Iowa State rewards athletic director Jamie Pollard for program's success with a 5-year extension
The Cyclones have had unprecedented success in the major sports in 2024-25. The football team had its first 11-win season and the ninth-ranked men's basketball team has been in the top 10 all season and achieved its highest ranking since 1956-57 when it reached No. 3 in December.
Terms of Pollard's contract will be announced later, the school said.
'I am humbled to have had the opportunity to lead our athletics program for the past 20 years,' said Pollard, who thanked the administration for its support. "We have an amazing culture in our athletics program, led by our talented and dedicated coaches and staff. Although our industry is undergoing transformational change, I am confident our department will successfully embrace these challenges with the same energy and urgency that has proven to be successful in the past.'
Pollard, the nation's third-longest serving Power Four athletic director, has overseen $340 million in new construction and facility renovations. Since 2011-12, and excluding the 2020-21 pandemic year, ISU is the only school in the nation to have average attendances over 50,000 in football, 12,000 in men's basketball and 9,000 in women's basketball.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
14 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Jaxson Dart impressing in the preseason has not changed the Giants' plan at quarterback
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — One play into the New York Giants' fourth possession of their second preseason game, Brian Daboll called in Jaxson Dart without warning. 'Serious?' Dart asked, before making a throw that turned into a 30-yard gain and jogging back to the sideline, with Russell Wilson returning. It was all about putting the rookie quarterback in a situation he could face sooner or later in the NFL. 'You don't know what's going to happen,' Daboll said. 'Just be ready to go when your number's called.' Dart passed that test and has made a strong first impression as a pro since the Giants traded back into the first round to draft him as their potential QB of the future. Completing 13 consecutive passes and 14 of 16 total on Saturday night against the Jets should give the organization and its fans plenty of optimism about what is to come, but it has not changed the plan for Wilson to start and Dart to wait in the wings. 'Russ is our starter, and we're going to keep developing Jaxson,' Daboll said. 'We have a plan. ... We just have to keep working with him and understand there's going to be a lot of downs. I know there's some ups right now, but there's going to be a lot of downs and we just got to keep growing and communicating, just keep getting better.' Daboll, who is going into his fourth season coaching the Giants after getting the gig in part because of his work in Buffalo to develop Josh Allen on the path to becoming league MVP, insists there's a roadmap being followed. He is not exactly forthright about what it looks like. In exhibition game No. 2, it included not just one snap but an entire drive for Dart with the first-team offense. Why? 'Because that was part of the plan,' Daboll deadpanned. Whatever the plan is, and whenever Dart gets his first NFL start, the 22-year-old Mississippi product seems to be on board. 'They've done it with so many other quarterbacks. I trust them in the process,' Dart said. 'I have great guys around me, great coaches who have won and done it at the highest level, so I just look forward to learning each and every day.' Wilson echoed the other side, saying he's willing to keep teaching Dart what he has stockpiled from playing more than a decade in the league, including winning the Super Bowl at what is now their home stadium in the Meadowlands. 'I'm never shy about giving information and talking about it,' Wilson, now 36, said after his own impressive preseason game that included an 80-yard pass play to undrafted free agent Beaux Collins. 'I think (Dart has) done a tremendous job. He definitely has worked at it every day. He works at it every day, and he asks the right questions. That's what I enjoy about him.' Daboll appears to enjoy working with Dart, clearly along with general manager Joe Schoen and college scouts seeing enough that they liked to give up assets to use the 25th pick on the 6-foot-2 righty signal-caller. His stance continues to be that the Giants are trying to 'help Jaxson be the best quarterback he can be,' without many details on what that entails. Part of it is tempering expectations. Barring injury, Wilson will lead New York's offense onto the field for the season opener Sept. 7 at Washington and keep that role for some time. The Giants are trying to exercise patience with Dart and play the long game. 'We spent a lot of time with him, have a lot of confidence in the young man,' Daboll said. 'He's done a good job for us since he's been here in every area you could do — off the field, on the field, leadership, moxie, intelligence — but it's early. We've played a couple preseason games against probably some vanilla looks but he's making strides every day and that's all you can ask of any other young player.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
