UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft has been announced as one of five finalists for Sports Business Journal’s Athletic Director of the Year Award.
Kraft, the leader of one of the nation’s most comprehensive and successful athletics programs with more than 800 student-athletes across 31 varsity programs, is joined on the finalist list for Athletic Director of the Year by Boise State’s Jeramiah Dickey, Vanderbilt’s Candice Storey Lee, Iowa State’s Jamie Pollard and Tennessee’s Danny White. The award winner will be selected by Sports Business Journal and announced on Wednesday, May 21, in New York City.
Under Kraft’s leadership, Penn State has enjoyed strong success during the 2024-25 athletics year while his vision has set a path forward for Penn State to continue to thrive athletically and academically for years to come. The Nittany Lions leads the Big Ten and sits third nationally in the Directors’ Cup Division I standings following the 2024 fall season.
In addition to the on-field success, Kraft has spearheaded multiple construction projects since his arrival that will have deep impacts on student-athletes for all 31 sports, including the $700 million Beaver Stadium Revitalization, Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex, Jeffrey Field Soccer Complex, Indoor Bubble and East Area Locker Room renovation. The Beaver Stadium Revitalization will grow revenue-generating opportunities, transform the fan and community experience, and fuel the future funding for all 31 athletics programs at Penn State. The Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex will provide a performance dining hall and wellness center for all 31 athletics programs.
The women’s volleyball team, led by head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, won the Division I National Championship in December as the Nittany Lions knocked off Louisville, 3-1, in the championship match. Schumacher-Cawley became the first female head coach to win a Division I women’s volleyball championship as the Nittany Lions won their first national title since 2014.
The football team, led by head coach James Franklin, won a program-record 13 games while advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl. The Nittany Lions earned a 38-10 win over 11th-seed SMU in the CFP First Round and followed with a 31-14 victory over 3rd-seed Boise State in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. The Nittany Lions finished No. 4 in the CFP rankings.
The women’s ice hockey team advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third-straight year after winning its third-straight AHA Championship. Women’s ice hockey concluded the 2024-25 campaign with 31 victories, the most in program history. The team’s 19 AHA wins set a conference single-season record.
Penn State women’s soccer, coached by Erica Dambach, reached the NCAA Quarterfinals. The women’s cross country team, led by head coach John Gondak, placed 15th in the 2024 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, as Penn State earned its highest team finish since 2012.
Wrestling (regular season and tournament) and men’s gymnastics (regular season) won Big Ten championships thus far in the winter season, with NCAA Championships scheduled for the coming weeks.
With spring seasons just beginning, the Penn State men’s lacrosse team ranks top five in the nation, while the Penn State baseball team is off to a 14-4 start and off to its best 18-game start since 1979.
Penn State has one of the nation's most comprehensive and successful athletic programs, featuring 800 student-athletes across 31 varsity programs (16 men's, 15 women's). The Nittany Lions' 31 programs are tied for the fourth-highest number of sports sponsored by a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institution.