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Jamie Pollard is stepping down after 22 years as Iowa State’s athletic director, the university announced on Friday, July 10.
The 61-year-old is the longest-tenured athletics director in school history, and he plans to retire from his role on June 30, 2027 – or sooner, if Iowa State hires his replacement before then.
Let’s look back at five of the most memorable moments from his over two-decade-long career leading Cyclone athletics.
If there is one that most Cyclones fans probably agree on, it’s that Iowa State would not be the same without some of the head coaches Pollard hired – like Fred Hoiberg and T.J. Otzelberger for men’s basketball and Matt Campbell for football.
In 2010, Pollard brought on former ISU basketball fan favorite Hoiberg to replace Greg McDermott, who left the Cyclones to take the head coaching position at Creighton. Hoiberg spent five seasons in Ames, leading Iowa State to 20-plus win campaigns and the NCAA Tournament in four of those years.
More: Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard retiring after 22 years
In 2021, Pollard brought back Otzelberger, a former Iowa State assistant, as the men’s basketball head coach. The Cyclones have won 19-or-more games in each of his five seasons in Ames, and ISU has been to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five years.
Pollard hired Campbell ahead of the 2016 season, and he led the Cyclones to eight winning seasons in 10 years, including a first-place finish in the Big 12 in 2020 – Iowa State’s first regular-season first-place finish in over 100 years.
In the year before Pollard arrived in Ames, athletics fundraising hit just over $9 million. During the 2025-26 season, that number was up to $53 million for the academic year – the most ever raised by ISU athletics in one year. He helped secure a $25 million gift from the Reiman Family in 2013, which was the leading donation for Jack Trice Stadium’s south end zone enclosure, increasing the stadium's capacity to 61,500.
He has spearheaded the investment of more than $400 million in new construction and facility renovations that impacted nearly every sport, highlighted by the $90 million Stark Performance Center, which opened in 2021 and houses academic and student services along with a dining and sports nutrition center for student-athletes.
More: Social media reacts to ISU AD Jamie Pollard announcing retirement
Despite referring to people as “flat-out slobs” and citing infrastructural issues when discussing reasons for not selling alcohol during home football and basketball games during a February 2025 student government town hall, Iowa State will sell alcohol at athletic events before Pollard leaves the school
Over a year after those initial comments made headlines, Pollard pivoted and decided to allow alcohol sales at football and basketball games – partially to alleviate Iowa State’s $75 million deficit over the next five years. Pollard announced the decision in a letter to fans shared on June 22.
"Many of our peers have successfully taken this step. We are confident that we can initiate the sale of alcohol throughout our facilities and ensure a positive and safe environment for all of our guests," Pollard said in the letter.
More: Iowa State to begin selling alcohol at football, basketball games
With all the additions and improvements that have happened under Pollard, fan support for Iowa State athletic programs has grown and never wavered over the last decade or so.
Since the 2011-12 season, Iowa State is the nation’s only institution to average at least 50,000 fans at home football games (13-straight seasons), 12,000 fans at home men’s basketball games (15-straight seasons) and 9,000 fans at home women’s basketball games (17-straight seasons) - excluding shortened seasons during the COVID-impacted 2020-21 academic year, according to a release from the school.
Pollard didn’t back down when it came to speaking up for his coaches and teams, even if that sometimes incurred a hefty fine.
During the 2014 football season, following a 37-20 loss to Oklahoma State – in which Iowa State suffered from several questionable officiating calls – Pollard stepped up to the podium during the postgame press conference and called for accountability within the Big 12's officiating.
He was fined $25,000 for his comments – a Big 12 record, at the time – and Pollard later apologized for his comments.
In the years since, Pollard continued to be an outspoken figure in college athletics. A staunch advocate for the Big 12, Pollard publicly said that the SEC and Big Ten should stop threatening to break away from conference alignments in football and actually do it.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at [email protected] or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 5 memorable moments from Jamie Pollard's time with Iowa State athletics
Continue reading...
