Indiana University Athletics Director Scott Dolson Named the 2026 NACDA Athletics Director of the Year The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics announced today that Indiana University Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Dolson has been named a winner of the 2026 NACDA Athletics Director of the Year Award. Dolson was honored in the Division I FBS category and becomes the first IU athletic director to win the award, which was first presented in 1999. Dolson will be recognized alongside the other honorees at the NACDA Convention in Las Vegas on June 9.
Dolson is in his sixth year as Indiana University’s Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, having previously served 11 years as the department’s Deputy Director of Athletics and Chief Operating Officer. Although his tenure has coincided with seismic shifts in the collegiate landscape—including the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence of NIL, the evolution of the Transfer Portal, and the complexities of Revenue Sharing—Dolson has successfully navigated these challenges to lead the department through an era of unprecedented athletic and academic success.
The crown jewel of these achievements is the historic ascent of the IU Football program, which recently completed a perfect 16-0 season to capture the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship. Dolson hired the architect of this resurgence, Curt Cignetti, following the 2023 season; since then, the program has posted a 27-2 record, including a dominant 17-1 mark in Big Ten play. After a 2024 campaign that saw the Hoosiers earn their first-ever Playoff berth, the 2025 season exceeded all expectations. In addition to the national title, IU captured its first Big Ten championship in 58 years, and quarterback Fernando Mendoza became the program’s first-ever Heisman Trophy winner.
Beyond the gridiron, Hoosier programs and student-athletes have thrived individually under Dolson’s leadership. During the 2024-25 academic year, six different student-athletes captured individual NCAA championships, marking the highest single-season total in school history. And during his five-plus years at the helm of the department, 13 of IU’s 24 programs have earned first- or second-place Big Ten finishes.
On a national level, Dolson continues to be a prominent voice in collegiate sports leadership. Earlier this month, he was one of four athletic directors selected to attend a White House roundtable discussion regarding the future of college athletics. He also recently concluded a two-year term as Chairperson of the Big Ten Athletic Directors Group and was appointed to the NCAA Division I Baseball Selection Committee in early 2024.
A native of Michigan City, Indiana, Dolson earned his bachelor’s degree in management from the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, where he was honored as the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award winner. His deep roots with the university began as a four-year student manager for the men’s basketball team, serving as head manager in 1988. Dolson and his wife, Heidi, have five children: Kristen and Nick Dolson; and Luke, Sam, and Zach Wisen.
Indiana’s Shay Ciezki Named a USBWA All-American Honorable Mention Indiana women’s basketball senior guard Shay Ciezki has been named a 2026 USBWA All-America honorable mention, announced by the organization on Tuesday. Ciezki is the third Hoosier to be honored and first since 2023-24. In one of the most impressive single seasons in IU women’s basketball history, Ciezki averaged 22.8 points per game and scored 708 points while knocking down 79 3-pointers She finished second in a single season in school history while setting the school record for points per game in a single season. She is the second player in NCAA Division I women’s basketball to average a 50/40/90 while scoring 20+ or more (Eva Hodges, William & Mary 2019). The Buffalo, N.Y. native shot 52.6 percent from the floor, 44.6 percent from the 3-point line and 90.8 percent at the free throw line. She scored in double figures in 30 of 31 games played in her senior season, scoring 20 points or more 23 time and had seven 30-point games. She became the fastest player to 1,000 points in IU history in 2025-26, hitting the career mark in her 60th game played for the program. She sits 30th all-time in scoring (1,097). Ciezki was named the Big Ten Player of the Week twice which led to All-Big Ten honors in 2025-26. She earned a place on the first team from the league’s media and second team from the league’s coaches.
Indiana’s Lamar Wilkerson Voted NABC All-Great Lakes District First Team Indiana redshirt senior guard Lamar Wilkerson was named All-Great Lakes District First Team, the National Association of Basketball Coaches announced on Tuesday morning. Wilkerson averaged 20.9 points per game, the highest scoring rate for a Hoosier guard since Eric Gordon (2007-08). He added 3.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.0 steal per outing and finished the season as one of three Hoosiers to start all 32 games. Wilkerson shot 46.3% (227-of-490) from the floor, 37.8% (104-of-275) from the 3-point line, and 88.8% (111-of-125) from the free throw line. The Ashdown, Ark., native made 104 shots behind the arc during his lone season with the Cream and Crimson, the second most in program history behind only Steve Alford’s total of 107 during the 1986-87 campaign.
