularly in basketball, football, softball and golf.<ref>{{cite news|title=NCAA Will Name Dempsey as Director College sports: Arizona athletic director picked to replace Schultz as head of governing body.|last=Robbins|first=Danny|date=November 3, 1993|work=Los Angeles Times|page=C2}}</ref>  He also served as Commissioner of the [[All American Football League]] (2007–2010).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0109125.html | title=Biographical note on Cedric Dempsey | work=infoplease}}</ref>

Dempsey died in [[San Diego|San Diego, California]] on April 5, 2025, at the age of 92.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/cedric-dempsey-former-ncaa-president-led-time-transition-120532524 |title=Cedric Dempsey, the former NCAA president who led in time of transition and growth, dies at 92 |website=ABC News |agency=[[Associated Press]] (AP) |access-date=April 14, 2025}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name| 8038096}}
{{navboxes|list=
{{Albion Britons men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Pacific Tigers athletic director navbox}}
{{San Diego State Aztecs athletic director navbox}}
{{Houston Cougars athletic director navbox}}
{{Arizona Wildcats athletic director navbox}}
{{NCAA executive director navbox}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dempsey, Cedric}}
[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:2025 deaths]]
[[Category:Albion Britons baseball players]]
[[Category:Albion Britons football players]]
[[Category:Albion Britons men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Albion Britons men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Arizona Wildcats athletic directors]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Illinois]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from Illinois]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Illinois]]
[[Category:College cross country coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:Houston Cougars athletic directors]]
[[Category:National Collegiate Athletic Association people]]
[[Category:Pacific Tigers athletic directors]]
[[Category:People from Gallatin County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Illinois]]
[[Category:San Diego State Aztecs athletic directors]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]