On Jan. 1, Eric Roedl was in Pasadena, CA. He watched the University of Oregon compete in the Rose Bowl, where its season ended against eventual national champion Ohio State.

Less than two weeks later, Roedl flew cross-country to begin work as Villanova’s new athletic director. He fills a role that hadn’t changed at Villanova for the last decade, until former Athletic Director Mark Jackson announced his departure in August. 

Taking over the helm of Villanova athletics, Roedl aims to position Villanova for success at a tumultuous time in college sports, due to the fundamental restructuring brought on by name, image and likeness (NIL) considerations. He arrived at the Main Line after 12 years of experience at Oregon, serving as Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer. Previously, he was an athletic administrator at Temple University.

Roedl is eager to take his fundraising prowess from the Big 10 powerhouse to help Villanova athletic programs thrive while maximizing NIL opportunities for student-athletes. 

“What we’re working on here in athletics now is just how we fit into the future,” Roedl said. “Then, certainly the changing landscape that’s happening around us in college sports, and how are we going to adapt with that?”

Before starting to build Villanova’s future, Roedl had to reacclimate in all that had changed on campus since he was a student-athlete himself. 

Graduating from Villanova in 1997, Roedl majored in accounting while co-captaining the men’s tennis team.

“It was surreal,” Roedl said, recalling his return to Villanova in early January.

Arriving in the middle of basketball season, Roedl acknowledged that the rapid transition of authority in the Athletic Department was “not ideal.” But he immediately began big-picture meetings with athletic coaches and staff, the University cabinet, board of trustees and other administrators to establish priorities.

Five weeks into the new position, Roedl has spent a significant amount of his time off-campus. He devoted the first week of February to launching the Espiritus Nova fundraising campaign in South Florida. He then traveled to Nashville, TN for an event with Friends of Nova, Villanova’s external collective that supports NIL initiatives.

In addition to finding a much different Villanova than the one he once attended, Roedl arrived at the University amid a transforming landscape across all college sports.

As NCAA rules around NIL and the transfer portal continue to evolve, Roedl is tasked with maintaining and improving upon Villanova’s level of national prominence in all sports. He will work regularly in that regard with basketball general manager Baker Dunleavy.

“[Roedl] understands our community and what fits us,” Dunleavy said on Jan. 31. “But he also has experience at Oregon, one of the highest-grossing athletic departments in the country, working with top brands like Nike. We’re at a time where business decisions are on the table, and Eric is really well-equipped to help us navigate those decisions.”

The biggest questions about the future of Villanova athletics inevitably circle around basketball, the University’s primary source of athletic revenue. 

Roedl said he plans to maintain “high expectations and standards” for the men’s and women’s programs while evaluating the path forward after the season. 

“The job of a head coach has, in my mind, never been more challenging,” Roedl said. “As athletic director, even though I’m new, a big part of my role is to support head coaches and help them build strategies to deal with the things happening around us. I look forward to continuing to work with Kyle [Neptune], Denise [Dillon] and all our coaches on that.”

 But for sports like football, which plays in the football championship subdivision (FCS), Roedl doesn’t see a necessity for sweeping change, apart from fundraising. 

As conference rival Delaware advances to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2025, Roedl said there is no intention for Villanova to follow suit.

“Our football program is a real program of excellence, and we’ve sustained success for a long period of time,” Roedl said. “Villanova has a good thing with where our program is right now. We’re always going to explore the best path forward, but I don’t think there’s any sense that would change for football right now. We just want to provide resources and continue to build the brand around Villanova football here.”

 Another aspect of Roedl’s job will include promoting the other 22 sports teams at Villanova, apart from basketball and football. He plans to amplify fundraising and creative marketing to boost the brand around each sport.

“As a former tennis player here, I definitely have an appreciation for the sports that fly a little more under the radar,” Roedl said. 

Roedl is deeply invested in the culture around Villanova athletics and hopes to reward dedicated alumni. Describing athletics as “the front porch” of the University, Roedl understands how closely tied the University’s identity is to athletics — both on campus and nationally — and intends to use that to its advantage.

“My wife and I are both alumni, and we’ve lived in Oregon for the last 13 years, but there we were in 2016 and 2018 [watching the men’s basketball national championships],” Roedl said. “Our three boys were going crazy on the couch wearing Villanova stuff. We’ve got a strong ‘Nova nation around us, and we’ve got to really galvanize and keep everybody as connected as we can.”

The next five years, without a doubt, will be extremely consequential for all of Villanova athletics. Awaiting the House v. NCAA settlement regarding NIL, with the final approval hearing scheduled for April 7, Roedl hopes to also embrace any budget expansion opportunities that come Villanova’s way. 

“There’s a place for a school like Villanova, and our national brand is as strong as anybody’s,” Roedl said. “We’re going to have to be aggressive. We’re going to have to go out and really educate our donor base, our fan base, on what it’s going to take to be successful and to continue to compete for national championships. So, there’s going to have to be a change in mindset.”

While uncertainty surrounds the future of college sports, Roedl provides a steady hand keeping Villanova athletics at the forefront of the national stage.