Jernstedt was inducted into the Basketball HOF in '17 as a contributorGETTY IMAGES
TOM JERNSTEDT, a member of the Basketball HOF for his contributions to college basketball and the NCAA Tournament, died at 75, according to the AP. He has "widely been credited with transforming the NCAA Tournament into the billion-dollar March Madness it has become today." NCAA Senior VP/Basketball DAN GAVITT in a statement said, "Tom Jernstedt’s fingertips remain visible during March Madness and the Final Four. His innovation and superb ability to develop relationships turned a basketball tournament into a three-week phenomenon that became a global event." Jernstedt worked his first Final Four in '73 and "helped push the growth of the NCAA Tournament." He left the NCAA in '11, and went on to serve as president of USA Basketball from '01-04, as a member of the CFP Selection committee from '14-18 and was inducted into the Basketball HOF as a contributor in '17 (AP, 9/6). Jernstedt "helped steer the NCAA Tournament through television contracts, tournament expansion, the shift to domed stadiums, and the selection process" (NBA.com, 9/6). In Indianapolis, Matthew VanTryon wrote, "College basketball doesn’t look like it does today without Tom Jernstedt." Gavitt said, "He was just an unflappable, principled leader that people trusted" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 9/7). Jernstedt was a member of SBJ's "Champions" class in '15.
