The 3 Percent: Female Athletic Directors at Top-Tier Football Schools

Photo by: Corbis

Sandy Barbour, AD at the University of California since 2004, came to the school from Notre Dame.



Barbour has put women in higher-profile jobs within her program, but she's not naïve about the preconceptions women in college athletics face. "These big programs are dominated by football," Barbour told Eichelberger, "And there is this thought that, in order to lead one of these programs, you have to have played football. You ... more 

Photo by: Corbis

Sandy Barbour, AD at the University of California since 2004, came to the school from Notre Dame.



Barbour has put women in higher-profile jobs within her program, but she's not naïve about the preconceptions women in college athletics face. "These big programs are dominated by football," Barbour told Eichelberger, "And there is this thought that, in order to lead one of these programs, you have to have played football. You certainly have to address it." 



She told ESPN contributor Whitney Holtzman last year that, as a woman, she does approach things "from a different paradigm," but "the fewer times we have to think about our gender being unique in this position, the better. … We're just like the other 10 guys sitting in that room. We have a complex and difficult job to do." less