Northwestern’s new athletic director is eager to take advantage of the opportunities that the shifting landscape of collegiate sports will provide.
As Mark Jackson stood at the center court of Welsh-Ryan Arena, an almost palpable buzz permeated the audience. From Northwestern administrators and coaches to important donors and various media members, there was a shared sense that Sept. 3 was the unofficial start of a new era.
And no individual in the building did more to confirm that hunch than Jackson himself. After almost an hour of speeches and questions from the media, two things were clear. The first is that Northwestern Athletics believes itself to be set up for success in the short-term and long-term. The second is that the new athletic director is a key driver of that belief.
“There are just wonderful, wonderful opportunities here to take advantage of,” Jackson said on Tuesday. “It’s a little bit of a no-brainer in our industry, this place, because of all the attributes that it has.”
Whether he was speaking about the players, the coaches, the facilities or the fanbase, Jackson made it clear that he accepted the job because he sees Northwestern as one of the best places to be in college athletics. Thanks partially to his experience at Villanova, Jackson understands the unique requirements of athletic success at a top academic university, and is fully prepared to meet them.
“I believe what sets us apart are not challenges, but rather opportunities,” Jackson said. “As a top 10 university with top 10 academic programs across the board and one of the most successful and influential alumni bases in the world, why should Northwestern take any other approach with athletics than to strive to be in the top echelon of athletic programs across the country?”
And that approach involves two key factors: innovation and alignment. Jackson repeatedly centralized alignment as a key to success, whether that alignment was about NIL programs, athletic department reporting systems or working with the academic aspect of the student-athlete lifestyle. As Jackson put it, he wants his athletic department to “do our part to elevate everyone’s work.”
In terms of innovation, Jackson specifically keyed in on maximizing revenue. While the NCAA has always sought to cast college athletics as a not-for-profit, that thin veneer is crashing down thanks to various court cases and laws, with more (such as a potential revenue-sharing settlement for athletes set to be ruled on this week) looming on the horizon. Rather than bury his head in the sand and refuse to adapt, Jackson said he would face the new environment of collegiate athletics head-on.
“While many in our industry are bemoaning the dark clouds and impending storms that lie ahead, we’re going to look at all this coming as an incredible opportunity for Northwestern to thrive,” he said. “There’s a wealth of opportunities for us to tap into to creatively and innovatively think differently about how we create revenue to give back to our programs or student-athletes.”
And one of those opportunities is the new Ryan Field, set for completion in 2026. Jackson frequently referred to the new stadium as potentially the cream of the crop of those new opportunities. After successes at both USC and Villanova helping helm various facility projects, Jackson is arriving at Northwestern when maybe the most consequential building project in the school’s history is underway. For his part, Jackson is prepared to take full advantage of that.
“When you’re building one of the best, if not the best, college football stadium in America, that provides a wealth of opportunities to maximize revenue, enhance the fan experience and hopefully change the way we look at college athletics,” he said. “It will provide an immediate recruiting advantage, financial stability and a showcase for the campus, the Evanston community and the greater area of Chicago.”
Of course, Jackson isn’t merely some revenue-focused stuffed suit. He made it very clear that his first priority is the student-athletes, and that he’ll do whatever he can to make their experience as satisfying as possible. He said he wants the school to develop programming that “sets our experience apart” and that he wants to make sure the student-athletes can have “a comprehensive collegiate experience where they touch every corner of campus.”
The focus on the student-athlete as a whole person greatly appealed to Northwestern in its search for an athletic director. President Michael Schill was very clear that he was seeking an athletic director who would protect student-athletes, especially after the hazing scandals that rocked the athletic department in 2023. And even with a slate of several other excellent candidates, it became clear for Schill and the search committee that Jackson was the man for the job.
“I knew from the moment I met Mark that he shares Northwestern values…that he will prioritize our students’ welfare, that he will do everything in his power to help them succeed while they’re here and in life afterward,” Schill said Tuesday. “Ultimately, we found everything that we were looking for and more in Mark Jackson.”
And the values Jackson espoused during his speech made that incredibly clear. He continuously elaborated on plans to make sure that student-athletes feel like the athletic department is truly there to help them and support them.
“I just keep hammering that message home that my door is always open. Everything stops for a student-athlete, everything stops for a head coach,” Jackson said. “Come see me…I want to know about you. I want to know where you want to go, what you want to do, how I can help you get there.”
For Jackson, this value system is driven by his family, which he said was a major support in his decision to accept the position at Northwestern. He repeatedly brought up their influence on his leadership and life philosophies and made it clear that he seeks to bring a familial aspect to the athletic department as well.
“I look at things through the eyes of a dad,” he said. “I have kids that are just in this age bracket, 17 to 23…if you’re going through something, I want to look at it through the eyes of a dad and have that kind of care and compassion. I would give advice as though they were my sons or daughters.”
And that family even stretches outside just the athletic department, including students, fans and alumni. Family and friendship are two of Jackson’s four F’s, which along with faith and fun are the four tenets that drive his leadership philosophy. He made it clear that friendship will be crucial for his vision for the future.
“I want everybody to be a recruiter,” Jackson said. “I want everybody to be a fundraiser. I think we can build stronger bridges; I think that’s my role.”
And those bridges he wants to build will hopefully stretch deep into the alumni base. Jackson acknowledged that with Northwestern’s size, making sure the alumni are active and engaged is paramount. He wants alignment not just in policy, but also in enthusiasm from the top of the athletic department to the farthest-flung reaches of the fanbase.
“We’re gonna create events to try and bring people back, whether you just graduated or you’ve been away from Northwestern for years,” Jackson said. “We want to find ways to connect to you. Just give me a chance to find some middle ground, to tell our story and get you back in the fold any way that I know how.”