Michigan State calls, but AD Lyke expects to stay
When athletic director Heather Lyke addressed the crowd at Pitt football’s preseason luncheon, the theme of her speech was “commitment.”
She talked of the commitment of Pitt chancellor Patrick Gallagher to the football program. She emphasized Pat Narduzzi’s commitment entering his seventh season. And she commended the commitment of Pitt’s 21 seniors seated on stage behind her Friday afternoon at The Westin hotel, Downtown.
Interestingly, an hour before she took the podium, Lyke was asked about her own commitment to Pitt.
Michigan State’s athletic director position opened up earlier this month, and Lyke was rumored to be a top candidate. Meeting with reporters ahead of Friday’s banquet, Lyke confirmed that she had been contacted about the Michigan State opening.
“I’m very happy at Pitt,” Lyke added. “I’m thrilled to work for Chancellor Gallagher, and I expect to stay here and hope to make that arrangement work.”
The Michigan State job opened after Michigan State’s Bill Beekman resigned Aug. 5.
That Lyke would be considered should not be surprising. In May, she was named one of five nominees for the Sports Business Journal’s athletic director of the year following a positive year for the Panthers. Men’s soccer reached the College Cup, women’s volleyball made the Elite Eight, wrestling sent five individuals to nationals, and baseball narrowly missed out on the NCAA tournament.
Lyke would make sense for Michigan State given her background, too. Before being hired by Pitt in 2017, she was Eastern Michigan’s AD for four years. She spent 15 years working in the Ohio State athletic department, rising as high as the school’s senior associate AD, working alongside longtime leader Gene Smith. And as an undergraduate, Lyke was a captain on Michigan’s softball team.
She isn’t a Michigan native; Lyke grew up in Canton, Ohio. But the Big Ten is in her blood.
Of course, Lyke did say she was happy in Pittsburgh and that she expects to stay. But her final few words were most intriguing, that she hopes to “make that arrangement work.”
Lyke signed a new six -year contract on April 27, 2018 — only 13 months after arriving at Pitt and 80 days before Beekman was named Michigan State’s permanent AD. The financial details of that new contract were not disclosed at the time.
However, according to tax documents made public by the university in the spring, Lyke was paid $805,125 in the 2020 fiscal year — up from $710,000 in 2019.
Lyke on the alliance
When the news release went out regarding the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12’s “historic alliance,” it stated that the idea was “unanimously supported” by the 41 schools’ presidents, chancellors and athletic directors. That included Lyke.
When asked for her opinion on the alliance — which is not legally binding but based on trust and plans on providing non-conference matchups and a collaborative approach to the future of college sports — Lyke was in favor.
“I think it really created quite a bit of stability among our three conferences,” Lyke said. “And the future is really where it’s going to play out. Everyone’s like, ‘Well, what does this mean?’ I think it will have a real impact on the future governance structure of whatever the NCAA is or whatever it ends up looking like.”
Lyke said the alliance is “not a boycott against the SEC” when it comes to scheduling opportunities between the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12. She also believes the alliance is more of an overarching project, and the thought of bringing back a particular in-state rivalry wasn’t at the forefront of her thinking when agreeing to get on board.
“We’re thinking big picture in what is best for the future of college sports,” Lyke said. “I don’t think any one of us said, ‘How can I leverage this to get Penn State to play Pitt?’ We would love to play Penn State. They know that.”
Captains announced
After Pitt legend and newly inducted Pro Football Hall of Fame lineman Jimbo Covert gave his keynote speech, head coach Pat Narduzzi took to the podium and announced the Panthers’ 2021 team captains.
As voted on by their teammates, they are quarterback Kenny Pickett, linebacker Cam Bright, defensive end Deslin Alexandre and longsnapper Cal Adomitis.
Pickett, now a two-time captain, was a lock after returning for his final season. Adomitis and Alexandre are longtime contributors on the field and Wuerffel Trophy candidates for community service off it. And Bright, who said his goal was to one day become a captain, has emerged as a leader on the defense this offseason.