Higher Ed Athletics

College Athletics is a Decision Sport. Higher Ed Athletics helps aspiring athletic directors get better by interviewing the top administrators in division one college athletics.

Higher Ed Athletics is a sports podcast hosted by Travis Smith, with 55 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Travis Smith hosts Higher Ed Athletics, a sports show with 55 episodes published.

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  Higher Ed Athletics

  Mistakes AD Make + How Executive Assistants Help ADs + UIW AD Search Update

  Aug 13, 20264 min

  Trying something new to bring expert advice to the industry by asking ADs to answer a one question prompt to be shared anonymously by me on the HEA podcast, free newsletter and both The Modern AD and The Mid-Major AD. Links below if you want to participate or share with someone. Mistakes ADs Make : https://higheredathletics.com/mistakes-ads-make/ Executive Assistant Advice for ADs : https://higheredathletics.com/executive-assistant-advice-for-future-ads/ Interested in leading athletics at a Catholic university in San Antonio, TX? The UIW AD search is being coordinated with KC Smurthwaite of Athletics Admin. KC and I regularly talk about the AD industry so I had to share this update with you all. Check out the UIW Athletic Director Search Page : www.UIWAD.com

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  Higher Ed Athletics

  Indiana State President Mike Godard + AD Nathan Christensen

  Aug 12, 202645 min

  I sat down with President Mike Godard and VP/AD Nathan Christensen inside the Hulman Center last week and we covered a lot. These two started within days of each other and, entering year 3, are working to change the energy and brand of Indiana State. These two make me want to come back and work for the Sycamores again. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 0:57 The AD Search During President Search 3:45 Athletic Department Annual Report - Hockey Stick Chart 8:42 Institution Identify Adopted Athletics Identity 13:50 Keeping Basketball Attendance Up Despite Dip In Success 20:35 Thoughts On Importance of FCS in EA Sports Video Game 24:18 Future of Football Stadium at Indiana State 29:55 How Often Athletics Decisions Get to President Godard 33:52 Institutional Alignment 37:20 AD Advice - Trying To Do It All 40:55 President's Opinion On Qualities of a Modern, Mid-Major AD Check out my monthly online magazines where I cover college athletics from the presidential perspective: The Modern AD + Mid-Major AD AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.com PILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/ Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.care Game One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour. Learn more: https://www.game-one.com/

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  Higher Ed Athletics

  TCU Athletic Director Mike Buddie

  Aug 4, 202627 min

  I stopped in to interview Mike Buddie on my recent HEA Road Trip and if you want to see a tour of their facilities watch the YouTube video introduction . Buddie's wisdom is on full display in this interview as he covers practical things like how to get to work by knowing who should be on the list to contact when you get a new AD job. Mike shares his thought process on leaving Army for TCU, who he reached out to for counsel, and how he kept close to the challenges facing ADs outside the academies so that he could speak intelligently and truthfully in an interview. He gives his thoughts on outside industry trends and what traditional administrators like himself can do to stay ahead of the changes to college athletics. Texas is crowded with FBS schools seeking corporate deals and Buddie shares TCU's approach to make Fort Worth and its surrounding communities purple. Mike talks about how ADs care about their former schools and help their successors years after leaving the chair. 0:00 Critical. Urgent. Important. 1:08 Introduction 3:25 Adjusting from One School to the Next 6:40 Aligning with Chancellor Pullin 7:47 Mike's Approach to Donor Briefings and Lists 12:20 Texas is a Busy and Big State for FBS Schools - TCU's Strategy 14:40 Mike's Decision Process for Leaving Army 17:30 How Past Athletic Directors Help their Successors 19:10 Outsiders Coming Into College Athletics AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.com PILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/ Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.care Game One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour. Learn more: https://www.game-one.com/

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  Higher Ed Athletics

  ADs Should Do The All Counties Tour

  Jul 25, 202615 min

  This is a reading from the article I wrote in The Modern AD and will also be included in The Mid-Major AD this week. If you like articles like this and also want to get more information on ADs, presidents and boards of trustees, subscribe to The Modern AD (FBS content) or The Mid-Major AD. You can also purchase issues individually. The Modern AD : https://higheredathletics.com/2026/07/21/the-modern-ad-2/ The Mid-Major AD : https://higheredathletics.com/the-mid-major-ad/

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  Higher Ed Athletics

  Pepperdine Athletic Director Tanner Gardner

  Jul 22, 202645 min

  Pepperdine Athletic Director Tanner Gardner discusses his path from management consulting to college athletics, including leadership roles at Rice before arriving at Pepperdine. He explains how Pepperdine's Christian mission shapes hiring decisions, why cultural fit is essential, and how the university's faith-based identity influences the student-athlete experience. Gardner also shares why he has been intentional about studying and working at places like Stanford, Harvard, Rice and Pepperdine. He offers his perspective on what schools like Pepperdine may look like 10 years from now with the changing college athletics landscape, and discusses whether hiring head coaches will remain one of the athletic director's primary responsibilities. He wraps with great advice on how to stay sharp and connected in a somewhat lonely job, including having mentors and an executive coach who is a former long-time athletic director. 0:00 Introduction1:45 Why Tanner Gardner at Pepperdine Made Sense Two Years Ago8:30 Knowing Your Institution Type Preference (Tanner's is high-level academic private)12:45 How Does Christianity Show Up In The AD Job for tanner?15:25 Have The Industry Challenges and Decisions Tested Your Faith?18:15 Describing a Student Athlete Experience at Pepperdine23:55 What Does College Athletics Look Like at a Pepperdine Type Schools in 10 Years?26:00 Will ADs Always Hire The Head Coaches?30:40 Chief Recommendation Officer to Chief Decision Maker Transition36:20 Advice Line: Avoiding Being Typecasted42:20 Patience for the AD ChairAccess The Modern AD online digital magazine: https://higheredathletics.com/2026/07/21/the-modern-ad-2/ AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.com PILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/ Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.care Game One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour. Learn more: https://www.game-one.com/

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