Dear Oregon State University Community Members,
With deep gratitude for his leadership and collaboration, I write to share that Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Barnes will retire effective Aug. 31. I am very pleased that Scott will continue to serve the university as a senior advisor for athletics through Aug. 31, 2027.
Since joining OSU in February 2017, Scott has been dedicated to Oregon State University, its athletics programs and OSU student-athletes. A national leader in intercollegiate athletics, Scott played a pivotal role in working with me to preserve and reimagine the new Pac-12 Conference. He represented the Pac-12 in implementing the landmark House settlement, which enables revenue sharing with student-athletes. Throughout his OSU service, he has championed the holistic development of the university’s 400-plus student-athletes across 17 sports programs, advancing pathways to success in competition, in academics and in life.
Throughout his career in collegiate athletics administration, Scott has been recognized as a leader in the industry. In 2014, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics honored him as an athletic director of the year recipient while at Utah State University. While at Utah State University, he chaired the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee for the 2014-15 season. While athletic director at Eastern Washington University, he was awarded a regional recognition by NACDA in 2005.
During his tenure at Oregon State, Scott oversaw a period of sustained growth and achievement across competition, student-athlete development, fundraising and capital projects, while also making head coach hires that helped shape the department’s success.
Under his leadership, OSU Athletics achieved notable competitive success, including OSU’s baseball national championship, our Elite Eight appearance by women’s basketball, an Elite Eight run by men’s basketball, our College Cup appearance by men’s soccer and our Women’s College World Series appearance by softball. In total, Oregon State teams earned 13 conference championships and 40 individual conference titles during his tenure. That success has been mirrored in the classroom, where student-athletes from all athletic programs have set department records for cumulative and term grade point averages.
I am also very grateful to Scott for his extensive fundraising success, which led to a number of athletics facilities upgrades for our Corvallis campus. These include the westside remodel of Reser Stadium, the Baseball Development Center, the Whyte Track and Field Center, the 20,000-square foot gymnastics practice facility and a new Field Sports Building to begin construction later this summer. Additionally, other projects included the remodel and expansion of Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, the Sports Performance Center (weight room), the Valley Football Center, the OSU Softball Complex (now Kelly Field) and Paul Lorenz Field, where men’s and women’s soccer is played.
Scott initiated the conversation regarding his retirement last August, and we worked collaboratively since that time to negotiate the best path forward. The launch of the new conference presented an optimal time to pursue a transition. We determined together that Scott’s continued counsel would be critical during the first year of our new conference and support the successful transition of new athletic department leadership.
I want to underscore that OSU’s commitment to athletics and the Pac-12 Conference is unwavering. For more than three years, Scott and I confronted challenges together and focused on prioritizing the holistic health and well-being of OSU student-athletes and their ability to continue to compete for championships.
OSU is committed to doing what is needed to win and to be successful in the new Pac-12 Conference. In addition to increased institutional support for OSU Athletics, we are seeing unprecedented support from donors and fans as we continue to pursue all means possible to raise money for athletics. As with every athletic department in the nation, OSU’s approach continues to evolve, and we will make bold moves based on data to support coaches and advance Oregon State’s athletics success.
Moving forward, the university will retain a search firm to conduct a national search for a new athletic director and will appoint members of a search committee in the coming weeks. We expect to name a new athletic director in the coming months.
Please join me in congratulating Scott on his retirement and thanking him for his continued support through this transition. He has been an extraordinary partner, advocate and champion of the university, its athletics programs and OSU student-athletes.
Go Beavs!
Jayathi Y. Murthy
President