Sandy Barbour, VP for Intercollegiate Athletics

SANDY BARBOUR

SANDY BARBOUR

V.P. FOR INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

Wake Forest ’81 (B.A.) Massachusetts, ’83 (M.S.) Northwestern, ’91 (M.B.A.)

Recognized as one of the nation’s premier Athletic Directors, Sandy Barbour enters her eighth year as the dynamic leader of the Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics program. With student success and comprehensive excellence as a steadfast focus, Barbour has helped the Nittany Lions continue to ascend and thrive as one of the nation’s most successful athletic departments.

Barbour began her passionate and effective leadership of the Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics program in August 2014. President Eric J. Barron named Barbour the Nittany Lions’ ninth Director of Athletics after she served for 10 years as Director of Athletics at the University of California, Berkeley.

In February 2019, Barbour received a contract extension through August 31, 2023 and assumed the title of Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics.

Leader of Premier Athletic Department in Academic, Athletic and Community Engagement

One of the nation's most highly-respected Athletic Directors, Barbour has more than 40 years of varied experiences as a collegiate administrator and coach, with a demonstrated record of championships, academic success, innovation, facility modernization and revenue growth.

Barbour directs one of the nation’s most comprehensive and successful athletic programs that boasts an NCAA Graduation Success Rate of 92 percent, while capturing 79 national championships and 116 Big Ten titles all-time. She oversees a broad-based program that supports approximately 800 students in 31 sports (16 men’s/15 women’s) and an Intercollegiate Athletics staff of more than 300 whose daily mission is preparing students for a lifetime of impact. Penn State’s 31 programs are tied for fourth-largest among all 130 FBS institutions.

During Barbour’s initial seven years of leadership in Happy Valley, Penn State student-athletes have consistently raised the bar and broken or tied school academic records, including the number of Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar recipients. A total of 140 Nittany Lion students graduated during the 2020 fall and 2021 spring semesters. A combined total of 1,064 student-athletes have earned their degrees during Barbour’s tenure.

The 2020-21 athletic year was unlike any others in the history of collegiate athletics. Barbour served as the co-chair of the medical subcommittee on the Big Ten’s Return to Competition Task Force, which developed stringent medical protocols to ensure the health and safety of student-athletes while returning to sport. Despite the unprecedented circumstances, the Nittany Lion women’s soccer team claimed the Big Ten regular-season championship, wrestling earned a share of the Big Ten dual meet title, women’s hockey won its first CHA regular-season crown and men’s volleyball won the EIVA regular-season and tournament championships. Under Barbour’s direction, Penn State has won six NCAA Championships and 36 conference crowns.

In addition to the competitive and academic achievements, Barbour has taken pride in the diversity and inclusion work done by the department and its student-athletes. In 2020-21, Barbour set action steps for intercollegiate athletics to continue the work of fostering and advancing a diverse, inclusive and respectful environment where staff, coaches, student-athletes and all other members of the Penn State family feel supported. Penn State United was introduced to construct a culture of respect, appreciation and empathy for all differences, while recognizing we are rooted in diversity, shared experience and hope. Under Barbour, Penn State Athletics’ Advisory Council for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ACDEI) has expanded its work, providing diversity and inclusion resources to staff and student-athletes, and will continue Barbour’s action steps by listening, taking action and supporting growth and change.

Nittany Lions Students are the "Why" for Penn State Athletics

Soon after her arrival at Penn State, Barbour began to implement her vision for Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics and creating conditions for success for the department’s purpose and “Why” – the more than 800 Nittany Lion student-athletes.

Six months into her tenure, Barbour announced a reorganization of ICA that introduced a more vertical structure to encourage communication and collaboration across functional units and sports. Four administrative divisions were formed: student-athlete performance, health and welfare; external relations and operations, administration and business and finance.

In 2015, Penn State Athletics launched a wide-ranging strategic planning process and conducted a series of town hall meetings. Students, faculty and staff, alumni, donors and the public were presented with the initial findings and were presented with an opportunity to provide feedback. The project helped determine strategies and priorities for the formalized strategic plan.

Barbour also oversees a comprehensive facilities master plan, which was announced in March 2017. Penn State partnered with Populous, one of the world's leading architecture and sport event planning firms, to collaborate on developing a comprehensive facilities master plan to provide a 20-year road map for addressing current and long-term needs for all of the Nittany Lions' facilities (competition, practice, performance enhancement and training).

Academic Excellence Among Record-Setting Achievements; 92 Percent NCAA Graduation Rate

Penn State student-athletes have consistently delivered academic excellence and record performances during Barbour's tenure.

