Bryan B. Blair

List created by On3, a national sports media group/publication, identifying rising stars in that space who are positioned for continued advancement moving forward.

Excerpt:

Bryan Blair, Toledo

Position: Athletic director
+ Hired as AD on May 1. He was 37 at time of hiring, making him the youngest AD in the FBS ranks
+ Had been at Washington State (2018-22), where he was deputy AD/chief operating officer. Among his responsibilities was managing the university’s Nike… Show more

List created by On3, a national sports media group/publication, identifying rising stars in that space who are positioned for continued advancement moving forward.

Excerpt:

Bryan Blair, Toledo

Position: Athletic director
+ Hired as AD on May 1. He was 37 at time of hiring, making him the youngest AD in the FBS ranks
+ Had been at Washington State (2018-22), where he was deputy AD/chief operating officer. Among his responsibilities was managing the university’s Nike contract
+ Assisted with several Washington State head coaching searches, including football and men’s basketball
+ Served as senior associate AD at Rice from 2014-18. Oversaw the sports medicine, strength and conditioning, sports nutrition and compliance departments
+ Worked at South Carolina as the assistant director of compliance services from 2012-14
+ A previous stint at Rice came from 2011-12, when he was a compliance coordinator
+ Worked at the NCAA as an academic and membership affairs postgraduate intern from 2010-11
+ An alum of Wofford (2007), where he was a nose tackle for the football team and a team captain as a senior. Has law degree from South Carolina Show less

Inaugural 40 Under 40 class selected by The Athletic, a national sports news publication.

Excerpt:

Bryan Blair, Toledo athletic director | Age: 37

Blair became the youngest AD in the FBS when he was hired in February after serving as deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at Washington State.

Wazzu AD Pat Chun said Blair was one of the first people he hired to his senior staff when he got the job in 2018. He influenced many areas in the Washington State… Show more

Inaugural 40 Under 40 class selected by The Athletic, a national sports news publication.

Excerpt:

Bryan Blair, Toledo athletic director | Age: 37

Blair became the youngest AD in the FBS when he was hired in February after serving as deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at Washington State.

Wazzu AD Pat Chun said Blair was one of the first people he hired to his senior staff when he got the job in 2018. He influenced many areas in the Washington State athletic department, from NIL efforts to the school’s relationship with Nike to coaching hires.

“He treats people so well,” Chun said. “He’s authentic and genuine, true to himself. In the four years he was with us, he was absolutely critical to the growth and development of the department.

“He’s going to be additive to the Mid-American Conference AD room, and as he continues to grow his career, his voice will only get stronger in college athletics.” Show less

Selected as a participant in a one-of-a-kind event, the Learfield Minority Academy is designed to foster minority growth and development in the collegiate multimedia and sponsorship sector. Learfield will host the Academy, which features two and a half days of classroom educational sessions dedicated to sales training, best practices and professional development. The final two days allow attendees to shadow sales staff at a Learfield Division I collegiate property, providing for ultimate… Show more

Selected as a participant in a one-of-a-kind event, the Learfield Minority Academy is designed to foster minority growth and development in the collegiate multimedia and sponsorship sector. Learfield will host the Academy, which features two and a half days of classroom educational sessions dedicated to sales training, best practices and professional development. The final two days allow attendees to shadow sales staff at a Learfield Division I collegiate property, providing for ultimate engagement in the actual day-to-day operations of Learfield’s multimedia rights relationships. Show less

The Pathway Program is the premier professional development programming designed to elevate those currently in senior-level positions within athletics administration to the next step as a director of athletics. This year-long program is an intensive, experiential learning opportunity for selected participants.

Nominated by Rice University’s Director of Athletics.

The Collegiate Athletic Leadership Symposium is a unique event designed to equip athletic administrators with the knowledge and skills to use in their day-to-day world as well as they pursue their career goals and aspirations. CALS gives attendees the opportunity to connect with some of the most influential AD's, search firm executives, and thought leaders in college athletics.

CALS is an invitation only event. The CALS directors and faculty have performed extensive research identifying… Show more

The Collegiate Athletic Leadership Symposium is a unique event designed to equip athletic administrators with the knowledge and skills to use in their day-to-day world as well as they pursue their career goals and aspirations. CALS gives attendees the opportunity to connect with some of the most influential AD's, search firm executives, and thought leaders in college athletics.