His 70 made 3-pointers in conference play established a program record. His free throw percentage of 88.8% ranked fourth in Indiana history for players with more than 100 made free throws in a single season. He upped his averaged to 23.2 points per game in Big Ten Conference play, the ninth-highest average in program history and the most points per contest in league games since George McGinnis (29.9) during the 1970-71 season. Wilkerson (464 points) broke the program record for points scored in a single season of Big Ten Conference play set by Don Schlundt (459) during the 1952-53 season. The Sam Houston State transfer scored 669 total points, the 11th-most in a single season in program history. He tallied at least 10 points in 29 games, topped 20 points on 16 occasions, and cleared 30 points four times. He produced two of the most prolific scoring performances in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall history with 41 points against Oregon (Feb. 9) and a career-best 44 points against Penn State (Dec. 9), a building record.
Indiana’s Aly VanBrandt Earns Second Big Ten Softball Player of the Week Honor Indiana Softball junior Aly VanBrandt was named the Big Ten’s Player of the Week for her excellent play from this past week (March 10-15) in the team’s four home games at Andy Mohr Field. This is VanBrandt’s second time earning the honor this season and also the second in the last three weeks. VanBrandt led the Hoosiers to a 3-1 week, with a midweek win over Loyola Chicago (March 10) and a series victory over Rutgers (March 13-15). She hit .625 (10-for-16) at the plate with four home runs and two doubles. VanBrandt totaled 11 RBI, nine runs scored along with being hit by pitch twice and notching a stolen base. She did not strike out once in the four-game stretch. Against Loyola Chicago, VanBrandt was 4-for-5 with three home runs and seven RBI. Both of those marks tied single-game program records.
Taylor University Men’s Lacrosse Players Jackson Dale and Lucas Pacer Sweep WHAC Weekly Honors TU’s Jackson Dale and Lucas Pacer were each named Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week on Monday as announced by the league office. Dale was named the WHAC Men’s Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week, with Pacer being named the WHAC Men’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week. Dale was a force for No. 8 Taylor against Lawrence Tech and No. 10 Indiana Tech, posting a combined seven goals and five assists for 12 points in the two contests. Dale also added nine ground balls and caused three turnovers to earn his first WHAC weekly honor. Dale currently leads the WHAC with 39 points and 16 assists, while ranking third with 23 goals through Taylor’s first seven outings. In addition to his offensive stats, the junior ranks top-20 in the league in ground balls and caused turnovers this season.
Pacer registered a pair of busy stat lines for the Purple and Gray as well, logging seven ground balls and four caused turnovers in each of TU’s games and closing the week with 14 ground balls and eight caused turnovers to take his first WHAC weekly honor. Pacer ranks among the top defenders in the WHAC this season, leading the pack with 19 caused turnovers and sitting fourth with 33 ground balls. The honors for Dale and Pacer give Taylor men’s lacrosse three WHAC weekly honors this season and improves TU’s total for the 2025-2026 year to 50 athletes of the week across the WHAC, MSFA and Crossroads League. No. 8 Taylor (5-2, 1-1 WHAC) will continue its league schedule on Saturday, March 21 with a 3:00 pm start against No. 3 Aquinas (5-0, 1-0 WHAC) at Wheeler Field.
Taylor University Baseball’s Brennan Frickel Named CL Player of the Week Taylor University’s Brennan Frickel has been selected as the Crossroads League Baseball Player of the Week, the league headquarters announced on Monday. Frickel, a senior from Driftwood, Texas, went 12-of-18 at the plate over six games for No. 3 Taylor, hitting .667 with four extra-base hits and five multi-hit games. The infielder did not strike out, while hitting two home runs, driving in 11 and scoring eight runs. Through 23 appearances, Frickel is hitting .448 with three home runs, six doubles and 24 RBIs, with an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.311. He’s also hitting a team-high .541 (20-for-37) during league play.
Frickel is the third different Trojan to earn CL Player of the Week this season, joining teammates Brayden Manning (Feb. 16) and Luke Sutter (Feb. 23). Overall, it’s the sixth CL weekly accolade for the TU baseball program this spring. TU has already garnered 50 Crossroads League, WHAC and MSFA Player-of-the-Week awards, and six NAIA National Athlete-of-the-Week honors. The third-ranked Trojans (22-3, 10-2 CL) return to action with a four-game series at Mount Vernon Nazarene this weekend.
Taylor’s Softball Doubleheader Against Indiana Wesleyan Moved Due to Cold A doubleheader scheduled for today between Taylor (10-8, 5-1 CL) and Indiana Wesleyan (11-5, 4-0 CL) was rescheduled due to cold temperatures throughout Indiana. The cross-county rivals are set to play on Friday, March 27th at Indiana Wesleyan with the twin-billing slated for first pitch at 3:00 pm.