Keifer Ackley is a McNeese State blue blood.

Born to a pair of McNeese graduates and having grown up in Sulphur, Ackley had no choice he says but to become a Cowboy.

After graduation he went off to law school at LSU, returning to the area as a lawyer to help families surf through their insurance claims after Hurricane Laura.

However, his feelings for McNeese and athletics never wavered. Now he gets a chance to fulfill both passions in a new and unique role.

Ackley was recently named the school’s assistant athletic director for name, image and likeness and student-athlete development. He is the first to hold such a position in the Southland Conference and one of the few if not only one in all of Football Championship Subdivision.

“This is a dream position,” Ackley said. “This is home to me and McNeese changed my life. The opportunity to come back here I could not pass up.”

Ackley will assume a role that has him at the ground level of the changing world of college athletics and finances. 

“I’m ecstatic to return to my alma mater and join the athletics department during such a pivotal time in collegiate sports,” Ackley said. “As a proud Cowboy, I look forward to contributing to the growth and success of our student-athletes both on and off the field. This is an exciting era in college athletics and I’m honored to help our student-athletes navigate the opportunities that NIL presents. My goal is to empower them to maximize their potential while ensuring they have the support and resources they need to succeed in this new landscape.”

Being at the forefront of the new athletic world was too much for Ackley to pass up.

 “Getting a chance to set the foundation of where we go from here is amazing,” he said. “This is an opportunity to make this our own and set our own direction. You want to be proactive and be prepared wherever this goes.”

Nicknamed McNeese’s NIL czar, Ackley is essentially a go-between, working with the administration and athletes for a better understanding of what NIL means and some of its pros and cons. He will work with both sides and keep all parties up to date regarding changes from the NCAA.

“I want to be able to answer any questions anyone has,” Ackley said. “And I want to have an impact on both the athletic department and on students.”

“Having someone with a law degree, I can’t tell you how big that is for our department,” said McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer. “I’m really excited to add Keifer to our admin staff and in this role. He will be a game-changer for us.

“Keifer is a lawyer who has given up a lucrative career to help advance McNeese and our athletic department.”

A Sulphur native and a 2014 graduate of Sulphur High School, Ackley earned his bachelor’s degree from McNeese in 2018 and LSU Law School in 2021. While at McNeese, he was named homecoming king in the fall of 2017 and Mr. McNeese on the spring court.

Ackley is the youngest member of the McNeese Alumni Association Board.

“Always in the back of my mind I wanted to get back into athletics and McNeese,” Keifler said.

Now he will be able to have a real impact of the future of McNeese athletics.