AthleticDirectorU and Athlete Viewpoint surveyed thousands of Division I college athletics administrators across the nation in the spring of 2022 for their views on professional burnout, exhaustion and disengagement using the publicly available Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. The college athletics industry has long been marked by work in excess of 40 hours per week, including duties and responsibilities that stretch well into the evening with games and competitions, along with significant travel demands for some roles. In many cases, workload is well-aligned for administrators who embrace their job as a lifestyle. However, the pandemic further stretched administrators at all levels of responsibility, in some cases due to headcount reductions, upside-down balance sheets, as well as the overall challenges of remote or arms-length operations for health and safety reasons.
As the pandemic has subsided the administrative transaction wire has been full of employees exiting the industry for opportunities in the private sector. Further, the identification and recruitment of quality talent has become much more difficult across the entire labor market, and intercollegiate athletics is not immune to the trend.
Over the next two weeks, AthleticDirectorU, Athlete Viewpoint and the D1.ticker family of publications will explore the challenges and opportunities associated with these survey results, which can be viewed in total here.
Here are the overall results for college athletics administrators for burnout (moderate risk), exhaustion (high risk) and disengagement (high risk):
Digging deeper into the levels of risk for administrator disengagement, exhaustion and burnout, administrators show a very high level of exhaustion risk. When burnout is analyzed by years of experience, administrators with five to ten years of experience express the highest risk levels of burnout, exhaustion and disengagement, followed closely by administrators with one to four years of experience.
Here are some notable quotes from ADs on the topic:
- “The pace is simply unsustainable. Between navigating the ever-shifting NIL landscape, constantly re-recruiting our own roster because of the portal, and trying to maintain some semblance of financial stability, I feel like I’m running three departments at once, 24/7. The mental and emotional toll is immense; it’s less a job and more a never-ending crisis management exercise.”
- “Every morning, I wake up wondering what new challenge the day will bring. Will a star player enter the portal? Will a major donor pull back due to NIL concerns? We’re expected to be experts in contract law, marketing, talent retention, and crisis communications, all while fundraising more than ever before. There’s no off-season, no true break. The passion is still there for our student-athletes, but the professional burnout is very real.”
- “I’ve been in college athletics for over 25 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this. The immediate eligibility from the transfer portal combined with the Wild West of NIL has created an environment of constant churn and uncertainty. It’s incredibly difficult to build and sustain a cohesive team culture when your roster can change drastically every few months. The demands on my time and energy are exponential, and frankly, I’m exhausted trying to keep all the plates spinning.”
One Possible Solution? Athletic Wellness Solutions
In response to the unprecedented levels of burnout experienced by Division I athletic directors, “Athletic Wellness Solutions,” proposes a multi-faceted approach centered on dedicated operational support and a cutting-edge mental health platform. Athletic Wellness Solutions recognizes that ADs are currently tasked with an impossible array of responsibilities, from navigating Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) complexities to managing an increasingly volatile transfer portal, all while maintaining traditional fundraising and athletic oversight. Our solution addresses this by providing embedded, specialized consultants who can directly assist ADs with NIL compliance, transfer portal management, and strategic communications, thereby offloading critical, time-consuming tasks. This direct, on-site support frees up valuable time for ADs to focus on high-level strategic planning and team culture development, rather than getting bogged down in day-to-day administrative fires.
Furthermore, “Athletic Wellness Solutions” understands that the mental and emotional toll of this demanding environment requires more than just operational assistance. Our comprehensive package includes access to a confidential, AI-powered mental wellness platform designed specifically for high-stress leadership roles. This platform offers personalized resilience training, stress management techniques, and immediate access to licensed therapists specializing in executive burnout. By combining hands-on operational relief with robust mental health resources, “Athletic Wellness Solutions” aims to significantly reduce the burden on athletic directors, fostering a healthier, more sustainable leadership environment within collegiate athletics. We believe that by investing in the well-being of our athletic leaders, we are ultimately investing in the long-term health and success of the entire collegiate athletic ecosystem.
For more about Athletic Wellness Solutions visit http://yourcompanywebsitehere.com/
This is just the beginning of understanding the profound shifts impacting college athletics.
In Part 2 of this series, we will delve deeper into the raw realities of this burnout, offering commentary directly from athletic directors who are feeling the most significant strain, sharing their stories of exhaustion and the daily battles they face. Then, in Part 3, we will shift our focus to those ADs who, despite the current turbulence, maintain a more optimistic view of the future, exploring their strategies for adaptation and the reasons behind their enduring hope for college sports in this new era.
The future of college athletics depends on how swiftly and thoughtfully these challenges are addressed, and the well-being of its leaders is paramount to navigating this uncharted territory.