Comment on Big Sky Notes: Fullerton to step down as Big Sky head

Doug Fullerton is taking his fishing pole and going home. Fullerton, the Big Sky Conference commissioner, is retiring. By the end of June, Fullerton will clean out his desk, load up his last piece of BSC apparel — no, that doesn’t include his infamous tan suit that he always wore when visiting Greeley — box up his plaques and trophies and head out into the clean mountain air of Ogden, Utah. Fullerton is the only BSC commissioner the University of Northern Colorado has ever known. He was on board for nearly a decade when the Bears were accepted into one of the most prestigious then-Division I-AA conferences in the nation. It was Fullerton who stressed that UNC needed to upgrade some of its facilities, increase its scholarship fund and prepare to take on competition unlike what the Bears had been used to. Fullerton spent 20 years as the big kahuna for the BSC, adding teams along the way while continuing to improve the big picture for all members. As expected Fullerton stayed true to being politically correct when saying “I have had the privilege to work with an incredible staff as well as committed presidents and talented athletics administrators who have positioned the Conference as one of the most innovative and stable conferences in Division I.” To his critics who felt like he had an affection for Montana State University, where he served as the athletic director for 10 years, I say baloney. Though limited, my dealings with Fullerton were always cordial. He was straight-forward and honest the first time he met with UNC boosters and decision-makers, exposing his concerns about UNC and what his and the conference expectations would be. He enjoyed coming to Greeley, not only because it was new surroundings, but to take the back seat and oversee the work in progress as the Bears feverishly looked for someplace to call home after declaring they were leaving the comforts of Division II, looking for new challenges. Fullerton was always accessible and usually talked in layman’s terms, never trying to hide behind jargon only those with offices on upper floors with private secretaries could understand. I always got a sense he appreciated the media, knowing its role and the importance of exposure. He also appeared fair when assessing officials, especially football and basketball games. Quick to admit when BSC officials were in error, Fullerton took the time to explain what the alternative or correct call should have been. Surely, some at UNC are probably critical of Fullerton, but from where I sit, he was fair and served UNC well. He’s one of the longest serving and most recognized commissioners in Division I. On a national level, Fullerton waved the BSC banner as the president of the Division I Collegiate Commissioners Association and was the first-ever chairman of the Men’s Collegiate Basketball Officiating Association. His memberships in NCAA organizations are long, and he recently completed a six-year term on the Men’s Basketball Committee, which includes a huge involvement in the selection process and the management of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. That’s big medicine. Fullerton wasn’t just a suit. A basketball and baseball player at California Western University, he returned to Montana — he grew up in Hamilton, Mont.Read more on NewsOK.com