Ohio University Athletic Director Julie Cromer joined the
Higher Ed Athletics podcast for a wide-ranging conversation. Smith
and Cromer start by going inside the head of an AD planning for
sports in the fall and doing so within the framework of the overall
institution’s plan. She reflects on her first year in the AD Chair
in Athens, OH and how the initial 100 day plan quickly shifted into
leading through a pandemic. Cromer expands on how the experiences
early in her career at the NCAA National Office working on major
academic reform has helped shape her focus on evidence-based
decision making as a leader at Indiana, Arkansas and now Ohio.
Cromer ends the conversation with advice for aspiring athletic
directors as they navigate the landscape of college athletics after
COVID-19.
0:48 – What is the communication style and frequency like
between athletic directors and the conference office like for the
MAC during this whole COVID response?
3:43 – With the Big Ten switching to a conference-only football
schedule, some MAC schools will lose a considerably important game
financially. Ohio didn’t have a Big Ten game scheduled this year
anyways. Did that sort of give your budget balancing a sense of
relief?
5:32 – What kind of approaches can athletic departments take right
now to make budget cuts or reduce spending when things are so
incredibly unpredictable? Are there multiple projections being run
with varying scenarios?
8:57 – You’re approaching your one year anniversary since being
announced the AD at Ohio. Looking back on such a strange academic
year, what was your initial plan coming into the job and did you
then have to quickly change your approach in March?
15:42 – What did you learn from experiences at Indiana and Arkansas
that were transferable to the AD job at Ohio University?
21:03 – You spent the first decade of your college athletics career
at the NCAA in Academic and Membership Affairs working on major
academic reform. What was that experience like working inside AMA
during such a critical trajectory change in academic policy for the
NCAA?
26:22 – How, if at all, has your Masters in Policy Analysis helped
you in your career?
28:13 – What type of advice would you give someone that’s an
aspiring athletic director when it comes to a particular in-demand
skill set or certain pathway in a post-COVID college athletics
landscape?
34:18 – Who are some mentors that you credit with helping instill
confidence and ability to get to this point in your career?
About the Podcast
The AthleticDirectorU Podcast features interviews with college athletics executives on a variety of topics including leadership and organizational success.