Jeff Mitchell was named the AD at Ball State in February 2023 and has the Cardinals flying in the right direction. Mitchell starts with an explanation of how he evaluates a football game himself and then with his team. He then gives some advice to aspiring ADs on how to prepare and what to expect in joining a president's cabinet. Smith asks how far out an AD can realistically look and prepare for without getting distracted by what needs dealt with in the day-to-day changes. Mitchell talks about his communication strategy with BSU stakeholders by joining and giving updates on the athletic department's weekly podcast, "This Week In Ball State Sports." The conversation turns to an Indiana-specific question (Travis resides in Indianapolis) about how BSU can find pockets of new fans in a state that loves their college and professional sports teams. Mitchell has both a JD and MBA, which he feels he uses every day in the job, and Smith uses it as another Public Service Announcement advocating for lifelong learning and encourages listeners to take some classes or a new degree if their institution offers tuition benefits for employees. Finally, Mitchell shares the behind-the-scenes details of how he morphed into Charlie the Cardinal mascot for a promotional video. See it here: https://youtu.be/6VIlNwTsSIY?si=EZj8R9n4G9subVFU
0:00 Introduction
0:50 Evaluating Football Game Days
5:00 Institutional Profile
6:30 Preparing to Join a President's Cabinet
12:50 Early Evaluations as an Incoming AD
17:55 Looking Too Far Ahead in College Athletics
21:55 Communication Strategy with Weekly BSU Athletics Podcast
27:25 Finding New Pockets of Fans in Sports-Crazed Indiana
32:35 JD + MBA = AD
40:45 Charlie the Cardinal or Jeff the AD?
