Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart will conclude his stint on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee by serving as chairman for the 2020-21 season, it was announced Friday.

Barnhart, who was selected by Sports Business Journal as Athletic Director of The Year earlier this spring, will serve as vice chair this season.

“Being asked to serve in this role by my wonderful colleagues on this committee is one of the highest honors I’ve ever received,” Barnhart said in a statement released by UK.

“The 10 of us carry a huge responsibility, not just with the selection, seeding, and bracketing of teams each year, which draws the greatest amount of attention, but also as a group charged with working with other constituents to manage the health of the sport of college basketball. It’s an incredible challenge and one we will continue to take very seriously.”

Barnhart is the third athletics director from UK to serve as chairman, following Bernie Shively and C.M. Newton.

The longest-tenured AD in the SEC, Barnhart is entering his 18th season at Kentucky. The program has posted its six best finishes in the Directors' Cup standings in the last seven years, including a school-record 10th-place finish in 2016-17.