Tom Collins Named Ball State Athletics Director
Dec. 3, 2005
Ball State University has selected Tom Collins as its new director of intercollegiate athletics. Collins has served for the past 20 years in several capacities in the athletics department at Arizona State University, including the last five in the department's number two position, senior associate athletic director.
During his tenure at Arizona State, he has overseen seven nationally ranked Division I-A programs, helped direct a collegiate licensing program that generated annual revenues in excess of $450,000, and created the department's Addy Award-winning "Playing with Fire" marketing slogan. He will begin his duties Jan. 9.
"TC's experience is impressive, covering a wide range of responsibilities in major Division I-A athletics departments at Arizona State, the University of Miami and Washington State University," said Ball State President Jo Ann M. Gora. "He has the skills necessary to support and guide our student-athletes and coaches in their pursuit of academic and athletic excellence."
Collins' selection completes a rigorous national search to replace Bubba Cunningham, who recently was hired as athletic director at the University of Tulsa.
"Ball State athletics has generated a great deal of momentum, and I believe TC has the vision necessary to build on our very solid foundation," Gora said. "I want to thank the search committee for presenting me with several outstanding candidates from which to choose."
Collins said he is honored to be joining a program in which the student-athletes are accomplishing so much on the field and academically on a national level.
"It's clear that my predecessors at Ball State and the administration have staked out a commitment to the true scholar-athlete model of intercollegiate athletics, and that is one aspect of this program that I found tremendously appealing," he said.
"Couple that with the university's and the community's commitment to providing the student-athletes with outstanding facilities and a supportive atmosphere, and it becomes clear why Ball State has a proud academic and athletic tradition -- one that I'm looking forward to continuing and enhancing."
Prior to being named to his current position at Arizona State, Collins served as the university's associate athletic director, overseeing corporate and community affairs, and as assistant athletic director. He also worked as assistant athletic director at the University of Miami and as the ticket manager at Washington State.
Collins earned his bachelor's degree from Northern Arizona University. He and his wife, Kathy, have been married for 25 years, and they have two children: Eryn, 24, a kindergarten teacher in Tempe, Ariz.; and Rob, 21, a junior at Arizona State.
One of Collins' first tasks will be to oversee the completion of Ball State's football stadium renovation. The project, which is scheduled to begin in 2006, will include the installation of synthetic grass and construction of a larger press box and entertainment center, private boxes, enhanced ticket offices, concessions facilities, restrooms, a brick and wrought iron exterior and new seating. The university also would like to include a video replay board in the final plans.
Ball State recently completed a successful capital campaign for the stadium renovations. "Drive to Distinction" exceeded its $12 million goal by $1.6 million. In recognition of the largest gift provided to the campaign, the university renamed the facility the John B. and June M. Scheumann Stadium.
Along with new facilities, Ball State has earned national accolades for the academic performance of its student-athletes. The recognitions include:
* the fourth-highest score in the nation on the NCAA's most recent Academic Progress Rate;
* the fifth-highest total number of teams -- 12 -- in the nation scoring a perfect 1,000 on the APR;
* the fifth-highest graduation rate among Division I-A football players, which was first among public universities;
* having three Academic All-Americans during the 2004-05 academic year, including women's basketball player Kate Endress, who was named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American of the Year for 2005.
