Alabama hires Arizona's Greg Byrne as athletic director

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) Alabama is hiring Greg Byrne to replace retiring athletic director Bill Battle. The university announced Monday that Byrne, currently

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) Alabama is hiring Greg Byrne to replace retiring athletic director Bill Battle.

The university announced Monday that Byrne, currently Arizona's vice president for athletics, will take over March 1. The hire needs approval from Alabama trustees.

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

• Miami (FL)
• Georgia
• Utah
• Indiana
• Alabama
• Kentucky
• Texas
• UCLA
• BYU
• Ole Miss
• Notre Dame
• Ohio State

PREREGISTER TO PLAY

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See Official Rules for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

The 45-year-old Byrne has run Arizona's athletic department since 2010, following a stint as Mississippi State's athletic director. Byrne is the son of Bill Byrne, who retired as Texas A&M's athletic director in 2012.

The 75-year-old Battle announced his retirement plans Sunday night, saying he will become special assistant to the president.

Byrne joins an athletic program that has won 10 national championships in five sports since 2008, including four titles in football.