Brad Alford serves as Commissioner-Elect of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA). He was selected by the NCHSAA Board of Directors in July 2026 to become the Association’s next Commissioner following the announced retirement of Commissioner Que Tucker. Alford joined the Association on August 24, 2026, to work alongside Commissioner Tucker during a planned leadership transition before assuming the role of Commissioner on October 1, 2026.
Alford returns to the NCHSAA after serving as Director of the Office of Athletics for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, where he served as the State Superintendent’s designee for interscholastic athletics and represented the Department on the NCHSAA Board of Directors. Before joining the Department, he served the NCHSAA for nearly 15 years in progressively responsible leadership roles, culminating as Assistant Commissioner for Sports, Championships, and Compliance.
Throughout his career, Alford has provided leadership in governance, championships, compliance, strategic planning, policy development, communications, and organizational operations. He helped lead many of the Association’s most significant initiatives, including the expansion from four to eight classifications, implementation of North Carolina’s Name, Image, and Likeness policy, modernization of championship administration, advancement of student-athlete health and safety initiatives, and expansion of participation opportunities across multiple sports.
Upon becoming Commissioner, Alford will serve as a voting member of the NCHSAA Board of Directors and as a member of the Association’s executive leadership team alongside the President, Vice President, and Past President. He will also represent North Carolina on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National Council, the Federation’s legislative and policy-making body, where he will participate in national governance, constitutional amendments, and the election of the NFHS Board of Directors. In addition, he will serve on the Boards of Directors of the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association and the North Carolina Coaches Association.
Alford has contributed to education-based athletics at the national level through service on the NFHS Swimming & Diving Rules Committee, Soccer Rules Committee, and Records Committee. He also served as host liaison for the 2024 NFHS Section 3 Meeting in Cherokee, NC. He is a Certified Master Athletic Administrator (CMAA), the highest professional certification awarded by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, a Certified Leadership Training Institute Instructor, and holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Elon University’s ElonNEXT program.
Alford earned a Master of Science in Exercise and Sports Science (Sport Management) from East Carolina University and bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration (Business Management) and Recreation & Leisure Studies (Sports Management) from Mount Olive College.
Alford believes education-based athletics is one of the most powerful extensions of the classroom, providing students with opportunities to develop leadership, character, teamwork, resilience, and lifelong skills. As Commissioner-Elect, he is committed to listening, learning, and building relationships with the Association’s member schools and stakeholders while working alongside Commissioner Tucker to ensure a seamless leadership transition. As Commissioner, he looks forward to partnering with the Board of Directors, member schools, administrators, coaches, officials, students, parents, and community partners to strengthen education-based athletics across North Carolina and ensure every student-athlete has the opportunity to learn, compete, grow, and succeed.
Alford and his wife, Tina, live in Granville County with their two daughters, Reese and Harper.
