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Iowa State University alumni donate $5M for endowed athletics director position
Iowa State University has received a $5 million gift to establish the Jamie and Ellen Pollard Endowed Director of Athletics. Shown here is Jack Trice Stadium on ISU's campus. (Photo via Google Earth)
Iowa State University’s athletics department’s leadership position will be permanently supported by a $5 million gift from alumni, the university announced Thursday.
The Ames university has received a $5 million commitment from an “anonymous alumni couple” to create the Jamie and Ellen Pollard Endowed Director of Athletics position, according to a university news release.
Jamie Pollard is described in the release by ISU interim president David Spalding as “Iowa State’s longest-tenured” athletics director — having served in the role since 2005 — who has built the university’s athletics into a “model program through his vision and unwavering commitment to student athletes.”
“His leadership has elevated the department to unprecedented success, proving how a thriving athletics program can uplift an entire campus community and drive a region’s economic vitality,” Spalding said in the release. “He and Ellen have also enriched the Ames community through their service. This is a well-deserved honor, and I’m grateful for the alumni couple’s extraordinary generosity that made the named position possible.”
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David Cook, who will take over as ISU’s 17th president in March, added in the release he looks forward to working with Pollard “to accelerate our fundraising efforts and ensure a bright future for our student-athletes and Cyclone Nation.”
Gift dollars will be used to support academic success among student athletes, as well as their development and “competitive excellence.” The release stated the funds can also be put toward the athletic department’s efforts to recruit and retain coaches and staff, and to help the department “successfully navigate the evolving college athletics landscape.”
ISU has halted construction projects, like Hilton Coliseum renovations and the development of a new wrestling facility, and implemented cost-saving measures to deal with projected annual funding gaps of close to $25 million through fiscal year 2031. The university’s athletics department shared with the Iowa Board of Regents in July 2025 how changes to contracts and collegiate sports infrastructure led to these actions becoming necessary.
While Pollard remains in the athletic director position, the release stated the job title will be Endowed Cyclone Director of Athletics.
Pollard said in the release he and his wife, Ellen, are “deeply humbled by this extraordinary and unexpected honor,” and are excited for what the funding will do for the future of ISU athletics.
“This endowed position is a profound investment in our student‑athletes, whose dedication and character define who we are as a department,” Pollard said in the release. “With the support of this generous alumni couple and Cyclone fan base, we are confident the athletics department will continue to remain an environment where young people are empowered to excel academically, compete fiercely and grow into leaders who will shape their communities and professions.”