In November 2020, the NCAA released its annual national graduation rates study, which disclosed that Penn State student-athletes earned a school-record Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 92 percent, marking the fourth consecutive year of a GSR of 90 percent or higher. The GSR was the fourth-straight record-breaking or record-tying effort in department history. Nine Nittany Lion teams earned a perfect 100 percent Graduation Success Rate.

Nittany Lion students posted a 3.51 grade-point average, and all 31 teams had a 3.30 GPA or higher following the 2020 fall semester with the University’s COVID-19 alternative grading system in place. In the fall semester, 742 student-athletes posted at least at 3.0 GPA, and 327 were named to the Dean’s List for earning at least a 3.5 GPA (minimum 12 credits).

For the fourth consecutive year, more than 350 Penn State student-athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten honors with 446 Nittany Lions posting a 3.0 GPA or higher in 2020-21. Starting with the 2014 fall semester, Barbour’s first as Penn State AD, Penn State student-athletes have achieved the 10 highest semesters all-time for the number of students earning at least a 3.0 GPA (please note: record performances do not include spring 2020, fall 2020 and spring 2021 due to COVID-19 alternative grading system).

Six NCAA Team Championships and 36 Conference Titles

In the seven years Barbour has led Penn State Athletics, the Nittany Lions have captured six NCAA Championships in women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and wrestling and won 28 Big Ten titles, six EIVA crowns and one CHA championship for a total of 36 conference championships.

In 2020-21, the Nittany Lion women’s soccer team claimed its 20th Big Ten regular-season title, marking the first regular-season crown for the women’s soccer team since 2018 and 11th under head coach Erica Dambach. The wrestling team won a share of the Big Ten dual meet championship for the seventh time with a 6-0 record. The women’s hockey team claimed their first CHA regular-season title with a 16-2-2 conference record. The women’s hockey squad becomes the 27th Penn State team to win a conference championship.

The men’s volleyball squad claimed its 35th EIVA regular-season title and 32nd EIVA Tournament championships with a 22-4 record. The Nittany Lions made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017 and earned their first win since the 2015 season with a first-round win over Belmont Abbey.

A total of 24 Penn student-athletes have won NCAA individual national championships since 2016-17, including a combined total of 18 the past three years from six different sports. Fencer Ryan Griffiths earned the NCAA epee individual title in 2020-21, while Roman Bravo-Young (133 lbs), Nick Lee (141 lbs), Carter Starocci (174 lbs) and Aaron Brooks (184 lbs) guided the Nittany Lions wrestlers to a perfect 4-for-4 effort on NCAA Championship night.

SANDY BARBOUR

In 2020-21, five Nittany Lions claimed Big Ten individual titles to give Penn State 41 individual champions in the past four years. Swimmer Michael Daly won the 400 IM, while Aaron Brooks captured his second Big Ten crown with a victory at 184 pounds. At the Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships, Dom Perretta won his second 800-meter title, while Sincere Rhea on the men’s 60-meter hurdles and Victoria Vanriele won the women’s 800 meters for a Penn State sweep in the event.

Penn State Athletics has finished in the top 10 twice and top 15 three times in the final Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup standings under Barbour’s direction. Penn State also was ranked No. 8 among the nation’s 65 Power Five institutions in 2017-18, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Nittany Lion Student-Athletes Engaged in Student Athlete Welfare and Development Programming and Community Service with 40-Plus Organizations

In addition to their academic and athletic achievements, student-athletes have helped support Penn State’s comprehensive excellence by investing in themselves through ICA’s Student-Athlete Welfare and Development programming with the Athletic Director’s Leadership Institute (ADLI), the Nittany’s, SAAB, financial literacy and career networking programs. In addition, Penn State student-athletes spend thousands of hours each year involved in community engagement. Nittany Lion students annually participate in a range of activities from clinics and visits and team up with more than 40 organizations on projects and events. Among the organizations Penn State student-athletes are involved are THON, Special Olympics, Uplifting Athletes, Pennsylvania Pink Zone, Coaches vs. Cancer, United Way Day of Caring and LifeLink.

AD of the Year Recipient in 2016-17 and Finalist in 2018

Barbour’s leadership was recognized with her selection for the prestigious National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Under Armour AD of the Year Award in 2016-17, having directed Penn State to nine conference championships and one NCAA title. She was among four Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Athletic Directors to be honored at the 2017 NACDA Convention, marking the second time in her career she had received the NACDA honor.

In 2020, Barbour was among the honorees on Sports Illustrated’s “The Unrelenting” list of the most powerful, most influential and most outstanding women in sports.

