(Ames, IA) — Jamie Pollard, the longest-serving athletics director in Iowa State history, announced Friday that he plans to retire after more than two decades leading the Cyclones’ athletic department.
Pollard, who has directed Iowa State athletics since 2005, said he will step down effective June 30, 2027, or once a successor is hired. The nation’s longest-tenured active Power 4 athletics director said he and his wife, Ellen, are ready to begin the next chapter of their lives while they are still healthy enough to enjoy retirement.
During Pollard’s 22-year tenure, Iowa State experienced unprecedented success both on the field and in the classroom. Cyclone teams captured 24 Big 12 championships across eight sports, earned bowl berths 11 times, including a victory in the 2021 Fiesta Bowl, and qualified for 12 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournaments and 17 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournaments. Iowa State also produced 24 NCAA individual national champions and achieved program-best finishes in nine sports.
Academically, Iowa State student-athletes reached record levels under Pollard’s leadership. The university posted a school-record 95 percent Graduation Success Rate for the 11th consecutive year and a record 992 multi-year Academic Progress Rate during the 2025-26 academic year.
Off the field, Pollard oversaw a dramatic transformation of Iowa State’s athletic facilities and finances. More than $400 million was invested in new construction and renovations, including the $98 million Stark Performance Center, while annual athletics fundraising increased from just over $9 million before his arrival to a record $53 million during the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Among Pollard’s most ambitious projects is CyTown, the mixed-use entertainment district being developed between Jack Trice Stadium and the Iowa State Center. The project is designed to provide year-round entertainment and economic benefits for both the university and the Ames community.
Iowa State President David Cook praised Pollard’s leadership, saying his vision created the most sustained period of academic and athletic excellence in school history and established a culture that will benefit the university for years to come.
Pollard also earned national recognition throughout his career, receiving NACDA’s Football Bowl Subdivision Athletics Director of the Year award in 2019 and 2023. He served on several national committees, including the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee, and is the only person to have served as president of NACDA, the Division I Athletics Directors Association and the College Athletics Business Managers Association.
A certified public accountant by trade, Pollard previously held administrative positions at Wisconsin, Maryland and Saint Louis before coming to Iowa State.
President Cook said Iowa State will begin a national search for Pollard’s successor following listening sessions with stakeholders across the athletics department. Additional details about the search process are expected to be announced at a later date.
