N'Western AD to move to role guiding NIL strategy

Northwestern AD Derrick Gragg will be leaving his role to become the school's VP/Athletic Strategy, where he will "oversee athletic strategy for the university, focusing on name, image and likeness and other major initiatives." Gragg, who has served as AD since June 2021, will take on his new role "after his permanent replacement is hired." He will remain AD until then and will "advise university president Michael Schill and others on the search." The new AD and Gragg will "work together in certain areas," while both will report to Schill. Gragg began discussing the role with the university in recent weeks, "noting the massive changes in college athletics and the need to address areas such as NIL, potential athlete unionization/employment, conference realignment and gambling." He said that "growing revenue and NIL will be his priorities, and praised TrueNU, Northwestern's NIL collective" ( ESPN.com, 6/13 ).