In 2018, she was named one of five finalists for Sports Business Journal’s prestigious Athletic Director of the Year. Barbour, the recent chair of the Big Ten Athletic Directors, was recognized at the 11th Annual SBJ Sports Business Awards Gala in New York City in May, the second time she’s been a finalist for SBJ’s Athletic Director of the Year.

Barbour is a member of the NCAA Football Oversight Committee and in 2017, she was selected as one of the inaugural members of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s (USOC) Collegiate Sports Sustainability Think Tank. The Think Tank is charged with bridging the gap between high-contributing collegiate stakeholders and the Olympic Movement.

Barbour will serve as the chair of the NCAA’s Football Oversight Committee in 2021-22 and will also represent the Big Ten Conference on the NCAA Management Council.

Recognized by Forbes Among Top Executives in Sports

Forbes has recognized Barbour twice in recent years among the top executives in sports. In 2018, Barbour was selected No. 13 among the Most Powerful Women in Sports. She was among four executives listed who work primarily in intercollegiate athletics and was the highest ranked Athletic Director -- No. 2 overall in college sports.

In 2015, Forbes named Barbour one of the Top 25 Most Powerful People in College Sports, ranking among six Athletic Directors and two female administrators on the list. Forbes said that Barbour "has developed a reputation for being one of the most forward-thinking administrators in all of college sports."

Ten Years Leading Cal Athletics to Consistent Comprehensive Excellence

The Director of Athletics at Cal from 2004-14, Barbour guided the Golden Bears through one of the most successful periods in school history as the athletic department became one of the consistently elite programs in the country. Barbour’s 10-year term as AD was the longest for the department since men’s and women’s athletics merged into a single entity in 1992.

During her tenure overseeing Cal’s 30-sport program, the Golden Bears won 20 team national championships, 97 individual national titles, finished in the top 10 in the annual Learfield Directors’ Cup standings six times, including a program-best third in 2011, and reached record levels in ticket sales, sponsorships and fundraising. women's basketball in 2013, two trips to the national semifinals in women’s volleyball and six NCAA Championships in men’s and women’s swimming and diving. In 2013-14, Cal secured the largest field naming-rights deal in collegiate sports history at the time, when technology company Kabam signed on to name Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium.

Named one of the "100 Most Influential Women in Business" in the Bay Area according to the San Francisco Business Times, NACDA named Barbour a regional Athletic Director of the Year for 2008-09 and she was a finalist for National AD of the Year at the Sports Business Awards. She also was recognized as the 2006 National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) Division I-A National Administrator of the Year.

Prior to her tenure at Berkeley, Barbour was the deputy director of athletics at Notre Dame, serving as the university's senior athletic administrator from July 2002 to September 2004. She previously held an associate athletic director position there starting in 2000.

In her position at Notre Dame, Barbour oversaw facilities and event operations for the school's 26-sport program, including football game management and the department's two golf courses. She was also responsible for developing, maintaining and implementing Notre Dame's $127 million athletics facilities master plan.

In 1996, Barbour was appointed Tulane's director of athletics at age 36, and during her three years overseeing the program, Green Wave teams won 12 conference championships. In her first year in the position, the school captured four conference titles, a feat never before accomplished in Tulane history. She also hired Tommy Bowden as head football coach during her first year. Bowden proceeded in 1997 to post the Green Wave's first winning season (7-4) in 16 years, and then directed the school to a 12-0 record, a Conference USA championship and a No. 7 national ranking the following season as the 1998 Liberty Bowl champions. Barbour was recruited to Tulane as an associate athletic director in 1991.

Born in Annapolis, Md., Barbour grew up in a military family. Her father was a career aviator in the U.S. Navy, and her family lived in various U.S. locations as well as in Western Europe during her childhood.

Barbour graduated cum laude in 1981 with a B.S. degree in physical education from Wake Forest University, where she was a four-year letterwinner and served as captain of the field hockey team. She also played two seasons of women's basketball for the Demon Deacons. Barbour earned advanced degrees at the University of Massachusetts (an M.S. in sports management in 1983) and Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management (an MBA in 1991). Barbour's career in intercollegiate athletics began as a field hockey assistant coach and lacrosse administrative assistant at Massachusetts in 1981.

Between master's programs, Barbour served as assistant field hockey and lacrosse coach at Northwestern from 1982-84. She also held the position of director of recruiting services during that period, before being promoted to assistant athletic director for intercollegiate programs in 1984, a position she held until 1989.

Prior to joining Tulane, Barbour worked in programming and production for FOX Sports Net in Chicago during the summer of 1990.