Serving behind the scenes in a wide variety of roles to help build Tennessee Tech Athletics, Dr. Thurston Banks worked tirelessly for 31 years including 25 years in the vital position of Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) to the NCAA.

He was at the center of the university’s successful efforts toward compliance and certification, and also served on numerous committees for both the Ohio Valley Conference and the NCAA.

After serving as the Faculty Athletics Representative to the NCAA, Banks stepped down in 2006. He was inducted into the OVC Hall of Fame that same year.

Banks worked with the TTU athletics program for 31 years after his original appointment to the Athletics committee in 1975 by President Arliss Roaden. He officially became the Faculty Athletics Representative in 1981.

Banks oversaw major changes in the structure of college athletics, worked with many different coaches and helped in the development of hundreds of student-athletes. Because of the work by Banks, Tech became one of the most respected athletics programs in the nation for its academic integrity and dedication to compliance issues.

In his position as FAR, Banks was planted squarely in the center of the university’s compliance and certification for athletics, one of many behind the scenes positions he filled for Tech. An associate professor of chemistry beginning in 1972, Banks provided service to athletics in a variety of roles.

During his time on the University staff, Banks not only had critical responsibilities in Tech’s compliance structure, he also was involved in the certification of all initial and transfer student-athletes.

He worked with rules education for the athletics staff and supervised the initial collection and submission of data for the new NCAA APR (Academic Performance Rating) for the TTU athletics department.

He served on the university’s Athletics Committee and Athletics Awards Committee, and off-campus he filled a long list of NCAA national committees and appointments including 10 years as a member of the NCAA Research Committee (1988-1998), with three years as chair. He was on the NCAA Rifle Committee from 1981 to 1988, serving as chair of that national body from 1986 to 1988.

Among his projects, Banks was involved with development of the NCAA graduation rates disclosure form, and the establishment and oversight of the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse. He also served five years (1987 to 1993) on the NCAA Council, which was the primary governing body of college athletics.