College football season kicks off with thrilling matchups and high stakes
After a long and busy season for college athletics, the football season arrives with a host of tantalizing angles. A look at some of the big games among the top teams, what's at stake and the hurdles that must be cleared on the way to the national championship. When does college football start? A handful of games kick off the season Aug. 23, with the most intriguing a Big 12 matchup between No. 22 Iowa State and No. 17 Kansas State that will take place in Dublin, Ireland. Both teams are considered contenders in their wide-open conference. Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson threw for a school-record 25 touchdowns last season and ran for seven more. Iowa State played in the conference title game last year. The following weekend has some doozies: No. 9 LSU faces No. 4 Clemson, No. 6 Notre Dame visits No. 10 Miami and defending champion No. 3 Ohio State hosts No. 1 Texas. Before the College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams last year, a game like that might have been make or break. Now, teams have second chances and can afford three (maybe four) losses and still get in. Who are the favorites? The AP Top 25 and the coaches poll both list Texas as the preseason No. 1 team and the Longhorns are currently the favorite (plus-450, or 9-2 odds) to win the national championship, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Ohio State is right behind them (plus-525), followed by No. 5 Georgia and No. 2 Penn State (both 7-1) and then Clemson and No. 7 Oregon (both 9-1). Key games to watch Preseason No. 7 Oregon visits No. 2 Penn State on Sept. 27 in a rematch of last season's Big Ten title game. Penn State also has a game against Ohio State on Nov. 1. .... Speaking of the Buckeyes, the national title helped them get over their fourth straight loss to preseason No. 14 Michigan. That rematch is in its usual spot, Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 29 at the Big House. ... TCU at North Carolina (Bill Belichick's coaching debut) on Sept. 1 ... Oklahoma vs. Texas on Oct. 11 ... USC at No. 6 Notre Dame on Oct. 18 ... LSU at No. 8 Alabama on Nov. 8 ... No. 11 Arizona State at Colorado on Nov. 22. The 12-team playoff The College Football Playoff remains at 12 teams this year with one significant tweak: Unlike last year, conference champions will not be guaranteed a bye in the first round. But the best five conference champions are still guaranteed spots in the tournament. Seeds 5-8 will host first-round games against 9-12 on Dec. 19 (one game) and Dec. 20 (three games). The quarterfinals will be at the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 1, then at the Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. The semifinals will be Jan. 8 at the Fiesta Bowl and Jan. 9 at the Peach Bowl. The title game will take place at Hard Rock Stadium outside of Miami on Jan. 19. Heisman watch Keep in mind that last year's winner, Travis Hunter, didn't show up in the watch list in this very space last year. With that said, the early favorites include quarterbacks Arch Manning (Texas), Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) and Cade Klubnik (Clemson), along with Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith and, for those looking for a longshot, Alabama receiver Ryan Williams. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and The Associated Press
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Japan's Ritsu Dōan shines on Eintracht Frankfurt debut in German Cup
BERLIN (AP) — Japan forward Ritsu Dōan scored twice on his Eintracht Frankfurt debut in a 5-0 win at fifth-tier FV Engers in the first round of the German Cup on Sunday. The underdogs managed to hold Dino Toppmöller's team for most of the first half until Jean-Matteo Bahoya and Dōan scored in quick succession before the break. Dōan scored again after it, and Elye Wahi and Paxten Aaronson both scored late to complete the rout. Dōan joined Frankfurt 10 days ago from Bundesliga rival Freiburg, his arrival compensating for Hugo Ekitiké's sale to Liverpool. Frankfurt was without Mario Götze, who is still working his way back from injury, and goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, who is expected to join Paris FC following its promotion to the top division in France. Frankfurt is expected to sign Michael Zetterer from Werder Bremen as Trapp's replacement. Zetterer cried as he appeared to bid Bremen fans farewell following the team's loss at Arminia Bielefeld on Friday. Frankfurt starts its Bundesliga campaign against Bremen on Aug. 23. ___
