Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin Signs 3-Year Extension

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin has signed a three-year extension that will keep him under contract through 2030, a person familiar with the deal told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Friday. Financial details were not disclosed.

Scott Stricklin Joined Florida In November 2016

His new deal was reached after the Gators won a national championship in men’s basketball, the third in program history and the first under coach Todd Golden. Stricklin hired Golden in March 2022.

In 2020, Stricklin was named the athletic director of the year by the Sports Business Journal and agreed to an extension through 2027 along with a 33% raise to $1.8 million annually, per Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel.

Under Stricklin, Florida also opened an $85 million football facility and a $65 million baseball stadium. The athletic program has preliminary plans to undergo a $1 billion renovation project for Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, better known as “the Swamp.”

According to Florida’s staff directory, Stricklin succeeded Jeremy Foley, who served as Florida’s athletic director for 25 years. Stricklin became the Gators’ 14th athletic director in school history on Nov. 1, 2016.

Along the way, the Gators have won 13 national titles, including at least one in each of his nine years at the school, and 45 conference crowns while leading one of the most recognizable brands in college sports.

Florida’s football program has yet to enjoy similar success under coach Billy Napier, who enters Saturday night’s season opener against Long Island University just 19-19 in three seasons.

However, the No. 15 Gators ended 2024 on a four-game winning streak, the longest current streak in the SEC, and are ranked in the preseason for the first time since 2021.

Stricklin Previously Served As Mississippi State’s Athletic Director

Stricklin came to Florida with over 29 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics, including six as athletic director at his alma mater, Mississippi State University.

The Jackson, Miss., native spearheaded over $140 million in facility improvements while leading MSU, along with substantial increases in booster club membership and donations.

MSU’s student-athletes also flourished academically under Stricklin’s leadership, posting a combined 3.0 GPA in 2014-15, marking the highest in MSU’s history.

In addition, Stricklin received the 2015-16 Athletic Director of the Year Award from the National Association of College Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which recognizes the efforts of athletic directors at all levels.

Stricklin also served as the associate media relations director at Auburn University from 1993-98. He then moved on to Tulane to become an assistant athletic director and the primary media contact for the Green Wave’s football team before a four-year stint at Baylor from 1999-2003 as the Assistant AD for Communications and Marketing.

Following his Baylor tenure, Stricklin returned to the SEC to work as the Associate AD for Media Relations at Kentucky from 2003-08, overseeing day-to-day publicity of Wildcat basketball.

Stricklin, who also served a three-year stint as a member on the college football Playoff Selection Committee, has been considered among the nation’s top ADs.