KANSAS CITY, Mo. — UTSA Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lisa Campos has been named the Sandy Barbour Nike DI FBS Athletic Director of the Year, Women Leaders in Sports announced Tuesday.
Campos was selected by the Women Leaders Awards Committee and Board of Directors for the honor, which was announced as part of the organization’s annual awards. This marks the second time this year Campos has been honored as an AD of the Year, as she was tabbed National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Athletics Director of the Year in March and honored in June at the 61st annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“It's truly gratifying that I get to lead and serve an incredible group of student-athletes, coaches and staff at UTSA each and every day,” Campos said. “I’m extremely grateful for the support of our president, Dr. Taylor Eighmy, and our university leadership. There is so much positive momentum for our university and athletics department, and this honor is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of everyone who touches and is a part of UTSA Athletics.”
Campos was recognized by Women Leaders in Sports along with the NFL’s Sam Rapoport, who was selected as the Nell Jackson Nike Executive of the Year, and Nike Executives of the Year Keri M. Becker (Grand Valley State Director of Athletics), Kim Damron (Learfield Sports Properties President), Sarah Hirshland (United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Chief Executive Officer), Crystal Lanning (Wisconsin-River Falls Director of Athletics) and Jaunelle White (Point University Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics).
Other honors announced today include the Nike Lifetime Achievement Awards, the BSN SPORTS Awards inclusive of the Organization of the Year, Innovator of the Year, Resilience Award, Woman to Watch and Rising Star. Award winners will be celebrated at the 2026 Women Leaders in Sports National Convention on Oct. 12-14 in Chicago. Learn more about the Women Leaders’ annual awards online at womenleadersinsports.org.
"Each year, our awards shine a light on extraordinary women who are moving our industry forward through bold leadership, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to excellence," said Women Leaders CEO Patti Phillips. "This year, more than 200 remarkable women were nominated by their peers - a testament to the incredible talent and impact women are making across sports. Narrowing this year's field was no easy task, and we are honored to celebrate this exceptional group of leaders whose influence will be felt for years to come."
Women Leaders is committed to empowering and championing the women shaping the sports industry today – and to developing those who will lead it to a better tomorrow. Recognizing and celebrating their achievements is integral to the mission to build the most powerful community of leaders working in sports – fueling the growth, performance and success of women at every stage of their careers.
Campos, who was named UTSA’s Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics on November 17, 2017, has made a transformative impact on the UTSA Athletics program. In 2022, she was named one of five finalists for the Sports Business Journal’s Athletic Director of the Year accolade. In 2024, the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, as part of its Tribute to Women Business Leaders, honored Campos with its Promise Award, which recognizes an exceptional leader who has made a significant impact on business and the community in a short span of time in San Antonio.
Campos led UTSA Athletics into the American Conference on July 1, 2023, and the Roadrunners have excelled since joining the league. In the past two years, UTSA has won back-to-back regular-season conference championships in baseball, a regular season and tournament championship in women’s basketball and a tournament championship in soccer. The 2025 edition of the baseball team won a school-record 47 games, advanced to the NCAA Super Regional and became the first program in school history to record a top-10 NCAA finish (T-9th).
During Campos’ time leading the department, UTSA’s sports programs have produced more than 40 All-Americans, nearly 300 all-conference selections and 11 team conference championships.
Campos has spearheaded a transformational change to the athletics facilities, opening the $40.4 million Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence to serve as the hub for all of UTSA Athletics, as well as a practice facility for UTSA Football, in 2021. In 2023, the Roadrunners opened the Park West Field House to serve UTSA’s soccer and track & field student-athletes. This fall, the $35 million state-of-the-art Basketball and Volleyball Training Center will debut.
Academically, UTSA Athletics has recorded an NCAA Division I Graduation Success Rate of better than 80 percent each year of Campos’ tenure, including a department-record 92 percent GSR in the latest report. In the latest NCAA Academic Progress Rate report, UTSA Athletics achieved a 981 APR department-wide while five teams boast a perfect 1,000 multiyear APR. Additionally, UTSA teams have achieved 33 single-year APR rates of 1,000 over the past four years combined.
Campos, herself a first-generation college graduate, has led a national model for serving first-generation student-athletes. This past academic year, UTSA became the first school in the nation to provide first-generation jersey patches for student-athletes who are the first in their families to attend college.
Under Campos’ direction, UTSA Athletics launched the UTSA Athletics Hall of Fame in the fall of 2023 to honor its legendary student-athletes, coaches and administrators who have shaped its history. Three classes of the UTSA Athletics Hall of Fame have now been inducted.
Campos is currently serving a four-year term on the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee. She has represented UTSA on a number of national committees, including a recent term on the NCAA Division I Council, a high-level group responsible for the day-to-day decisions that impact NCAA Division I athletics. She also served as chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee and on the board of the LEAD1 Association, a membership organization that represents the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Athletics Directors.
In her career, Campos also has served as chair of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Committee and has been a member of the NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet and the NCAA Rifle Committee.
Campos was instrumental in UTSA’s role as a host institution for the 2018 and 2025 NCAA Men’s Final Fours and the 2021 Women’s Final Four, as well as the city landing the 2026 NCAA Volleyball Championships and the 2029 Women’s Final Four.
Campos came to UTSA after five years as the Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics at Northern Arizona. During her time at NAU, the men’s programs won the Big Sky All-Sports Trophy four times and the women’s programs claimed the All-Sports Trophy twice. In the spring of 2017, she was recognized by the Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40.
Prior to her time at NAU, Campos was an associate athletics director (2003-06) and senior associate athletics director (2006-12) at UTEP.
Campos earned both her bachelor’s degree in business administration and her master’s degree in student affairs in higher education from Colorado State. She holds a doctorate degree in educational leadership from UTEP.
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