This is the second AD of the Year award for NDSU Director of Athletics, Matt Larsen, who was recognized with the same award in 2019.
The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced NDSU’s Matt Larsen as one of four recipients of the NACDA AD of the Year award in the Football Championship Subdivision on Monday, March 17.
The AD of the Year Award highlights the efforts of 28 athletics directors at all levels of college athletics for their commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, campuses and their surrounding communities. Winners will be recognized on Tuesday, June 10, at NACDA's 60th annual convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando.
This is the second AD of the Year award for Larsen, who was recognized with the same award in 2019.
Now in his 11th year leading the NDSU athletic department and its 16 Division I sports, Larsen is also active on the national landscape serving as chair of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee and the Summit League Joint Council in 2024-25.
The NDSU football team won its 10th NCAA Division I FCS national championship under the direction of first-year head coach Tim Polasek in 2024. The Bison won five conference championships over the past year including the Missouri Valley Football Conference title, Summit League championships in women’s soccer and women’s indoor track and field, and last spring’s championships for men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.
Student-athletes have also been successful in the classroom, where all of NDSU’s teams averaged better than a 3.20 team GPA during the fall 2024 semester. NDSU implemented the Graduating Champions Award in 2024-25, which makes funds available to all Bison student-athletes (scholarship and non-scholarship) who meet semester and cumulative GPA requirements.
