Football is more than a man's world when it comes to leadership at the Division I level of the sport.
Sandy Barbour, the vice president for intercollegiate athletics at Penn State, and Patty Viverito, the commissioner of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and the Pioneer Football League, are the current chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Division I Football Oversight Committee.
The group's mission is to provideappropriate oversight of football for both the Football Bowl Subdivision and NCAA Football Championship Subdivision; enhance the development of the sport; and make recommendations related to regular-season and postseason football.
The committee prioritizes enhancing the student-athlete educational experience, and in doing so, promotes student-athletes' personal growth and leadership development. It works in conjunction with appropriate governance entities to provide solutions to issues impacting the health and safety of football student-athletes.
Barbour and Viverito, who were guests on this week'sNCAA Social Series,have taken different paths to reach this point in their intercollegiate athletics careers. Viverito has led the Missouri Valley Football Conference for 36 seasons, and she's led the Pioneer Football League since 1994.
"Football has not always been an avenue that has been available to women," Viverito said. "I was fortunate that early on I was tabbed to run a football league when I was a commissioner of a women's sports league (Gateway Conference). … It was a new opportunity for a female commissioner. I appreciated the opportunity, and I'm glad there are a lot more women in the room now. College sports is better off because of it."
Barbour is in her eighth year leading Penn State's athletics department. Before that, she was the director of athletics at California (2004-14) and Tulane (1996-99).
Before being named athletics director at Tulane, Barbour never had full oversight of an intercollegiate football program.
"We all understand and recognize the role that football plays in major college athletics," Barbour said. "Certainly, at the FBS and FCS levels, it is not only the financial driver, it is the emotional driver for so many of our campuses. … What has shifted is that a lot of women as deputies or senior associates (athletics directors) have oversight of football or they are the day-to-day sport administrator of football."
Viverito and Barbour both say there is no formula for women who aspire to lead a Division I athletics department or be a conference commissioner.
Their best advice to those who are trying to achieve their goals in intercollegiate athletics administration is to stay passionate and open-minded.
"Playing to your strength is really important," Barbour said. "You have to figure out what you are good at. Do what you do well, and you will have other opportunities."
Viverito added: "Whatever opportunities that present themselves, don't shy away from them. Don't get fixated on geography or where you are going to live. Don't get fixated on the level of competition. Figure out what you can bring to the table, and whatever opportunity presents itself, say yes."
The Division I Football Oversight Committee managed the sport through the COVID-19 pandemic for the 2020 season and is now leading it through the continuation of the health emergency.
Fortunately, intercollegiate athletics is in a little different environment this time around.
"It's all about keeping our student-athletes, our coaches and our staffs safe and healthy," Barbour said. "We have tools this year that we didn't have last year. The vaccines are at the top of that list, and we're working hard to encourage everyone in the great sport of football to get vaccinated to protect each other."
Most games were played with few or no fans in the stadiums last year. The return of a more familiar college sports atmosphere has been a welcome sight for Viverito.
"One thing I've heard recently from the athletic directors in our league is that students are showing up in large numbers," Viverito said. "Even if there hasn't been a specific marketing effort to draw them, the students are ready for football to be back."