CALS is an invitation only event. The CALS directors and faculty have performed extensive research identifying some of the most talented athletic administrators in the country. Show less

The D-1A annually conducts the Institute, a three day educational forum where experienced athletics directors teach and share information and know-how with the Institutes’ participants, who are typically senior level 1A Associate Athletics Directors nominated by their universities’ athletics directors to attend the program. The goal of the Institute is to help the participants be better prepared to move into the role of athletics director.

Recipient of the inaugural John McLendon… Show more

The D-1A annually conducts the Institute, a three day educational forum where experienced athletics directors teach and share information and know-how with the Institutes’ participants, who are typically senior level 1A Associate Athletics Directors nominated by their universities’ athletics directors to attend the program. The goal of the Institute is to help the participants be better prepared to move into the role of athletics director.

Recipient of the inaugural John McLendon Minority Foundation scholarship. Show less

National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) committee responsible for creating and implementing various association wide professional development programming.

Guest on “The Tao of Sports” Podcast series, Episode 632. Past guests have included:
• Ross Bjork (Athletics Director, Ole Miss)
• Bill Hancock (Executive Director, College Football Playoff)
• Greg Byrne (Athletics Director, Arizona)
• Amy Huchthausen (Commissioner, America East Conference)

"Bryan Blair returns for his second stint on the podcast (previously Ep. 251), and speaks about his transition toward becoming focused on being an athletic director. Blair talks about some… Show more

Guest on “The Tao of Sports” Podcast series, Episode 632. Past guests have included:
• Ross Bjork (Athletics Director, Ole Miss)
• Bill Hancock (Executive Director, College Football Playoff)
• Greg Byrne (Athletics Director, Arizona)
• Amy Huchthausen (Commissioner, America East Conference)

"Bryan Blair returns for his second stint on the podcast (previously Ep. 251), and speaks about his transition toward becoming focused on being an athletic director. Blair talks about some of the issues surrounding the world of the compliance, while also understanding and engaging on the revenue side."

http://sportstao.com/ep-632-bryan-blair-sr-assoc-ad-rice/ Show less

The National Sports Forum is the largest annual cross gathering of the top team sports marketing, sales, promotions and event entertainment executives - from throughout the broad spectrum of teams and leagues, (i.e. NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, Minor Leagues, Racing, Colleges, etc.), in North America.

Recognizing that there aren’t enough programs supporting the importance of diversity in the front office, the National Sports Forum (NSF) aims to increase the opportunities for up-and-coming ethnic… Show more

The National Sports Forum is the largest annual cross gathering of the top team sports marketing, sales, promotions and event entertainment executives - from throughout the broad spectrum of teams and leagues, (i.e. NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, Minor Leagues, Racing, Colleges, etc.), in North America.

Recognizing that there aren’t enough programs supporting the importance of diversity in the front office, the National Sports Forum (NSF) aims to increase the opportunities for up-and-coming ethnic minority and/or women sports professionals to have access to the senior-level best practices of revenue generating responsibilities within the industry and networking opportunities that have set the NSF apart. Show less

Guest interview for Front Office Sports (FOS). FOS serves as an educational resource for young professionals to learn more about the "game behind the game". Past guests include:

• Daniel Parker, VP & Managing Director for Parker Executive Search
• Chris Yandle, Assistant AD/Communications & Public Relations – Georgia Tech
• Kevin Blue, Senior Associate AD – Stanford
• Craig Pintens, Senior Associate AD/ Marketing & Public Relations - Oregon
• Stevie Baker-Watson –… Show more

Guest interview for Front Office Sports (FOS). FOS serves as an educational resource for young professionals to learn more about the "game behind the game". Past guests include:

• Daniel Parker, VP & Managing Director for Parker Executive Search
• Chris Yandle, Assistant AD/Communications & Public Relations – Georgia Tech
• Kevin Blue, Senior Associate AD – Stanford
• Craig Pintens, Senior Associate AD/ Marketing & Public Relations - Oregon
• Stevie Baker-Watson – Director of Athletics - DePauw

http://www.frontofficesports.org/interviews/1/3/it-all-started-in-tokyo-the-journey-of-bryan-b-blair?rq=blair Show less

National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) committee responsible for exploring issues that may affect college athletics in future. Committee works to provide guidance in conjunction with NCAA and its Academic & Membership Affairs department.

