Charlotte 49ers Director of Athletics Judy Rose is one of five finalists for the 2013 Sports Business Journal Athletic Director of the Year. The honor will be presented Wednesday, May 21, at the journal’s awards ceremony in New York City.
The other finalists are Mike Alden, University of Missouri; Greg Byrne, University of Arizona; Kevin White, Duke University; and Scott Woodward, University of Washington. Rose is the lone finalist who does not come from a 2013 BCS conference.
Rose is considered one of the most respected collegiate athletics directors in the country. She led a Charlotte 49ers program that broke new ground in 2013. This memorable year included fielding the 49ers first NCAA Division I football team; the opening of a spectacular 15,314-seat, on-campus football stadium; and a successful move to Conference USA that puts the 49ers on the fastest possible track to compete in an FBS Conference.
The year also saw record increases in fundraising, standing-room only capacity crowds for the start-up football program, huge jumps in brand awareness, marketing revenue and social media followers and the creation of a local TV partnership in the nation’s 25th–ranked market.
Named a “game changer” by the Sports Business Journal, Rose received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Charlotte Business Journal. She also served as an invited guest on CBS This Morning’s national broadcast (Jan. 10, 2014).
A former NACDA president, Rose was the first woman selected to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee. During her tenure, the 49ers have continued a consistent goal of producing athletic and academic excellence while prioritizing a culture of giving back to the community.