With Jamie Pollard set to retire as athletic director by June 2027 after more than two decades at the helm, Iowa State University will need to search for its next AD within the Big 12 Conference. D1.dossiers has compiled a comprehensive intelligence report detailing the financial, structural, and philanthropic realities the next AD will inherit.
University Leadership & Governance: Profiles on President David Cook '92 (in the role since March 2026, arriving from the president post at North Dakota State), his senior leadership team, and the Iowa Board of Regents chaired by Robert Cramer '90.
Big 12 Compensation Benchmarking: Contract comparisons for the Athletic Director plus the head football, men's basketball, and women's basketball coaches against Big 12 Conference peers.
Philanthropic Deep Dive & Facilities: Intelligence on major donors behind the Cyclone Club and Clyde Williams Society - including an anonymous $5 million gift to an endowed AD position, the Reiman Foundation's $25 million south endzone gift, and the Sukup family's naming rights - plus the concluded $1.542 billion "Forever True, For Iowa State" campaign and the $200 million CyTown mixed-use development.
Competitive Performance Diagnostics: A deep dig into the Cyclones' historical win-loss metrics, LEARFIELD Directors' Cup standings (7th in the Big 12 for 2025-26), and football and men's basketball recruiting rankings.
NIL, Big 12 Affiliation & Media: A breakdown of Iowa State's opt-in to the House settlement, the Big 12's $2.28 billion ESPN/FOX media rights deal running through 2030-31, and projected $31.7 million annual Big 12 distributions per school through FY31.
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