The University of Toledo announced today that it has extended the contract of Vice President and Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair through June 30, 2030, ensuring the continued leadership of one of the most dynamic and forward-thinking athletics administrators in the nation.
“Bryan Blair is a visionary collegiate athletic director who has done much to advance the visibility of The University of Toledo and to create a strong bond with the community of our city. The Rockets are without question dominating the Mid-American Conference, and we owe much of this success to Bryan’s leadership,” said UToledo President James Holloway. “Bryan’s dedication to our student-athletes is incredible, and his ability to think about the university as a whole and about athletics’ place within it is wonderful.”
The University of Toledo announced that it has extended the contract of Vice President and Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair through June 30, 2030. Blair has led Rockets to record-breaking championships, fundraising and national recognition.
Blair, who joined the Rockets in 2022 as the 14th Director of Athletics in school history, has quickly elevated the program into one of the Mid-American Conference’s premier athletic departments and a rising national brand. At the time of his hire, Blair was the youngest FBS athletic director in the country, and in 2024, he was named to the prestigious Sports Business Journal “Forty Under 40” list, recognizing him as one of the most influential rising leaders in sports and entertainment.
Under Blair’s leadership, Toledo has enjoyed unprecedented competitive success. Since his arrival, the Rockets have captured 13 Mid-American Conference championships — more than the previous decade combined — and became the first FBS school in history to win outright conference titles in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s cross country, women’s tennis and men’s tennis in the same academic year in 2022-23. The following year, Toledo swept both the Reese (men’s) and Jacoby (women’s) all-sports trophies for the first time in school history, while securing its third consecutive Cartwright Award as the MAC’s top overall athletics program.
“Every day, I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve this great institution and lead one of the premier athletics departments in the country,” Blair said. “I want to thank President James Holloway for his trust and support, and Interim President Matt Schroeder for his partnership over the past year. I’m especially grateful to my wife, Jenna, for being my greatest teammate on this journey. Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank our student-athletes, coaches, staff and supporters whose commitment, talent and teamwork have driven record-breaking success athletically and academically, while shattering revenue generation and community engagement records over the past three years.”
Blair also has delivered transformative growth off the field. The department set new all-time fundraising records, including a 92% increase in major gifts from FY24 to FY25, and surpassed $11.5 million in pledges to the 1923 Society. A $4 million commitment from Marcia and Roy Armes in 2024 stands as the second-largest cash gift in Toledo Athletics history. Blair has renegotiated major partnerships with Nike and Learfield to expand revenue and enhance NIL opportunities for student-athletes.
Since 2022, Blair has driven the modernization of Rocket Athletics through the “Rise Together” strategic plan, a facility master plan and the introduction of innovative fan and student engagement initiatives. Key facility upgrades include new Glass Bowl turf, a cutting-edge videoboard at Savage Arena — the largest in the conference — and the launch of the Nancy and James Lapp Creative Studio, home to the first Vu One virtual production technology in college athletics.
Toledo’s fan experience has surged during Blair’s tenure. Football and women’s basketball have led the MAC in attendance each year since 2022, with record-breaking student sections and new gameday features like the “Touchdown Tank,” live music and interactive tailgates. In 2024-25 alone, more than 450,000 visitors came to Athletics venues for Rocket games, youth camps, concerts, graduation ceremonies and other special events.
Blair’s commitment to the student-athlete experience is equally impactful. Toledo student-athletes have posted a cumulative GPA above 3.3 for six straight semesters, won the MAC Institutional Academic Award in 2023 with a school-record GPA, and benefited from new initiatives such as the Rockets Ascend Pathways Program, “Dining With the Deans,” and the first department-wide AI training program in the country.
Since his arrival more than three years ago, Blair has focused on strengthening the relationship between Toledo Athletics, the University and the Toledo community. Blair has strengthened Toledo Athletics’ connection with the downtown riverfront with the addition of women’s rowing as a varsity sport, revived the Glass Bowl as a major regional entertainment destination with the “Glass City Live” concert featuring the Zac Brown Band last May and deepened the department’s civic engagement through numerous community service projects.
The department also has emerged as a national leader in NIL activation. Toledo became the first MAC school with a collective, the first to partner with Campus Ink for exclusive NIL apparel and the first to secure national brand deals for women’s basketball student-athletes with Powerade and automotive partners. A full-time NIL executive now leads strategy, ensuring Rockets remain at the forefront of this evolving space.
“College athletics is undergoing tremendous change, but I believe each shift brings new opportunities — if we continue to leverage our unparalleled community and campus support and maintain our innovative, growth-oriented mindset,” Blair said. “Toledo Athletics is a championship-caliber program with unmatched potential. We are built for even greater competitive success, national prominence and the continued ability to serve our campus and community while staying true to our mission of transforming lives while elevating the University and community through the power of sports. The best is yet to come. Go Rockets!”
Blair and his wife, Jenna, reside in Toledo with their daughter, Brielle, and son, Beau.
