Inside the Troy Dannen to Iowa State Rumors: Why He Might Leave Nebraska and Why He Would Stay

With Dannen rumored as a candidate for the Iowa State AD job, Dave Feit looks at why Huskers fans should - or should not - worry.

Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jamie Pollard, Iowa State's longtime athletic director is retiring and announced that he will be leaving his office soon.  His replacement has not been named, and the man making the hire (Iowa State's president, David Cook) has not offered a list of candidates.  Among the names being speculated for the job is Nebraska's current athletic director, Troy Dannen. 

Alec Busse, a writer for Iowa State's 247 Sports site, posted Dannen's name on the Cyclone Alert board this week, saying in part, "Not sure how serious things are with Dannen, and I question why Dannen would leave a B1G AD position for a Big 12 AD job.  I suppose there could be some poor alignment or some political things that could make him want to depart Nebraska, and Iowa State is close to his home." 

Should Husker fans be worried about Troy Dannen going to Iowa State?  

In looking at it from both sides, I can see reasons why Dannen might be interested in the job, as well as some reasons why this is little more than in-season palace intrigue. 

Reasons why Dannen might consider Iowa State 

Proximity and the "No Place Like Home" factor.   

A big reason that Dannen left Washington for Nebraska was a desire to be closer to his Midwestern family.  Originally from Marshalltown, Iowa (approximately 40 miles due east of Ames), Dannen graduated from - and started his career at - the University of Northern Iowa (75 miles east of Marshalltown).   

I don't know how much family Dannen has in Iowa, or how frequently he visits.  But I do know that 40 miles is a lot closer than the current trip from Lincoln (approximately three hours by car). 

It is hard to speculate on how much being back in Iowa would mean to Dannen, or if being across the river is good enough.  But I do know that for many, the "there's no place like home" draw is hard to ignore. 

He’s tired of angry pushback from boosters and fans. 

Dannen has been unwavering and unapologetic in his efforts to implement the financial channels he believes Nebraska needs to stay relevant in the current era of college athletics.   

He has taken on many bitter-pill projects that his predecessors punted or ignored: 

• The Husker Athletic Fund (HAF) replaced previous systems used to determine access to tickets.  Instead of rewarding lifetime loyalty, the HAF formula is primarily based on what I call the “what have you given to me lately?" model.
• Removing the grandfathering exception on season tickets at Memorial Stadium.  There are currently longtime season ticket holders sitting on the 50-yard line (and elsewhere throughout the stadium) who have not been paying the full per-seat "donation" price that a new season ticket holder would have to pay to sit in those seats.  This exception dates back to the Bill Byrne days in the 1990s. 
• A major - and long overdue - renovation of Memorial Stadium that will shore up crumbling infrastructure and elevate the fan experience.  That's great… except for the 20,000 fans in South Stadium who may not have a seat for the 2027 season. 
• Reseating projects for volleyball and football (with basketball to follow).  HAF points are the primary factor for securing access, which determines how close you can sit to the action.  Hundreds of longtime volleyball fans lost their lower-level spots during the reseating.  And there will likely be thousands of Husker fans who will not be able to keep the seats they've had in their family for years - or in some cases, generations.
• The priority order for high demand tickets - volleyball season tickets, softball and baseball regionals, etc. - is based on HAF points.  For the softball regionals and super regionals, it meant football donors who had never stepped foot in Bowlin Stadium were ahead of most softball season ticket holders.   

Each one of these initiatives - while necessary to drive revenue that Nebraska needs to stay competitive - has angered loyal, longtime fans and boosters.  I cannot begin to imagine the number of unpleasant conversations from fans who were (or are about to be) unable to secure their desired seats without a significant increase in their annual giving.   

The power brokers within Nebraska and/or the university system. 

Let me put this delicately:  Over the years, Nebraska has earned a reputation as a place where rocking the boat is frowned upon - especially if the person doing the rocking is an "outsider."  There is a power structure behind the scenes at the University that demands respect and wants to give their input – if not to call the shots outright. 

Over the years, Nebraska has lost some excellent leaders and administrators (Bill Byrne, Ted Carter, Ronnie Green, and Trev Alberts, to name a few).  Some left for bigger and (arguably) better opportunities.  But others - notably, Alberts and possibly Byrne - realized that their ability to do what they thought was best for Nebraska and/or specific Husker sports was limited by the real power brokers.  For them, it was easier to leave than try to fight a political battle. 

Trev Alberts surprised Nebraska fans by leaving for Texas A&M in 2024. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Is this what the Iowa State 247 writer was referring to when he said "I suppose there could be some poor alignment or some political things that could make him want to depart Nebraska"?  Maybe.  Maybe not. 

All I know is if Dannen leaves for another job (especially one that would be viewed as a step down) this is the first - and likely only - reason I would cite. 

Reasons to not worry about Dannen leaving 

Going to Iowa State would likely result in a significant pay cut.   

Dannen's current contract (which runs through the end of March 2030) will pay him $1.8 million in the 2026-27 academic year.  Dannen's base salary increases by $100,000 every year. 

