The Football Bowl Subdivision (“FBS”) Athletics Directors Association, formerly LEAD1 Association (“LEAD1”), and the Division 1A Athletic Directors Association, founded in 1986, is the professional association that represents the 134 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision athletics directors.
Our History
The LEAD1 Association had its start roughly 40 years ago.
Homer Rice, the former athletics director at North Carolina, Rice and Georgia Tech urged the 1A Directors of the Football Subdivision Schools (FBS) to create their own professional organization as the Division 1A athletics directors were the only NCAA division not to have its own professional organization and the athletics directors wanted a greater voice in the conduct of college sports.
The FBS Athletics Directors Association was founded in 1986 (and formally incorporated in 1988) as the Division 1A Athletic Director’s Association. There were 97 athletics directors in attendance at the first meeting in Chicago in 1986 and Homer Rice was elected the first president of the association. The athletics directors who attended decided that the association would be dedicated to the future success of student-athletes. At present, the FBS ADs Association has 134 athletics directors as members from the schools of the FBS.
Gene Hooks, the former athletics director at Wake Forest University, took over as Executive Director in 1988, lasting until 1997. He incorporated the life skills and wellness program for student-athletes that Dr. Rice had implemented successfully at Georgia Tech University known as CHAMPS. The Homer Rice award was also formalized, which is presented annually to a retired athletics director in recognition of their distinguished career.
From 1997 to 2015, Dutch Baughman served as the Executive Director of Division 1A Athletic Director’s Association. A varsity athlete at Ohio State University in football, wrestling, and lacrosse, he was athletics director at Oregon State University, Virginia Tech, and Furman University. Throughout his career in college sports as an administrator, the constant theme was his concern for the well-being of the student-athlete and concern for all sports programs, not just the high-profile teams. This also marked his tenure at the helm of the Division 1A Athletic Director’s Association.
Tom McMillen, former Congressman, college basketball All-American, Rhodes Scholar, and 11-year NBA player, took over as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Division 1A Athletic Director’s Association, rebranded to LEAD1, in September 2015. The appointment of McMillen represented a new era as the FBS ADs Association headquarters relocated to Washington, D.C., which allowed for greater engagement with national policymakers increasingly engaged on college sports issues.
After eight plus years leading the association, McMillen stepped down on September 30th, 2024, to pursue other opportunities. At its annual meeting in September, 2024, the Association passed a resolution honoring Tom McMillen for his leadership as President and CEO of LEAD1.
One of McMillen’s greatest legacies with LEAD1 was helping athletic directors understand the critical role of Congress and how Washington works. Leveraging his own experience as a former Congressman, McMillen repeatedly emphasized the importance of building relationships with representatives and senators and educating them on college athletics issues.
McMillen also led LEAD1’s efforts on some of the most critical issues facing college athletics today including spearheading NIL advocacy within the NCAA, educating athletic directors on the possible implications of athletes being defined as employees, helping shape key NCAA infractions changes including seven LEAD1 working group recommendations being adopted by the NCAA, introducing governance reforms for FBS football, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and influencing the NCAA’s time management, and academic integrity legislation.
On September 25, 2024, the Association announced its new name, the FBS Athletics Directors Association, with former LEAD1 Board of Directors Chair and recent Director of Athletics at the University of Pittsburgh, Heather Lyke, being appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association. Along with the name change and new President and CEO appointment, the Association now operates in affiliation with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), and changes have been made to its structure, meetings and membership dues.
