The Board of Trustees at Montclair State University has named Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber as its 2016 honorary degree recipient.
The distinguished sports executive and influential leader will deliver the keynote address and receive an honorary Doctor of Letters degree at the University’s annual Commencement ceremony, which will be held May 25 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
"Don Garber’s personal and professional accomplishments make him a very worthy candidate for this recognition," said Montclair State University President Susan A. Cole. "Our region has felt the positive economic and societal effects of the advancements made by our Major League Soccer clubs, and Don’s vision has been at the heart of those developments. I am pleased that Montclair State is able to recognize his impact on the fabric of New Jersey with this honor."
Joining Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1999 as commissioner after spending 16 years with the National Football League, Garber has overseen the unprecedented growth of the league in size and popularity in both the United States and Canada.
During his 17 years with MLS, the league has expanded from 10 to 23 teams, added 20 new owners and secured long-term broadcast agreements with ESPN, FOX Sports and Univision. MLS’ global footprint has expanded significantly with matches now televised weekly in more than 140 countries throughout the world. He has also led efforts to develop more than 15 soccer-specific stadiums in the United States and Canada.
Early in his tenure, Garber created MLS WORKS, a league-wide community outreach initiative dedicated to addressing important philanthropic and social issues. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the FC Harlem Youth Soccer Club and is a founding board member of the Hope and Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York.
Local clubs have been a significant part of the league’s rise to prominence; the New York Red Bulls moved to the new state-of-the-art, $200 million Red Bull Arena, a soccer-specific facility in Harrison, N.J., for the 2010 season, and New York State’s first MLS club, New York City FC, began its inaugural campaign during the 2015 season.
In addition to his role as MLS commissioner, Garber serves as the CEO of Soccer United Marketing (SUM), an affiliate of MLS and one of the world’s leading commercial and media soccer companies. Formed in 2002, SUM represents a wide variety of soccer properties, including the United States Soccer Federation, the Mexican Soccer Federation and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).
A longtime resident of Montclair, N.J., Garber has garnered numerous industry awards and recognitions, including a listing among the most influential people in American sports by Time magazine and Bloomberg Business Week, and a ranking for 10 consecutive years (2006-2016) as one of SportsBusiness Journal’s 50 Most Influential People in Sports.
"I am honored to receive this very special recognition from Montclair State University," said Garber. "As a Montclair resident for more than 20 years, I have witnessed the tremendous growth of the University and the positive impact it is having on many young people in New Jersey. I am pleased to accept this honor from an institution that is truly committed to providing life-changing educational opportunities for so many students."
Montclair State’s annual Commencement ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. on May 25. It will take place at the Prudential Center in Newark. For more information, visit montclair.edu/commencement.
