With the launch of the ACC Network by ESPN and expansion of several of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) conferences, the college sports industry is growing at a rapid pace. In response, college athletic departments are expanding and posting new job opportunities every day.
At the 2019 WISE/R Symposium, a panel of industry leaders — Alliance of Women Coaches (WeCOACH) co-founder and Title IX consultant Judith Sweet, University of Virginia athletic director Carla Williams and University of Wyoming senior associate athletic director/senior woman administrator China Jude — moderated by ESPN vice president, women's sports programming Carol Stiff, discussed their experience in college athletics. Here we share their insights and how to apply their experiences to careers in college athletics and beyond.
Know Your Worth
Salaries can vary based on the size of the institution, location and applicant’s experience. “There are opportunities where you can do very well from a compensation standpoint but it does take traveling and being flexible,” said Williams. “I worked at Georgia two different times, Florida State, Vanderbilt and now we're at Virginia, so we had to move. And it wasn’t easy because I have three children and a husband but each time we moved, I was able to gain more experience which was very valuable to move forward in my career.”
Compensation also reflects the wide variety of roles available in college sports. “The salaries for Division I range from an $1,800 stipend to $2.8 million annually, so when you think about how many levels there are from Division I, II and III, [National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics] and community colleges, there is a huge range,” said Williams. Payscale.com puts the average athletic director salary at $76,404, plus $6,000 bonus.
But Williams encouraged candidates to do their research on the typical salary for their position before talking about salary with your potential employer. “I think for us, it's difficult to sell ourselves, promote ourselves and advocate for ourselves but we have to get over that. We have to advocate for ourselves because our counterparts do.”
Jude added, '[With] state institutions, that information is public so just go on the state websites and look up the public records for current salary information. For private institutions, it’s a little more difficult.”
Beyond the Field of Competition
Careers in athletics expand beyond the field of competition. “In addition to the campus experiences, there are organizational experiences at the conference office or at the NCAA office or at the NAIA office. [There] is a whole vast experience of administrative positions where you can make a difference,” said Sweet. “Another really important benefit is being on a university campus. Don't just lock yourself into the athletic department. There are so many other educational opportunities or cultural opportunities that you can take advantage of when you're on campus. And if you like going to sporting events, free ticket through the NCAA.” Added Jude, “You also get access to good weight room facilities on a regular basis, eat at the student-athlete cafeteria and get medical services if you go into the athletic trainer’s office."
Sweet also talked about the relationships she built over her 24-year college athletics career. “It is so unique and so rewarding to be on a college campus and to see these young people grow over the years. But even more important is the relationships that you develop. I am still in touch with former student-athletes from almost 40 years ago, coaches from almost 40 years ago. If you haven't thought about being in college athletics — whether it's at the NCAA, the NAIA or community colleges — there is a whole world out there where you can transfer your skills.”
Courage, Support and Opportunity
Williams faced several challenges over her career to becoming the athletic director at the University of Virginia. “You have to be courageous … I am one of the few women at this level, in this position and I'm the only African-American in this position so you know that takes some courage to pursue. It takes some courage to stay there and fight every day but I think all of that — the competitiveness, the courageousness — is innate in all of us, and we just have to allow it to happen.”
One of Sweet’s mantras is “WOW, except I spell it with a silent h, WHOW, and that's women helping other women. I think it's really important that we all help each other, that we encourage each other. Ask for help, ask questions and when you see somebody who has some skills and talents that they may not even be aware of — but you can see how they can transition to another position — encourage them.”
In the 2018 Diversity in Athletics report published by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES), college sports received a B-minus for racial hiring practices and a C-plus for gender hiring practices. Both grades were a slight improvement from the previous year but Richard Lapchick, director of TIDES, highlighted that “there are so many more career prospects in college sport compared to professional sports. There are more jobs available, signifying the importance for us to create additional opportunities in college sport for women and people of color. We need new methods to open the hiring process for women and people of color.”