Former Iowa AD Gary Barta among 2025 inductees for NACDA Hall of Fame

IOWA CITY — Former Iowa athletics director Gary Barta has been named to the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame, the organization announced Tuesday afternoon.

Barta’s recognition follows his 17-year tenure as Iowa’s athletics director from 2006-23, which made him one of the longest-tenured power-conference athletic directors at the time. His retirement was about a year before his contract was going to expire.

Highlights of his Iowa tenure include more than $380 million in facility improvements, 27 Big Ten team titles and significant growth in the athletic department’s endowment. Controversies included a Title IX lawsuit that required Iowa to add another women’s sport and gender and racial discrimination lawsuits that resulted in multi-million-dollar settlements.

“I have great appreciation for Gary’s impact on Iowa athletics,” his successor Beth Goetz said via a press release. “His induction into the Hall of Fame is a testament to his dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to excellence. We are proud to celebrate his legacy and the lasting contributions he has made to our university.”

Barta is one of eight inductees who will be honored at NACDA’s convention in Orlando on June 9. The others worked at Vassar College, Florida Gulf Coast, Albany, Harper College, Wake Forest, North Carolina Central and Concordia University, St. Paul.

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