I hit the road to Dayton to visit with Wright State AD Bob Grant. We hit several topics, beginning with what keeps him excited about WSU after all these years leading his alma mater. The conversation turns to how WSU continues to hit above its weight in a busy D1 state of Ohio. As a self-described “least connected AD,” I asked Grant if the industry noise causes him to lose focus of the day-to-day duties of the job. And at the same time, I ask how do leaders at Non-FB D1 schools like WSU help make sure their voice is heard with the Transformation Committee and other changes (it really can’t). Grant shares his thoughts on the university hiring an outside firm to do an athletic department assessment on whether to stay at D1 or reclassify to D2 or D3. He then discusses in detail the decision to drop and add sports and whether they were concerned about dropping below the D1 minimum sport threshold without yet receiving a waiver. And, no, WSU hasn’t been considering adding Football. I ask what problem needs solved in the next 5-10 year if the industry doesn’t get ahead of it now. Grant ends the conversation with advice for administrators and how to control their stress levels with the job.
- 0:00 Introduction
- 0:10 As an Alum and Long-time AD, What Keeps You Excited About WSU
- 2:25 In a Busy Area of D1 Institutions in Ohio, How Does WSU Continue to Compete?
- 4:50 Does Industry Daily Noise Make it Difficult to Stay Focused On Your Job?
- 7:00 How Do You Help Make Sure Non-FB D1 Schools Have a Voice in NCAA D1 Changes
- 8:17 Talk Us Through Last Year’s Athletic Department Assessment by Outside Consultants
- 13:20 When Does the “We’re a D1 School” Brand Power Ware Off?
- 15:50 Decisions to Add and Drop Sports
- 20:00 Any Consideration to Add Football?
- 23:05 What Problems Will Need Solved in 5-10 Years if We Don’t Solve it Now?
- 29:05 Advice for Administrators Controlling Their Stress Level.
Higher Ed Athletics 