When Dr. Greg Feris took over as the Director of Athletics at Wayland Baptist in 1990, the six intercollegiate athletic teams were competing as independent members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).  At the time of his induction in 2009, nearly 20 years later, Dr. Feris had initiated and administered the move of the athletic programs from independent status to membership in the Sooner Athletic Conference and established five new varsity programs in volleyball, baseball, men’s and women’s golf, and women’s soccer, with the addition of men’s soccer only months away. 

Under Dr. Feris’ leadership, the university had the privilege of hosting several Sooner Athletic Conference and NAIA Region VI events, had been recognized as one of the top 40 programs in the annual National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Director’s Cup competition on three occasions, and made it into the top 25 following the 2007-08 school year.

The revision of the athletic tutorial/academic support system by Dr. Feris resulted in improved retention and graduation rates.  Since 1990, almost 100 Wayland student-athletes had been named NAIA Scholar Athletes, three had received NACDA Director’s Cup Post Graduate Scholarships, and two had received the NAIA Leroy Walker National Award for Character and Sportsmanship, the highest single honor a student-athlete can receive from the NAIA. 

Dr. Feris also initiated the university’s Champions of Character program, a national program sponsored by the NAIA for student-athletes and coaches emphasizing integrity, respect, responsibility, servant leadership and sportsmanship.  Wayland was selected by the NAIA as a “Champions of Character” campus in each of the first six years of the selection process.

The Wayland Athletic Hall of Honor, an event established in 1991 recognizing former outstanding athletes, coaches and athletic boosters, was Dr. Feris’ brainchild, as was the implementation of TEAM WAYLAND, an organization composed of the university’s athletes that assists with various campus and community projects and lends support to the overall athletic program.

A member of the NAIA Hall of Fame since 2007, Dr. Feris was named the 2000 and 2004 NACDA/Continental Airlines West Region Athletics Director of the Year.  He was also voted by his peers as the 1997-98 NAIA Athletics Administrator of the Year and received the NAIA Award of Merit in 1996-97.