Corey Borchardt became the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference’s (UMAC) first full-time commissioner in July of 2008. A former UMAC student-athlete and the league’s first sports information director, Borchardt ushered the UMAC into a new era in its conference history in securing Division III membership with the NCAA. Since beginning his leadership term with the UMAC, Borchardt oversaw the creation and implementation of four strategic plans, enabled the conference to secure 501(c)(3) status with the federal government, created UMAC operating policies and procedures surrounding NCAA rules interpretations requests and NCAA violation reports as well as hardship waiver requests, developed job descriptions and evaluative process for all UMAC coordinators of officials, initiated online film exchange and data analytics for six sports, secured conference ball agreements for all applicable conference sports, and obtained significant external funding through various grant opportunities.
Under his leadership, the UMAC has added two new full member institutions and eight associate member institutions, added six conference-sponsored sports and championships, and secured Automatic Qualification ("AQs") berths to the NCAA Division III Championship in five additional sports.
Borchardt works alongside the UMAC presidents and athletics directors to advance the mission of the conference while enhancing the student-athlete experience. As the league’s chief administrative officer, he directs the day-to-day administration of the conference office, including developing sports schedules, ensuring compliance with NCAA and UMAC bylaws, developing conference championships, continuing strategic planning efforts, providing oversight of assignment and evaluation of officiating, and managing the conference budget. Borchardt serves as the primary liaison between the NCAA and UMAC institutions in regards to compliance and eligibility while overseeing the league’s public relations, marketing and sports information efforts.
In addition to his role as UMAC Commissioner, Borchardt has been involved at the national level serving on several committees. He is the Vice President of the Division III Commissioners Association (starting July 2025) and serves on the Division III Commissioners Assocation Executive Committee. With his DIIICA appointment, he will also serve on the NCAA Convention Planning Committee.
Borchardt served as a member of the NCAA Division III Membership Committee from January 2021 to January 2025, serving as the Chair of the committee for the final two years (2023-2025). He also recently concluded a four-year term on the National Association for Division III Athletics Administrators (NADIIIAA) Executive Committee. He was previously a member of the NCAA Division III Championships Committee and served as chair for two years, and was also a member of the NCAA Division III Strategic Planning & Finance Committee. Borchardt completed four-year terms on the NCAA Division III national Baseball Committee and the NCAA Division III Women’s and Ethnic Minority Internship Grant Selection Committee, which he chaired in the final year of committee service. A member of the Division III Commissioners Association, Borchardt was appointed to a two-year term on the association’s Executive Committee and also chaired the Division III Commissioners Association Diversity and Well-Being Committee for nearly three academic years.
Prior to his current position, Borchardt operated as the Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Information at the University of Northwestern (Minn.), a member institution of the UMAC, from 2003 to 2007. Remaining at Northwestern after his time in sports information, Borchardt directed the Office of College Communications with the implementation of public relations and marketing strategies, followed by his role as the Assistant Campaign Director for Northwestern’s $33 million "Envision Excellence" capital campaign. While at Northwestern, Borchardt served as a member of the institution’s Administrative Council, an advisory group for the President’s Cabinet. Early career experiences for Borchardt included time with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Wisconsin TimberRattlers, a minor-league affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.
In addition to his undergraduate degree from Northwestern, Borchardt attained his Masters degree in Athletic Administration and Sports Management from the University of St. Thomas (Minn.).
Borchardt resides in Blaine, Minnesota, with his wife Lexi, and their three children Parker (19 years old), Gavin (16 years old), and Mya (14 years old).
Learn more about Commissioner Borchardt:
UMAC 10-Year Service Award |
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UMAC "10-Year Celebration" Commissioner Challenge |
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