| Cedric Dempsey | |
| Birth Date: | 14 April 1932 |
| Birth Place: | Equality, Illinois, U.S. |
| Player Sport1: | Football |
| Player Years2: | c. 1953 |
| Player Team2: | Albion |
| Player Sport3: | Basketball |
| Player Years4: | ?–1954 |
| Player Team4: | Albion |
| Player Sport5: | Baseball |
| Player Years6: | ?–1954 |
| Player Team6: | Albion |
| Coach Sport1: | Basketball |
| Coach Years2: | 1959–1962 |
| Coach Team2: | Albion |
| Coach Years3: | 1963–1965 |
| Coach Team3: | Arizona (assistant) |
| Coach Sport4: | Cross country |
| Coach Years5: | 1959–1962 |
| Coach Team5: | Albion |
| Admin Years1: | 1965–1967 |
| Admin Team1: | Arizona (assistant AD) |
| Admin Years2: | 1967–1979 |
| Admin Team2: | Pacific (CA) |
| Admin Years3: | 1979 |
| Admin Team3: | San Diego State |
| Admin Years4: | 1979–1982 |
| Admin Team4: | Houston |
| Admin Years5: | 1983–1993 |
| Admin Team5: | Arizona |
| Admin Years6: | 1994–2002 |
| Admin Team6: | NCAA (president) |
| Admin Years7: | 2007–2010 |
| Admin Team7: | AAFL (commissioner) |
| Overall Record: | 29–35 (basketball) |
Cedric Warren Dempsey (born April 14, 1932) is a sports administrator who became the third executive director of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from 1994 to 2003.[1] Before leaving the post in 2002, Dempsey restructured the organization, cracked down on gambling in college sports, emphasized financial responsibility and negotiated major television contracts with ESPN and CBS.[2]
Dempsey served as the athletic director at the University of the Pacific (1967–1979), San Diego State University (1979), University of Houston (1979–1982) and the University of Arizona (1983–1993). Dempsey's tenure at Arizona was noted for raising the university's national prominence in NCAA sports, particularly in basketball, football, softball and golf.[3] He also served as Commissioner of the All American Football League (2007–2010).[4]