Nelson Townsend Led UB’s Transition to Division I
2/19/2021 9:00:00 AM | General
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's soccer team took the field against Colgate on September 6, 1991 for the school's first contest as a Division I athletic program. The transition to Division I was a vision of then UB president William Greiner and he hired Nelson Townsend as the athletic director to see it through.
Townsend was named UB Athletic Director on September 14, 1987. In doing so, becoming the University's first African-American athletic director. His goal was to upgrade UB to a Division I athletic program by the end of the decade. It was a lofty goal because, at the time of his hiring, UB was a Division III program competing in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC).
Townsend named his plan "Run to Division I."
His plan had three major goals. Broaden the athletic, recreation and intramural experience for all UB students; build a program based on academic integrity and social responsibility; involve students, alumni and community at large in all of the program's efforts.
Behind those beliefs, Townsend met his goal of transitioning UB to Division I by the fall of 1991 (football would begin play as a Division I-AA program in 1992). The Bulls would compete as an independent for three years before joining the Mid-Continent Conference in 1994.
After successfully navigating UB to the Division I ranks, Townsend's next goal was to advance the Bulls to a more prominent conference. That objective was met in 1998 when Buffalo joined the Mid-American Conference. Unfortunately, health issues forced Townsend to step down from his post just weeks before the Bulls would participate in their first competition as members of the MAC.
Townsend would remain at UB as associate vice president for student affairs for two more years.
Along with being at the helm of UB Athletics for 12 years, Townsend also served as chairperson of the NCAA Olympic Liaison Committee and was named an active member of the United States Olympic Committee. Buffalo hosted the 1993 World University Games and Townsend was awarded the "Buffalo Achievement Award" for his leadership in those games, which 105 nations competed.
Townsend left UB in 2000 and returned to his alma mater of Maryland-Eastern Shore in an administrative role. It wasn't long before athletics came calling again and he served a two-year stint as UMES's athletic director before another short stint as the AD at Florida A&M.
While Townsend was the first African-American athletic director at the University at Buffalo, he certainly was not the last. In fact, three of the four most recent ADs have been African-American, including Warde Manuel (2005-12), Allen Green (2015-18) and current athletic director Mark Alnutt.
UB athletics continues to be committed to the advancement of diversity and inclusion and has been recognized as one of the nation's leading programs in that area. Buffalo has earned the Mid-American Conference's Diversity and Inclusion Institutional Award each of the last three years.
Townsend passed away in 2015. He'll be remembered as a trailblazer whose hard work and determination helped advance UB Athletics to where it is today.
Townsend was named UB Athletic Director on September 14, 1987. In doing so, becoming the University's first African-American athletic director. His goal was to upgrade UB to a Division I athletic program by the end of the decade. It was a lofty goal because, at the time of his hiring, UB was a Division III program competing in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC).
Townsend named his plan "Run to Division I."
His plan had three major goals. Broaden the athletic, recreation and intramural experience for all UB students; build a program based on academic integrity and social responsibility; involve students, alumni and community at large in all of the program's efforts.
Behind those beliefs, Townsend met his goal of transitioning UB to Division I by the fall of 1991 (football would begin play as a Division I-AA program in 1992). The Bulls would compete as an independent for three years before joining the Mid-Continent Conference in 1994.
After successfully navigating UB to the Division I ranks, Townsend's next goal was to advance the Bulls to a more prominent conference. That objective was met in 1998 when Buffalo joined the Mid-American Conference. Unfortunately, health issues forced Townsend to step down from his post just weeks before the Bulls would participate in their first competition as members of the MAC.
Townsend would remain at UB as associate vice president for student affairs for two more years.
Along with being at the helm of UB Athletics for 12 years, Townsend also served as chairperson of the NCAA Olympic Liaison Committee and was named an active member of the United States Olympic Committee. Buffalo hosted the 1993 World University Games and Townsend was awarded the "Buffalo Achievement Award" for his leadership in those games, which 105 nations competed.
Townsend left UB in 2000 and returned to his alma mater of Maryland-Eastern Shore in an administrative role. It wasn't long before athletics came calling again and he served a two-year stint as UMES's athletic director before another short stint as the AD at Florida A&M.
While Townsend was the first African-American athletic director at the University at Buffalo, he certainly was not the last. In fact, three of the four most recent ADs have been African-American, including Warde Manuel (2005-12), Allen Green (2015-18) and current athletic director Mark Alnutt.
UB athletics continues to be committed to the advancement of diversity and inclusion and has been recognized as one of the nation's leading programs in that area. Buffalo has earned the Mid-American Conference's Diversity and Inclusion Institutional Award each of the last three years.
Townsend passed away in 2015. He'll be remembered as a trailblazer whose hard work and determination helped advance UB Athletics to where it is today.
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