Ranking in the top-ten of nearly every passing category at West Virginia, quarterback Oliver Luck ended his career with school records of 43 career touchdown passes, 466 completions and 911 pass attempts, and his 5,765 career passing yards currently ranks fourth on the all-time school list. In 1980, he ranked in the top-10 nationally in pass attempts (371), passing touchdowns (19) and total touchdowns (22). A two-time team MVP, Luck led College Football Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen and West Virginia to a 9-3 record and a 26-6 victory over Florida in the Peach Bowl in 1981. A two-time First Team Academic All-American, he made the Dean’s List every year and maintained a 3.96 GPA in German studies.
Luck was selected in the second round (44th overall) of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers and played five seasons with the Oilers. A teammate of College Football Hall of Fame quarterback and NFF Chairman Archie Manning in 1982 and 1983, Luck saw limited action, completing 124-of-217 passes for 1,375 yards and eight touchdowns. He finished his NFL career with 233 completions for 2,544 yards and 13 touchdowns.
After retiring from pro football, Luck received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1987 and accepted a fellowship to study the European Union and its legal system in Germany. Luck is also a long-time member of the American Council on Germany. In 1990, he was the Republican nominee for Congress from West Virginia's Second Congressional District, which included West Virginia University, but was defeated by incumbent Democrat Harley Staggers Jr.
In 1991, Luck became general manager of the Frankfurt Galaxy of the World League of American Football and held the post for two years until the league was suspended. Upon its resumption in 1995, he became general manager of the Rhein Fire and was named league president the following year. Luck held that role until 2000, during which time he oversaw the league's rebranding as NFL Europe, intended to strengthen the connection between the league and the NFL.
In 2001, Luck was named CEO of the Houston Sports Authority and oversaw the operations of the Harris County Houston Sports Authority, the governmental entity created in 1997 to provide the financing, construction and management oversight of Minute Maid Park, NRG Stadium and the Toyota Center. Prior to joining the Sports Authority, Luck was a top-ranking executive with the National Football League for more than ten years, where he served as Vice President of Business Development and President and CEO of NFL Europe.
Luck was appointed by West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin to the West Virginia University Board of Governors in 2008 and he was named the school’s athletics director in 2010. During Luck's tenure, the WVU athletic program made significant improvements including its move from the Big East to the Big 12, the hiring of head football coach Dana Holgorsen and a 12-year multi-media rights deal with IMG worth $86 million. In 2013, Luck was selected to the inaugural College Football Playoff Selection Committee.
In 2014, the NCAA announced that Luck would leave WVU to take a newly created post as executive vice president for regulatory affairs, putting him in charge of all national office regulatory functions, including academics, membership, eligibility and enforcement.
