In the realm of sports, a place most people deem as a “man’s world,” one woman has entered the sacred territory.

She is the commissioner of the Gateway Conference, and she is the only woman to supervise a man’s sport. She is Patty Viverito.

The NIU graduate has come a long way since her days as a marketing student pursuing a high-ranking position at Procter and Gamble. Never did the 36-year-old Viverito imagine herself as the leader of an athletic conference.

“There was nothing I enjoyed more than marketing,” Viverito said. “My undergraduate degree parlayed with Procter and Gamble. It wasn’t more than a year or two later that I wanted to use my interests in a more social way.”

Viverito wanted to do more than “sell paper products,” so she decided to move on.

After leaving Procter and Gamble, the Chicago native went east, receiving her Master’s Degree from Massachusetts in sports administration. She took her degree west for a three-year stint, one year as an intern and two years as a coordinator, with the Texas Longhorns. Her job included promotions, sports information and fundraising.

“At that time, women’s athletics was just getting under way,” said the member of the Division I women’s basketball committee. “Women’s basketball games were played before the men’s games, and the only way people could see the games were if they were ticket holders. Many ticket holders only went to the men’s games.

“Eventually the events were separated. Now I go back and I see sell-out crowds where I know we (women’s basketball) struggled. We had humble beginnings. I went there for the Final Four, and I sat there like a proud mother.”

The proud mother both on and off the playing field (she has a two-year-old son named Gregory) continued to move onward with her career. She went from promoting college athletics to handling the accounts for a minor-league baseball team—the Tidewater Tides—the Mets’ Triple-A team. It was during this time Viverito heard about a new women’s athletic conference and the need for a commissioner.

At the time, Patty’s husband Frank was director of marketing at Old Dominion and encouraged his wife to look into the job further. Jim Jarrett, athletic director at Old Dominion, was the most vocal for Viverito, pointing out her ability to get along with diverse groups. Viverito’s contact with Donna Lopiano, women’s athletic director at Texas, and AIAW helped her even more.

But, Viverito gives most credit to her husband. If he had not been willing to give up his job at Old Dominion, Patty would not be where she is today.

“He was willing to make the move,” Viverito said. “His job at most parallels mine. I don’t know too many men in this world

who would do that. He is one-in-not-too-many.”

The Gateway Conference is also unusual. In 1982, it began as a nine-sport, 10-school conference for women. Bradley, Drake, Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Southwest Missouri State, Western Illinois and Witchita State all merged together. Volleyball, basketball and softball are three mandatory champion-sports offered while cross country, indoor and outdoor track, swimming and golf can be included at each school.

But, 1985 brought in a change. Six of the schools in Gateway have men’s programs in the Missouri Valley Conference and the other four members have men’s programs in the Association of Mid-Continent Universities (AMCU). MVC sponsored football, but the conference could not meet the needs of every team. Two schools didn’t have a squad, one school belonged to the IA division and three schools belonged to the IAAA division. So, MCV decided to drop its football program.

Since AMCU had four women’s programs in Gateway and three MCV members were looking for a conference in football, “it was decided it would only make sense” that Gateway start a football program with 7 I-AA teams. Has football helped Gateway?

“Yes. First of all with visibility,” Viverito said. “It’s not negative about the volleyball teams, but they didn’t garner the attention. With football, that changed. Also, resources provided us opportunity financially.”

While football has helped the program, has Viverito helped football?

“There is nothing I have heard that has not been good,” said Mark Stillwell, sports information director for Southwest Missouri State. “She is easy to work with, and she is doing a fine job.”

Viverito said being female has not caused any problems between her and coaches. She said she has additional duties but nothing new.

“From day one my interaction (with football coaches) has been a positive one,” Viverito said. “I was fortunate I was known, and they knew my level of abilities. I admit I was apprehensive at the first meeting. I was certainly encouraged by how they treated me.”

Although the conference is “making progress,” Viverito continues to push for ideas.

“Promotions and coverage is like a glass never full for me,” Viverito said. “The day I’m satisfied is the day I’m not doing my job.”