TOLEDO — Al Tomlinson, deputy athletic director at the University of Toledo, left UToledo on Friday to join the University of Tennessee as senior associate athletic director for capital projects and facility revenue.
Tomlinson said his responsibilities in Tennessee will differ significantly from his role at UToledo. He will oversee large-scale projects exceeding $500 million and serve as the primary contact for the Neyland Entertainment District, an area near Neyland Stadium featuring entertainment, retail, restaurants and condotels (condos operated as hotels).
Despite his excitement about the new role, Tomlinson said he will miss the students and welcoming community.
“When I got here, I said that our students would need to be treated as if they’re our 17th sports program,” he said, referencing UToledo’s 16 athletic programs at the time, and the importance of maintaining each. “That’s the level of emphasis we’ll place on their experience.”
During his time at UToledo, Tomlinson worked to relocate student tailgates closer to the football stadium and empowered student voices in planning investments that mattered most to them.
Bryan Blair, UToledo athletic director, said that since Tomlinson was recruited, UToledo set records in terms of sell-outs and made a big impact in Toledo.
“I’m really happy for him to make this move to Tennessee and I’m incredibly thankful for all the work he put in here,” Blair said.
Tomlinson and other collaborators also helped secure additional resources, staff positions and benefits for UToledo student-athletes, crediting donor support for making those advancements possible.
“I’m really proud, overall,” Tomlinson said.
Among his fondest memories, Tomlinson cited hosting the Barstool College Football Show on campus and celebrating major wins for UToledo’s basketball teams.
“Winning the fourth and third straight MAC Championships on the men’s and women’s basketball team, respectively, those were special moments because I think it was doing things that had never been done; to be a part of that makes you feel like these moments don’t come often and you appreciate them a little bit differently.”
Tomlinson listed a few important tips for the future deputy athletic director at the University of Toledo would be to build strong connections, particularly with the UToledo athletic director.
For Tomlinson, relationships and management will be central in Tennessee.
“There’s got to be stakeholders in the equation, local and campus officials, private investors and everybody in between,” Tomlinson says. “So managing all those relationships, communicating across those channels, and ensuring that people get what we’re trying to accomplish, that’s what I’ve done in this role, and that’s what’s gonna help me in my next role.”
Blair said there is currently an ongoing search for a new candidate to fulfill the position.
“We started a couple weeks back, hopefully coming on down the home stretch on that search for a new position.”
