Jamie Pollard Retires as Iowa State Athletics Director After 22 Years Leading Cyclones

Jamie Pollard, the longest-tenured athletics director at Iowa State and the nation's longest-serving active Power Four leader in his position, announced his retirement effective June 30, 2027, or upon hiring of his successor. The decision caps a transformative 22-year tenure that reshaped the Cyclones' 18-sport athletics program across both academic and competitive dimensions.

Pollard and his wife Ellen, who relocated to Ames in 2005, cited their desire to transition leadership while both remain healthy and young enough to fully enjoy retirement. In a statement, Pollard noted that the university will have sufficient time to conduct a comprehensive national search beginning in the fall of 2026, ensuring a smooth handoff during a period of significant change in college athletics.

Academic and Competitive Achievements

During Pollard's tenure, Iowa State established multiple academic benchmarks. The program achieved a 95 percent Graduation Success Rate for 2025, matching the previous three years' school record and marking the 11th consecutive year of new records in this metric. The institutional Academic Progress Rate reached 992, also a school record. Iowa State earned 27 all-time academic NCAA Public Recognition Awards across 11 different sports under his leadership.

Competitively, the athletics department accumulated 24 Big 12 team titles across eight sports, won 11 of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series titles (including four of the last five), and crowned 24 NCAA individual champions. Men's basketball reached 12 NCAA tournaments while women's basketball earned 17 tournament berths. The football program played in 11 bowl games, including a Fiesta Bowl victory in 2021. Iowa State also achieved all-time program-best finishes in nine different sports.

Financial Growth and Infrastructure

Pollard's financial stewardship elevated the athletics department significantly. Fundraising increased from just over $9 million in the year before his arrival to $53 million in the 2025-26 academic year. The department invested more than $400 million in new construction and facility upgrades throughout the Ames community, including the planned CyTown district development. His leadership earned recognition from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, which honored him as Football Subdivision Athletics Director of the Year in both 2019 and 2023.