Toledo Vice President and Director of Athletics Bryan Blair joins RealResponse Director of Business Development, Collegiate Athletics Hannah Dewey at the 2023 NACDA Convention to discuss the changing athletics landscape. Blair points to the Transfer Portal as today’s biggest challenge, advising administrators to prioritize enhancing the student-athlete experience and building relationships with athletes in an effort to retain talent. Reflecting on his first year in the big chair, Blair notes he was most surprised by the volume of issues an AD handles: “I thought I knew [how much an AD handled] when I was one office over [as Deputy AD] – it comes out I had no idea.” By prioritizing his schedule, navigating time demands and investing in cross-campus relationships, Blair plans to continue building momentum for “Team Toledo” during his second year as a first-time AD.
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