In addition to his base salary, Dannen can also receive annual bonuses for: 

• A retention bonus for not leaving.  If Dannen is still employed by Nebraska on March 31, 2027, he will earn $200,000.  Additional bonuses - increasing by $50,000 a year - will be paid every April through the remainer of his contract… as long as he doesn't leave. 
• NU's performance in the NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR).  A score between 970 and 984 earns $100,000.  A score of 985 or higher is worth $110,000.  Based on publicly available data in the NCAA's APR Database, it would appear as if Dannen has earned this bonus.
• The athletic department's finish in the Learfield IMG College Director's Cup, which ranks athletic departments based on the successes of their collective sports.  Dannen can earn a bonus of anywhere between $160,000 (26th - 30th place) and $220,000 (15th or better) each year, depending on how highly the department finishes.  In the 2025-26 academic year, Nebraska finished 17th - their best finish in 25 years.  This earned Dannen $200,000. 
• The football team winning the Big Ten Championship ($100,000) and/or College Football Playoff ($150,000). 

If I read the terms of Dannen's contract correctly, he would have earned around $2.1 million in base salary and bonuses last year.  This does not include the other perks of the job, such as the 35 hours of private jet time for personal use he receives. 

Meanwhile, Jamie Pollard, who has been Iowa State's athletic director since 2005, has a salary of $900,000.  That is half of Dannen's current base salary. 

 Iowa State's athletic department has a severe budget deficit. 

Let's say that Dannen wants to leave Nebraska because he is tired of having to nickel and dime fans for money to keep the programs competitive.   

Well… I've got bad news about what is currently going on in Ames.  A year ago, the Cyclones predicted a $147 million deficit over six years.  To get around this, Iowa State slashed their budget, pulled from their cash reserves, delayed construction projects, and raised ticket prices.  And they’re still not out of the woods. 

Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Maybe Dannen is looking for a fresh fundraising challenge.  If so, Iowa State definitely fits the bill.  Otherwise, Nebraska’s status as one of the few self-supporting athletic departments in all of college sports would likely seem enticing. 

 One other thing:  Dannen's contract has a hefty buyout if he leaves for another job.  Any school attempting to hire Dannen away before April 2027 would owe Nebraska $8.9 million.  If Iowa State is strapped for cash, I don't see them finding an extra $9 million in the couch cushions. 

The Big Ten is a more prestigious conference than the Big 12. 

As a Nebraska fan, I admittedly have some biases towards NU's current and former conferences.  But there is no debate that the Big Ten Conference is more a prestigious league than the Big 12.  Even if Iowa State's football program has had more success than Nebraska in the last decade (and they have), Nebraska having a seat at the table (and a full revenue share) in one of the two premier college conferences matters more.   

Troy Dannen has served on a number of committees within the NCAA, and is currently a member of the CFP Selection Committee.  Would those same opportunities exist if Dannen was no longer in the Big Ten?  Yes.  But his voice carries more weight as the representative for a Big Ten school. 

Dannen's career trajectory has been moving to bigger and better jobs.  FCS to the American.  The American to the Pac-12.  Pac-12 to the Big Ten.  Stepping back down to the Big 12 makes little sense. 

Dannen is surrounded by winners at Nebraska. 

Across the department, Nebraska athletics is in an excellent spot.  Volleyball is the No. 1 team - and program - in the sport.  Men's basketball made the Sweet 16 for the first time ever.  Wrestling is a consistent top 10 team.  Softball made the Women's College World Series.  Heck, even Nebraska's football team is off to their best start in a decade.  And on and on. 

As mentioned above, NU finished 17th in the most recent Learfield IMG College Director's Cup (5th best among the Big Ten).  Iowa State was 43rd (7th in the Big 12).  While I am of the opinion that a lot of the foundation for this success was laid during the Trev Alberts era, Dannen deserves credit for doing exactly what he said he would do in his introductory press conference:  "My job is to be out in front, plowing things out of the way, so they can run uninterrupted behind me." 

Check. 

* * * 

Wednesday afternoon, Randy Peterson - who spent 52 years at the Des Moines Register, including several years as its Iowa State columnist - threw some cold water on the rumors: 

"I’ve seen Troy Dannen is being mentioned as candidate for next ISU AD. Sounded odd, but I checked. A highly informed source close to Troy just told me he 'Has not been, is not and will not be a candidate’ to be next ISU AD." 

Is that the end of it?  Or will the speculation continue until Iowa State hires Pollard's successor? 

* * * 

Personally, I'm not worried about Dannen leaving for Iowa State… or anywhere else for that matter. 

Is his job easy?  Nope.  Does he hear harsh criticism about every single change that occurs under his watch - from softball regional tickets to the volleyball reseat to removing urinal troughs to comply with building codes?  You betcha.   

Are there personality conflicts and ego clashes with some of the power brokers in the state?  I can't confirm it, but it definitely would not surprise me.  Whenever things like money, passion, tradition, power, politics, and sports are involved, everybody believes their way is the best and only way. 

Troy Dannen and head football coach Matt Rhule after the Huskers' 2024 win against Wisconsin. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The nature of an athletic director's job is to make difficult decisions that will inevitably piss people off.  In my opinion, the best ADs care more about results than they do about being loved.  I don't see Troy Dannen as a "they don't like me so I'm going to tuck tail and run home to Iowa" kind of guy.   

Of course, I thought this throughout the Trev Alberts era, all the way up until he officially resigned to go to College Station.  Could it happen again?  Yes.  In this era of college athletics anything is possible.   

If that happens, there will be a host of new questions and concerns to discuss.  But until then, I'm not going to lose sleep over these rumors, and neither should you.  

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