WASHINGTON, D.C., — Wednesday, September 25, 2024, LEAD1 Association (“LEAD1”), which represents the athletics directors of the 134 member schools of the Football Bowl Subdivision (“FBS”), announced today it will be renamed FBS Athletics Directors Association. The Association also announced that former LEAD1 Board of Directors Chair and recent Director of Athletics at the University of Pittsburgh, Heather Lyke, has been appointed Acting President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association. The appointment of Lyke comes after Tom McMillen, who has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of LEAD1 since 2015, previously announced that he will be stepping down on September 30, 2024.
Along with the name change and a new President and CEO appointment, the Association will now operate in affiliation with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), and changes will be made to its structure, meetings and membership dues. The Association’s annual meeting will now take place during the NACDA & Affiliates Convention, to be held next year from June 8-11 at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Florida. The FBS Athletics Directors Association is critical to continue building collegiality throughout this profession and bringing together FBS athletics directors to focus on the success of student-athletes and helping one another navigate the future challenges facing the intercollegiate athletics enterprise.
“After gathering feedback for more than a year from our members, it was clear that we needed a new direction for LEAD1 in many ways, and our name change, affiliation with NACDA and the appointment of Heather demonstrates our strong desire to serve our members more effectively,” said Warde Manuel, Chair of the FBS Athletics Directors Association and the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics at the University of Michigan. “I am grateful that Heather has accepted the role of Acting President and CEO, as she brings immediate credibility, broad experiences and demonstrated success as an athletics director to our organization.”
“It is an honor and a privilege to step into this role and to serve an organization that has meant so much to me and so many other athletics directors,” said Lyke. “While I look forward to once again serving on a campus, I will pour my heart and soul into the Association to ensure a smooth transition within the NACDA family. While we are all competitors, the respect I have for my colleagues at our 134 member institutions is deep and the relationships we have formed are genuine. I am humbled by their trust in me to help lead our Association during this transition.”
“This is a transformational moment for our organization and our enterprise as a whole,” said Desiree Reed-Francois, Vice-Chair of the FBS Athletics Directors Association and the Director of Athletics at the University of Arizona. “Heather knows our organization well and has been an influential voice as we have restructured. While I am confident that she will soon return to the seat as an athletics director, I appreciate her willingness to give her time and expertise now during this transitional period.”
“The evolution of LEAD1 to the new FBS Athletics Directors Association and joining the NACDA family comes at a pivotal time in our industry,” said NACDA President Ross Bjork, Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director at The Ohio State University. “The education, connection and resources that will be available to all FBS athletics directors as a result of this transition will make an immediate positive impact within the profession. We can and should continue to advocate for and strengthen college athletics through our positions as thought leaders on our campuses, in the FBS Athletics Directors Association and NACDA.”
For media inquiries, please contact Bart Lambergman (bart@lead1a.com).
About the FBS Athletics Directors Association:
The Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Athletics Directors Association, founded in 1986, represents the athletics directors of the 134 member universities of the FBS, encompassing 42 states, 55,000 student-athletes, and more than 25,000 athletics administrators. Key to the FBS Athletics Directors Association’s mission is to bring together FBS athletics directors to advocate and drive results on key issues that focus on the success of student-athletes and the advancement of college athletics.