Overview
- Iowa State announced Friday that Jamie Pollard will step down as director of athletics effective June 30, 2027 or earlier if a successor is hired.
- Pollard, who has led ISU athletics for 22 years, said he chose the timing so he and his wife can begin retirement while they are healthy.
- During his tenure the department won 24 Big 12 team titles, raised annual fundraising from about $9 million before his arrival to $53 million in 2025-26, and oversaw more than $400 million in campus facility investments.
- The university said it will hold listening sessions with representative stakeholders first and then launch a national search to fill the AD post.
- Leaders noted Pollard’s two NACDA AD of the Year honors and long tenure as central to a period of program growth, and they said the next AD will face strategic questions about facilities, finances and competitive positioning.