HEADLINE

Reports: Iowa AD Gary Barta to retire

Field Level Media

May 26, 2023 at 3:14 pm.

Iowa athletic director Gary Barta, who served two years as the chairman of the College Football Playoff committee, intends to retire Aug. 1, multiple outlets reported Friday.

Barta has led Hawkeyes athletics since 2006, making him the fifth-longest tenured athletic director in the Power 5 conferences.

Under Barta, Iowa has four NCAA wrestling championships and 27 Big Ten team titles.

Barta, 59, served as the athletic director at Wyoming (2003-06) and as senior associate athletic director at Washington (1996-2003) before moving on to Iowa.

The Athletic reported that deputy athletic director Beth Goetz, 48, likely will fill the position on an interim basis. She previously was the athletic director at Ball State and the deputy AD and then acting AD at Minnesota (2013-16).

Barta’s tenure has been marked by both highs and lows.

Under his watch, Iowa has made facility upgrades worth more than $380 million and raised more than $650 million in private funds for athletic scholarships, operations and more, according to The Athletic’s calculations.

But the school also has paid out about $11 million to settle lawsuits that charged Iowa with discrimination.

Currently, about two dozen athletes and a staff members are being investigated for sports betting.