http://www.nacda.com/sports/naacc/spec-rel/050814aae.html

The National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) has announced its 2014 Award winners, presented by Bluechip Athletic Solutions - Frank Kara Leadership Award - Jennifer Condaras, associate commissioner for compliance & governance, The BIG EAST Conference; Organizational Leadership Award- Kevin Lennon, vice president of academic & membership affairs, NCAA; Rising Star Award - Bryan Blair, associate athletics director for… Show more

http://www.nacda.com/sports/naacc/spec-rel/050814aae.html

The National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) has announced its 2014 Award winners, presented by Bluechip Athletic Solutions - Frank Kara Leadership Award - Jennifer Condaras, associate commissioner for compliance & governance, The BIG EAST Conference; Organizational Leadership Award- Kevin Lennon, vice president of academic & membership affairs, NCAA; Rising Star Award - Bryan Blair, associate athletics director for compliance, Rice University; and the Division II Excellence Award - Molly Belden, associate commissioner, Northeast-10 Conference. The award winners will be honored Monday, June 9 during the NAAC Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Florida.

"The 2014 candidates for the NAAC awards were excellent and clearly demonstrate the hard work that compliance professionals across the country put into their careers. The Membership and Awards Committee would like to thank everyone who took the time to nominate these outstanding individuals,"​ stated Awards Committee Chair Jody Sykes, senior associate AD/chief compliance officer at the University of Oregon. "We were challenged in picking the best recipient because there were so many fantastic candidates. The Committee would also like to congratulate each of this year's recipients. Each of you is an immense credit to our profession! We look forward to honoring you further at the NAAC Awards Luncheon on June 9 in Orlando."

The Rising Star Award recognizes young compliance professionals who are considered to be emerging leaders within the compliance profession. Show less

Guest on “The Tao of Sports” Podcast series, Episode 251. Past guests have included:
• Ross Bjork (Athletics Director, Ole Miss)
• Bill Hancock (Executive Director, College Football Playoff)
• Greg Byrne (Athletics Director, Arizona)
• Amy Huchthausen (Commissioner, America East Conference)

“The role of NCAA compliance is often misunderstood by the public and sometimes, even those overseen by rules education. Bryan B. Blair talks about his guidance with coaches and… Show more

Guest on “The Tao of Sports” Podcast series, Episode 251. Past guests have included:
• Ross Bjork (Athletics Director, Ole Miss)
• Bill Hancock (Executive Director, College Football Playoff)
• Greg Byrne (Athletics Director, Arizona)
• Amy Huchthausen (Commissioner, America East Conference)

“The role of NCAA compliance is often misunderstood by the public and sometimes, even those overseen by rules education. Bryan B. Blair talks about his guidance with coaches and administrators to ensure that compliance works for both the athletic department staff as a whole as well as student-athletes. Blair discusses how the perception of student-athlete awareness of athletic department issues is presented through SAAC, as well as his own experiences as a student-athlete at Wofford. All while wearing a nice bowtie. Twitter: @BtotheBlair”

http://sportstao.com/ep-251-podcast-bryan-blair-assistant-director-compliance-services-south-carolina-university/#sthash.r7FfVRZq.dpbs Show less

• 2012-2013 Graduate
• Selected by peers as graduation speaker.

The prestigious NCAA Leadership Institute provides tailored programming conducted on NCAA member institution campuses to assist participants in strategically mapping and planning their careers. The format of the week-long institute will allow participants to enhance their professional skills, diversify their professional network, gain exposure to the core business areas of intercollegiate athletics and receive an in-depth… Show more

• 2012-2013 Graduate
• Selected by peers as graduation speaker.

The prestigious NCAA Leadership Institute provides tailored programming conducted on NCAA member institution campuses to assist participants in strategically mapping and planning their careers. The format of the week-long institute will allow participants to enhance their professional skills, diversify their professional network, gain exposure to the core business areas of intercollegiate athletics and receive an in-depth view of the opportunities to serve within the NCAA governance structure.

The curriculum of the event provides exposure to a number of areas, while exploring personal professional options and exploring the internal and external operations of athletics departments.
Show less

http://www.riceowls.com/genrel/062112aab.html

Served as advisor for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) that won the prestigious national award for their impact on Rice Athletics, Rice University and the city of Houston. This award is given to one Division I SAAC a year.

"The mission of the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete well being, and fostering a… Show more

http://www.riceowls.com/genrel/062112aab.html

Served as advisor for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) that won the prestigious national award for their impact on Rice Athletics, Rice University and the city of Houston. This award is given to one Division I SAAC a year.

"The mission of the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete well being, and fostering a positive student-athlete image. Our hope was that this award would not only showcase the many positive accomplishments of SAACs all over the country, but also that it will spread awareness of the National SAAC and our position in the NCAA governance structure." Show less