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The Reclassification Journey With Tarleton State President Dr. James Hurley

Guest Dr. James Hurley, Tarleton State
14:18 min watch

Summary

Tarleton State President Dr. James Hurley joins ADU’s Tai M. Brown at the 2024 NCAA Convention to reflect on the reclassification process for the Texans, including the mental health ramifications for student-athletes forced to sit out of championship eligibility during the four-year process. Hurley and Brown discuss the academic success of Tarleton State throughout the journey, with the Texans achieving the highest APR score among institutions going through the reclassification process throughout NCAA history. Hurley: “It was always about raising our academic pedigree and our academic profile and the institutional profile and it’s done that. More people across the country know Tarleton State today than they did five years ago.” Hurley also shares insight into the evolving role university presidents play in the business of college athletics due to the impact of NIL, the transfer portal, conference realignment and more.

The conversation is indexed below for efficient viewing (click the time stamp to jump to a specific question/topic).

  • - When we last talked four years ago, Tarleton State was just starting the reclassification process.
  • - You have to have the funding, you have to expand some things, everything is different when moving to Division I. Talk to me about the journey of that process.
  • - Tell me about some of the things you've had to overcome to make this happen.
  • - Can you see any difference from the general student body in their reaction to athletics on campus?
  • - In the Tarleton State strategic plan, was expanding enrollment a consideration when deciding to reclassify to Division I?
  • - As you were on your journey to become a university president, how much did you expect that role to be involved in the business of college athletics?
  • - In this process, how much thought went into creating community for students of color in terms of "We're trying to expand here and everybody's welcome."
  • - As this reclassification period expires, tell me about the anticipation of coaches, student-athletes, on campus.

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