Conference governance features are available when your collective structure is set to Conference (11 to 15 schools) or Conference + Divisions (16 to 54 schools). These tools give the Conference Commissioner authority over conference identity, rules, championship brackets, and the conference-wide calendar.
Setting Up Conference Identity and Branding
1
Open Conference Settings
Navigate to Conference Settings from the main navigation. This is where you configure the public face of your athletic conference.
Screenshot: Conference Settings page
2
Set Conference Name and Tagline
Enter your conference name and tagline. The conference name appears across all shared views including the public schedule, standings pages, and championship brackets.
Screenshot: Conference name and tagline fields
3
Upload Logo and Set Brand Color
Upload a conference logo and select a primary brand color. The logo displays in the header of all conference pages. Branding applies to both the internal dashboard (seen by ADs and admins) and public-facing views (accessible via shared links).
Tip: Consistent branding helps establish the conference as a recognized entity across all participating schools.
Screenshot: Logo upload and color picker
Assigning the Commissioner Role
1
Navigate to Roles
Go to Settings and then Roles. You will see a list of all users in the conference with their current role assignments.
Screenshot: Settings > Roles page
2
Assign the Commissioner Role
Select the user you want to designate as Commissioner and assign the role. The Commissioner retains all Coordinator-level permissions in addition to gaining access to governance tools, championship bracket management, and conference settings.
Note: Only one user can hold the Commissioner role at a time. You can reassign it at any point. If the Commissioner needs to step down, reassign the role before removing their access to ensure continuity.
Screenshot: Commissioner role assignment
Managing Governance Tools and Rules
1
Open Governance Tools
Navigate to Conference and then Governance to access the governance tools. Here you can document and manage the rules that govern competition within the conference.
Screenshot: Conference > Governance page
2
Define Conference Rules
Document eligibility requirements, scheduling policies, sportsmanship guidelines, and any other rules. These serve as a reference accessible to all ADs and admins from the dashboard.
Screenshot: Rules editor
3
Publish and Notify
Save your governance rules. When rules are updated, a notification is sent to all users so they are aware of the changes. This eliminates the need to distribute rule books via email or printed copies.
Tip: Review and update governance rules at the start of each season to ensure all ADs have the latest policies.
Screenshot: Governance rules published notification
Running the Championship Bracket
1
Open Championship Management
Navigate to Conference and then Championship to access bracket management.
Screenshot: Conference > Championship page
2
Generate the Bracket
Click Generate Bracket and select the sport. PressBoxIncite seeds schools automatically using the standings rankings for the selected sport.
Screenshot: Generate Bracket — sport selection
3
Review and Adjust Seedings
Review the auto-generated seedings. You can manually adjust seedings before finalizing the bracket if needed — this is useful for handling tiebreakers or applying conference-specific rules.
Screenshot: Seeding review and adjustment
4
Finalize and Publish
Click Finalize to publish the bracket. It becomes visible to all users in the conference immediately. As championship games are played and results are entered, the bracket updates automatically to advance winners to the next round.
Note: The bracket supports single-elimination format. The final champion is highlighted once the championship game result is entered.
Screenshot: Finalized championship bracket
Managing the Conference Calendar
1
Open the Conference Calendar
Navigate to Conference and then Calendar. This calendar is a superset of the collective schedule that includes all games plus conference-level events like championship games, governance meetings, and deadlines.
Screenshot: Conference calendar view
2
Add Conference Events
Click Add Event to create conference-level events such as championship tournament dates, playoff eligibility deadlines, or governance meetings. Conference events are distinguished from regular games by a different visual indicator on the calendar.
Screenshot: Add conference event form
Conference-Wide Standings View
The conference standings view shows every school in the conference ranked in a single table. This is the default standings view for Conference and Conference + Divisions structures. It shows win-loss-tie records, winning percentages, points for, and points against. The Commissioner uses this view to determine championship seedings and to monitor competitive balance across the conference. If divisions are in use, you can toggle between the full conference view and the division view from the Standings page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a collective upgrade to a conference without losing data?
Yes. Upgrading from Collective to Conference preserves all existing schools, schedules, standings, and collaboration data. The upgrade simply unlocks additional governance features and the Commissioner role.
Can there be multiple Commissioners?
Currently, only one user can hold the Conference Commissioner role at a time. If your conference needs multiple governance leads, the Commissioner can delegate specific tasks to Coordinators while retaining ultimate authority over governance tools and championship brackets.
How are championship seedings determined?
Seedings are generated automatically based on the current standings for the selected sport. The school with the best record receives the top seed. The Commissioner can review and manually adjust seedings before the bracket is finalized.
Can I run championship brackets for multiple sports?
Yes. You can generate a separate championship bracket for each sport in the conference. Navigate to Conference, then Championship, and select the sport to create or view the bracket for that sport.
