What Should Utah State Expect From Diana Sabau
A new athletics director is in town
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With Diana Sabua in place, the Utah State Athletics leadership team is finally complete. Guiding the university into the next chapter of Aggie athletics will be President Elizabeth “Betsy” R. Cantwell, Vice President & Athletics Director Diana Sabau, Associate Vice President & Deputy Athletics Director for External Affairs Jerry Bovee, and Executive Associate AD – Internal Affairs/Senior Woman Administrator. Sabau took her post on August 21st.
It’s difficult to predict how Sabau will fit in at Utah State or exactly what her tenure will look like. Her resume seems to promise that she will increase revenue, enable comprehensive success and win with integrity, and build a strong brand.
This is her first time serving as an athletic director, so she has plenty to prove and with no direct ties to the university adjusting to the culture at Utah State could be an imposing task. However, that should cause too much concern. While her lack of experience in this specific role shouldn’t be ignored, neither should her long track record of administrative success. Furthermore, any worries about culture should be eliminated by two simple facts. The first is that she understands a winning culture. The second is that she has Jerry Bovee.
Her strong, dynamic, thorough style of servant leadership should facilitate multidisciplinary success across the department. Working with her is a talented team of individuals ready to lead the Aggies into the future.
Sabau will be operating with a much smaller budget than the one she was accustomed to in Columbus. Coincidentally, this may be one of the first things she can address and fortunately, she is very well-equipped to do so. She has proven deal-making ability, fundraising prowess, and strong business acumen. At Ohio State, she worked closely with Learfield, CBS, and the Big Ten Network, among other companies, and she brokered an unprecedented multi-million-dollar deal with Nike.
Her work with Learfield is significant as Utah State recently announced an extension with the company. Additionally, her high-level experience with television providers might be exceptionally useful in the coming months and years. With conference realignment showing no signs of slowing down, having a well-connected leader with relationships and experience in the television industry could be key.
In her introductory press conference, she emphasized branding, something Ohio State and the Big Ten both excel at, and she has an ambitious vision for Utah State. Utah State already has a strong brand and she seems to want to paint the nation Aggie blue and fighting white.
Her unprecedented deal with Nike while she was at Ohio State is a bright spot on her resume and her relationship with the company is something the Aggies should be excited about.
Utah State is a Nike school and Nike is a big part of what the school is trying to do. Utah State recently unveiled new football jerseys with deep and meaningful ties to the strong history of Aggie football. Although this process unfolded prior to Sabua’s arrival, it shows the university’s commitment to its visual brand identity. Sabau’s shared commitment, combined with her experience, will be very helpful in the school’s efforts to define itself on a national stage.
Anchored in the memories of Merlin Olsen and the traditions of our past.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 & 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞. pic.twitter.com/UIWaKNWJNe
— USU Football (@USUFootball) August 11, 2023
Utah State’s original Nike contract in 2008 was a defining moment during a time period when the school was undergoing major changes. In the years surrounding 2008, the school, under new leadership from Gary Andersen, was seeing a resurgence on the football field, shifting from the WAC to the Mountain West, and redefining its position in the landscape of college athletics. The new logos and wordmarks, accompanied by new uniforms from Nike, were a significant part of that transition. Since then Nike has become a significant part of Utah State and its brand.