The 61-year-old is the longest-tenured athletics director in school history, and he plans to retire from his role on June 30, 2027 – or sooner, if Iowa State hires his replacement before then.
Let’s look back at five of the most memorable moments from his over two-decade-long career leading Cyclone athletics.
Home run coaching hires across several sports
If there is one that most Cyclones fans probably agree on, it’s that Iowa State would not be the same without some of the head coaches Pollard hired – like Fred Hoiberg and T.J. Otzelberger for men’s basketball and Matt Campbell for football.
In 2010, Pollard brought on former ISU basketball fan favorite Hoiberg to replace Greg McDermott, who left the Cyclones to take the head coaching position at Creighton. Hoiberg spent five seasons in Ames, leading Iowa State to 20-plus win campaigns and the NCAA Tournament in four of those years.
More: Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard retiring after 22 years
In 2021, Pollard brought back Otzelberger, a former Iowa State assistant, as the men’s basketball head coach. The Cyclones have won 19-or-more games in each of his five seasons in Ames, and ISU has been to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five years.
Pollard hired Campbell ahead of the 2016 season, and he led the Cyclones to eight winning seasons in 10 years, including a first-place finish in the Big 12 in 2020 – Iowa State’s first regular-season first-place finish in over 100 years.
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Athletic investments skyrocket under Pollard’s leadership
In the year before Pollard arrived in Ames, athletics fundraising hit just over $9 million. During the 2025-26 season, that number was up to $53 million for the academic year – the most ever raised by ISU athletics in one year. He helped secure a $25 million gift from the Reiman Family in 2013, which was the leading donation for Jack Trice Stadium’s south end zone enclosure, increasing the stadium's capacity to 61,500.
He has spearheaded the investment of more than $400 million in new construction and facility renovations that impacted nearly every sport, highlighted by the $90 million Stark Performance Center, which opened in 2021 and houses academic and student services along with a dining and sports nutrition center for student-athletes.
More: Social media reacts to ISU AD Jamie Pollard announcing retirement
Bringing beer to Iowa State athletic events
Despite referring to people as “flat-out slobs” and citing infrastructural issues when discussing reasons for not selling alcohol during home football and basketball games during a February 2025 student government town hall, Iowa State will sell alcohol at athletic events before Pollard leaves the school
Over a year after those initial comments made headlines, Pollard pivoted and decided to allow alcohol sales at football and basketball games – partially to alleviate Iowa State’s $75 million deficit over the next five years. Pollard announced the decision in a letter to fans shared on June 22.
"Many of our peers have successfully taken this step. We are confident that we can initiate the sale of alcohol throughout our facilities and ensure a positive and safe environment for all of our guests," Pollard said in the letter.
More: Iowa State to begin selling alcohol at football, basketball games
Garnering sustained support from fans
With all the additions and improvements that have happened under Pollard, fan support for Iowa State athletic programs has grown and never wavered over the last decade or so.
Since the 2011-12 season, Iowa State is the nation’s only institution to average at least 50,000 fans at home football games (13-straight seasons), 12,000 fans at home men’s basketball games (15-straight seasons) and 9,000 fans at home women’s basketball games (17-straight seasons) - excluding shortened seasons during the COVID-impacted 2020-21 academic year, according to a release from the school.
Standing up for Iowa State school sometimes came at a cost
Pollard didn’t back down when it came to speaking up for his coaches and teams, even if that sometimes incurred a hefty fine.
During the 2014 football season, following a 37-20 loss to Oklahoma State – in which Iowa State suffered from several questionable officiating calls – Pollard stepped up to the podium during the postgame press conference and called for accountability within the Big 12's officiating.
He was fined $25,000 for his comments – a Big 12 record, at the time – and Pollard later apologized for his comments.
In the years since, Pollard continued to be an outspoken figure in college athletics. A staunch advocate for the Big 12, Pollard publicly said that the SEC and Big Ten should stop threatening to break away from conference alignments in football and actually do it.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at [email protected] or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 5 memorable moments from Jamie Pollard's time with Iowa State athletics
Continue reading...
