Lynda Wray Black has been named the 2026 NCAA Division I Faculty Athletics Representative of the Year, a recognition that puts a spotlight on her work at the University of Memphis and her role in supporting student-athletes.
Black, Memphis’ Faculty Athletics Representative since August 2015, has been charged with providing oversight and advocacy for the school’s student-athletes while working alongside campus and athletics leadership. She also has been part of President Bill Hardgrave’s President’s Council since 2022.
“In accepting this award, I want to highlight the core values of collegiate athletics - providing a pathway to a college degree and advancing the welfare of student-athletes,” Black said. “I am privileged to serve in this role for the University of Memphis and grateful to FARA, to the NCAA, and especially to the 360 Division I FARs as we collectively champion the best interests of student-athletes.”
The NCAA says a FAR serves as a faculty member at an NCAA member institution and acts as a liaison between the institution and its athletics department, while also representing the school in conference and NCAA matters. That role is central to advocating for student-athletes and helping maintain the right balance between academics and intercollegiate athletics.
Black also leads as president of 1A FAR, the national group for Faculty Athletics Representatives at NCAA Division I FBS institutions. Her NCAA involvement expanded further in 2025, when she was appointed to the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tennis Oversight Committee for a two-year term.
Away from athletics administration, Black has been on the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law faculty since 2010. She holds the Bredesen Professorship of Law and teaches Secured Transactions, Sports Law, Remedies, Nonprofit Organizations and Contracts.
A Memphis native, Black earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Memphis and her law degree from Yale Law School.
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