Shaping the Narrative | Kim Pate & Drew Howard | CSC Voices, Beyond the Scoreboard

In this episode of CSC Voices, Beyond the Scoreboard, host Trip Durham converses with Division II athletic directors Kim Pate of the University of Indianapolis and Drew Howard of Florida Southern College about career growth, leadership, institutional branding and the value of athletics communicators. Both leaders reflect on their individual paths—Pate transitioning from student-athlete and coach to administration, and Howard navigating compliance and other administrative roles—before finding long-term fulfillment in Division II's balanced academic-athletic model. They detail how committee service on the NCAA Division II Management Council deepens institutional perspective and helps refine division-wide policies. Additionally, Pate and Howard emphasize the necessity of human-interest storytelling and intentional branding to stand out in competitive sports markets, urging athletic directors to empower sports information staff as vital strategic partners.

• Division II Alignment: Both athletic directors champion Division II's philosophy of balancing rigorous competition with student-athlete personal growth.
• Diverse Career Trajectories: Pate's career grew out of coaching and a non-traditional student-athlete experience, while Howard advanced through compliance and multiple administrative roles.
• Human-Centric Storytelling: Standing out in crowded media markets requires highlighting individual student-athlete stories over scoreboard results.
• Empowering Media Teams: Athletic directors must actively cultivate creative freedom and empower athletics communications staff as key brand stewards and strategic partners.
• Brand Guardianship and Culture: Communicators serve as primary culture bearers and brand caretakers, shaping public perception and institutional values before fans or recruits ever arrive on campus.
• Technical Expertise and Creative Autonomy: Because senior administrators often lack hands-on media skills, leadership must place trust in communicators to voice bold ideas, manage modern digital platforms, and execute without holding back.