David Sayler

David Sayler is in his second season as the University of South Dakota’s Athletic Director. Sayler was named the school’s 12th athletic director on June 24, 2010.

With an emphasis on improving the overall student-athlete experience, Sayler was instrumental in several accomplishments during his first year at South Dakota. He secured the Coyote football team’s membership in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, starting with the 2012 season. The move to the MVFC will renew South Dakota’s rivalries with South Dakota State and North Dakota State.

Sayler also has a been a driving force in South Dakota’s Master Facilities Plan, which includes a new basketball arena, DakotaDome upgrades, a new outdoor track and a soccer field. The South Dakota Board of Regents gave approval for South Dakota to move forward with arena and facilities plans in June. A portion of the DakotaDome upgrades are in place, as new red seating was installed on the east side.

Sayler also helped South Dakota purchase a new basketball floor, which will be in use for the first time in 2011-12. He also has played a vital role in the school’s development of a new athletic logo that was officially implemented on Aug. 27, 2011.

South Dakota also signed a contract to partner with Learfield Sports in early 2011, a move that will go into effect for the 2011-12 athletic season. Learfield will handle aspects of signage and sponsorship at athletic venues, certain radio and television program and management of the Coyote Radio Network.

Coyote student-athletes also thrived in the classroom during Sayler’s first year, posting a 3.102 GPA in the Fall 2010 semester and a 3.195 GPA in the Spring 2011 semester.

Sayler is also implementing a Coyote letterwinner program for student-athletes, which will reward letterwinners with letterjackets and other items to recognize their time as South Dakota athletes.

Prior to joining the Coyotes, Sayler served as the Senior Executive Athletic Director at Rice University for four years, while also heading the department as Interim Athletic Director from October 2009 to March 2010. He was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the entire athletic department, directly overseeing all internal operations of the athletic department, as well as providing administrative oversight for all 16 of Rice’s sports. He also assisted with the development of a Strategic Plan for Rice Athletics and served as the administrator of that plan for the department.

Sayler was also crucial in several facility projects across campus. He directed the funding model, planning and building of a $26 million renovation of Autry Court, as well as the $41 million construction of a recreation center. During his time at Rice, he oversaw facility improvements including: the installation of Fieldturf ($1 million) at Rice Stadium, the replacement of Cameron Field ($1.2 million) at Reckling Park and the installation of a new scoreboard ($500,000) at Reckling Park. He also served on the steering committee for the new recreation center.

Sayler also served as the Assistant Tournament Director for the 2008 and 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball South Regionals held in Reliant Stadium. In addition, he served as the Tournament Coordinator for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 NCAA Baseball Regional and Super Regionals held on the Rice University campus. Under his watch, Rice Athletics had a balanced budget for fiscal years 2007 and 2008, the first times that ever occurred under the Board-approved budget funding model for athletics. Accomplishments on the field during include the football team making 2 bowl games, the baseball team making consecutive trips to the College World Series in Omaha, the women’s volleyball team making the NCAA tournament, and the women's track and cross country team winning the Conference USA Championship. Sayler came to Rice in August 2006 after spending two seasons as Associate Athletic Director for Business Operations at Oregon State University.

With the Beavers, Sayler served as a member of the senior management team and directly managed all aspects of the department's $36 million annual budget, working with each coach to plan their individual sport budgets. Sayler also served as the tournament coordinator for the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Baseball Regional and Super Regionals held at OSU. In addition, Sayler planned and directed consecutive trips for the Beaver baseball team to the College World Series, where the team captured the National Championship in 2006.

Prior to Oregon State, Sayler was the Associate Athletic Director for Business Operations at Bowling Green State University (2001-2005) in Ohio. At BGSU, he oversaw operations for the business, ticket and marketing departments. At Bowling Green, he directed the process of evolving from an annual operating deficit of $900,000 upon his arrival to working with a balanced budget in his last two years. Prior to his arrival at BGSU, he served nearly two years as the Assistant Athletic Director for Business Operations at the University of Houston (1999-2001), and as the Assistant Athletic Director for Business Operations at the University of Hartford (1998-1999).

