Canzano: College athletic directors sound off
ADs talk candidly about new challenges, pressures, social media, NIL, and 'big-boy' coaches
I spoke with more than a dozen athletic directors from seven different college conferences in recent weeks, including ones who currently work in the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12 and Big 12. I peppered the ADs with questions about their typical day and outlook on the industry.
What does an athletic director do in 2024? How has the job changed? What doesn’t the public know? Social media pressures? NIL collectives? And what’s the impact of a good or lousy university president?
I asked.
They answered, candidly.
What took shape was a picture of an increasingly complex job. One that has undergone dramatic changes in the last 36 months. The duty of an athletic director now has less to do with showing up at athletic competitions or practices than it does with visiting with lawyers, managing agents, babysitting football coaches, and navigating the outcry from fans on social media.
As one athletic director told me: “We can’t make a decision without getting sued for making a decision.”
The job of an AD… in their words: