Former MSU AD Byrne talks college sports at Rotary

The Starkville Rotary Club heard from a familiar face and longtime college athletic director at its meeting on Monday.

Current University of Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne, who is serving as president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics spoke to the club, sharing stories and discussing the current state of college athletics. Byrne is no stranger to Starkville, having served as Mississippi State University's athletic director from 2008 to 2010. He has also served as athletic director for the University of Arizona. He holds a bachelor's from Arizona State University and a master's from MSU.

He spoke to the current state of college athletics and the need for programs to adapt.

“That's one of those things that we fight on a daily basis is trying to thread that needle to continue to reinvest in your success,” Byrne said. “I don't know an industry out there, where you don't have to look and say ‘OK, where's the market going? How's it changing? What do you have to do?' That's no different with college athletics.”

He said colleges had to compete for viewers and fans both for television coverage of the games and fans attending the games in person.

He also said current college students are wired differently as far as attending games.

“The impact that phone has had has been significant,” Byrne said. “Some good, and some really challenging things about it.

“You have to continue to adjust,” Byrne added. “You'd be out of business now. You have to

continue to evolve and adjust to what's taking place.”

He said athletic directors had to find a balance between television and the actual experience of the game.

“We had to change, and it's important that we continue to do that,” Byrne said. “That's the case at Alabama. That's the case at Mississippi State. That's the case at Arizona. That's the case at the University of Maine. It is evolving. It's changing, but the thing that makes this place so special is everybody sitting in this room going out to support the way you do.”

He also spoke highly of MSU'S recent hire of Mike Leach as its new football coach.

“I've known Mike Leach a long time, and I think it was a great hire,” Byrne said.

He said Leach was able to do a lot with limited resources and a difficult recruiting climate at both Texas Tech and Washington State University.

“To be here in Starkville, where if you just drive in a circle in a five hour radius and look at the level of athlete that's here, he's never had guys like that,” Byrne said. “There's a lot of competition in that fivehour radius, I understand that, however, what he's had to work with has had a lot of success, so I thought it was a brilliant hire on (MSU Athletic Director John Cohen's) part, and I think you're going to enjoy the ride.”