When he went to the University of Hartford, Sayler switched over to the internal side of collegiate athletics after spending years on the external side of the business. He worked at the University of Georgia Athletic Association for two years (1996-1998) as the Director of Promotions before leaving for Hartford. At Georgia, Sayler marketed 6 of the Top 10 crowds in Women's Basketball history, including the 1st sellout ever for the program. He also sold sponsorships, and managed and fulfilled them, with major companies such as Wendy's and Coca-Cola.

Sayler began his intercollegiate career with a two-year stint as a Marketing Assistant at the University of Connecticut (1994-1996), while simultaneously earning his Masters Degree in Sports Administration. At Connecticut, Sayler assisted in the generation of over $1 million of sponsorship revenue. After graduation from Ohio Wesleyan University (1991) with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting, Sayler worked three years in the private sector spending time with Ernst & Young in Cleveland and Peterson Consulting in Chicago.

David Sayler is married to the former Katie Fitzgerald of Bowling Green, Ohio. The couple has two sons, Connor Jameson, born on January 16, 2007, and Liam Patrick, born on December 9, 2009.

About David Sayler
Birthdate: Sept. 6, 1969
Hometown: Greenwich, Conn.
Family: Wife, Katie, Sons, Connor and Liam
Alma Mater: Ohio Wesleyan University, B.A. in Accounting (1991)
University of Connecticut, M.A. in Sports Management (1996)
Professional Experience: Rice University, Senior Executive Athletics Director (2006-present)
Oregon State University, Associate Athletic Director for Business Operations (2005-06)
Bowling Green State University, Associate Athletic Director for Finance/External Operations (2001-05)
University of Houston, Assistant Athletic Director of Business Operations (1999-2001)
University of Hartford, Assistant Athletic Director of Business Operations (1998-99)
University of Georgia, Assistant Director of Marketing/Promotions (1996-98)
University of Connecticut, Marketing Assistant (1994-96)
Peterson Consulting, Litigation Consultant (1992-94)

What they’re saying about David Sayler
“The University of South Dakota has made an inspired hire in David Sayler. I have been lucky and honored to have David at my side during my early tenure as the Rice Athletic Director. David is highly competent, a consensus builder, articulate and passionate about student-athletes and intercollegiate athletics. Most importantly, David is a man with unbending principles and a strong moral compass. He represents the type of leader an intercollegiate athletic department must have to meet the academic, financial, competitive and political challenges of the future. The entire state of South Dakota is a better place today with the Sayler family as residents and neighbors.”
Richard Greenspan - Rice University Athletic Director

“David Sayler has been an immense contributor to the success of Rice Athletics, both as Senior Associate AD and as interim AD. He is a person of enormous integrity, vision and skill, and the University of South Dakota is fortunate to have recruited him. We will greatly miss him, but wish him well on the success that undoubtedly lies ahead.”
David Leebron - Rice University President

"Dave Sayler is an outstanding selection to be the next director of athletics at the University of South Dakota. He brings tremendous experience in all aspects of external relations and internal operations while also having a deep appreciation for the academic mission of higher education. Everyone in the UConn Family knows that he will have the same well-deserved level of success that he had at our University and with every other opportunity since then."
Jeffrey A. Hathaway - University of Connecticut Director of Athletics

“David is one of the brightest young administrators in college sports. He understands the value of higher education and has experience in virtually every area of our field. Any institution would benefit from his leadership.”
Britton Banowsky - Conference USA Commissioner

“I have had the pleasure of working with David and believe he is an outstanding collegiate athletics administrator. He is passionate, thoughtful, dedicated and has worked very hard for this opportunity. I am sure he will do an outstanding job for the University of South Dakota."
Paul Krebs - University of New Mexico Vice President for Athletics

University of South Dakota Athletic Directors
1923-28 - L.B. Allison
1928-35 - S.B. Backman
1935-56 - Carl “Rube” Hoy
1957-61 - Ralph “Boot” Stewart
1961-71 - John Roning
1971-76 - Carl Miller
1976-81 - Beanie Cooper
1981-82 - Bobby Thompson
1983-98 - Jack Doyle
1998-03 - Kelly Higgins
2003-10 - Joel Nielsen
2010-present - David Sayler