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Iowa State Athletics lands $5M gift for ‘Jamie and Ellen Pollard Endowed Director of Athletics’
Commitment will help ISU navigate ‘transformational changes’ in sports
Feb. 13, 2026 1:00 pm, Updated: Feb. 13, 2026 3:36 pm
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Anticipating a $147 million deficit over the next six years — just under $25 million a year — Iowa State University Athletics this week announced news of financial help in the form of a $5 million commitment to endow its athletics director position.
The gift from an anonymous alumni couple creates a permanent “Jamie and Ellen Pollard Endowed Director of Athletics” leadership position in honor of the Pollards’ “exceptional service, vision and enduring impact on Cyclone Athletics.”
"Ellen and I are deeply humbled by this extraordinary and unexpected honor,“ Athletics Director Jamie Pollard said in a statement. ”We are also excited for what this gift means for the future of Cyclone Athletics.“
According to the donors’ intent, the gift will support “student-athletes’ academic success, competitive excellence and holistic development and help position the department to successfully navigate the evolving college athletics landscape.”
The money also could help the department attract and retain coaches and staff.
"Under Jamie's guidance, the athletics department has expanded opportunities for student-athletes and fostered a culture defined by character, resilience and high performance," the anonymous donors said in a statement. "By making this a permanent endowed fund, we sincerely hope to inspire future athletic directors to lead with courage, clarity and purpose — always placing student-athletes at the center of the mission and advancing the institution with the same passion and integrity demonstrated by Jamie and Ellen."
‘Transformational time’ for college athletics
Pollard started what is now a 21-year stint atop ISU Athletics in 2005 — making him not just the longest-serving AD on the Ames campus but the second-longest serving active AD in the nation’s Power Four conferences -- behind only Kentucky’s Mitch Barnhart, who has been in his role since 2002.
An Oshkosh, Wis., native, Pollard came to Ames from the University of Wisconsin and “has reimagined nearly every facet of the ISU program,” which today boasts 18 sports, according to his ISU biography.
Some of his major leadership milestones include:
- Breaking ground in March 2023 on CyTown, a 40-acre mixed-use entertainment district planned between Jack Trice Stadium and the Iowa State Center modeled after the Green Bay Packers’ Titletown. The project, expected to cost up to $225 million, is being designed and developed by Goldenrod Companies with anticipated completion in 2027. It aims to be the first entertainment district centered on a college campus and will include a full-service hotel, 60 three-bedroom suites, a 3,000-seat outdoor amphitheater and more than 200,000 square feet of additional commercial and entertainment facilities.
- Beyond CyTown, ISU on Pollard’s watch has invested more than $400 million in new construction and facility renovations involving nearly every sport — from the $90 million, 110,000-square-foot Stark Performance Center serving all ISU student-athletes to the Gateway Pedestrian Bridge and RV Village enhancing the Cyclone football game-day experience.
- Pollard helped secure the largest donation in ISU Athletics history — a $25 million gift from the Reiman family, leading to the Jack Trice Stadium south end zone upgrade.
- And, since the 2011-12 academic year, ISU is the nation’s only institution to average at least 50,000 fans at home football games, 12,000 fans at men’s basketball games and 9,000 fans at women’s basketball games.
He also has captained the program through challenges — including COVID-19, which crippled athletic departments nationally and forced major cuts and program rollbacks.
Heading into the current 2026 budget year, ISU Athletics flagged “several transformational changes in college athletics that will result in $30 million in recurring annual financial repercussions.”
The Big 12 Conference realignment, a revenue distribution model change for the College Football Playoff, and the House vs. NCAA settlement allowing payments to student athletes are among the reasons ISU projected a $147 million funding gap through 2031.
The university, in light of those losses, indefinitely postponed a planned $20 million wrestling practice facility and $25 million Hilton Coliseum renovation; upped ticket prices; increased Cyclone Club membership dues; and cut costs across all sports.
ISU Athletics for 2026 needed a one-time $26.7 million transfer from the ISU Foundation to balance its budget.
But, according to a 2026 budget report to the Iowa Board of Regents, “Going forward, the cash reserves for athletics within the foundation will not be sufficient to cover an operating deficit for FY 2027 and beyond.”
The biggest expense item in the ISU Athletics budget is salaries and benefits — expected to increase from $42.7 million in 2025 to $46.4 million in 2026.
Pollard last year received a five-year contract extension through 2030, and he earned a base salary of $862,500 in the 2025 budget year.
"We are so fortunate to have a respected, seasoned leader like Jamie guiding our Cyclone programs during this transformational time for collegiate athletics," incoming ISU President David Cook said in a statement in advance of his March 1 start date. "With this solid foundation, supported by the generosity of this alumni couple, I look forward to working closely with Jamie to accelerate our fundraising efforts and ensure a bright future for our student-athletes and Cyclone Nation."
Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.
Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com
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