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2w ago

Former Nike CEO John Donahoe Named Stanford Athletic Director

Stanford’s new AD will leverage corporate experience along with alumni insights to craft a sustainable framework for the department during a pivotal shift in college athletics.

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Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
FILE -John Donahoe, President and CEO of eBay, speaks at the Web. 2.0 Conference in San Francisco, Oct. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
John Donahoe, CEO of Nike at the Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., July 10, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/ File Photo

Overview

  • Donahoe will officially assume duties as Stanford’s eighth athletic director on September 8, 2025.
  • His corporate leadership includes CEO tenures at Nike, ServiceNow and eBay, leadership roles at Bain & Company and PayPal, and he holds an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
  • He will oversee the university’s 36-sport program, with football general manager Andrew Luck reporting directly to him instead of to President Jonathan Levin.
  • Donahoe is tasked with revitalizing marquee teams after four consecutive 3–9 football seasons and a decade-long men’s basketball NCAA tournament drought.
  • He must build a sustainable financial and operational model as the department navigates evolving name-image-rights regulations, revenue sharing, transfer portal expansions, conference realignment.