Stanford just made an abnormal hire for its new athletic director, but it might actually just set the new norm.
Former Nike CEO John Donahoe was hired as Stanford’s AD with plenty of business leadership experience, but none in sports administration. According to ESPN, Stanford was searching for a “nontraditional candidate” during what’s a unique time in college sports, and many universities needing to fill the same role in the future, including the Oklahoma Sooners, might do the same.
College sports is a business. There’s revenue, contracts, budgets, marketing and more employees than ever with student-athletes now on the payroll.