Retiring Creighton AD Talks College Athletics, Memories, Changes

In late July, Bruce Rasmussen announced he would retire as Creighton University’s Athletic Director after 27 years. He’s worked for the university in various roles prior to his stint as the athletic director and spent 41 total years working for the school. Monday is his final day on the job.

Rasmussen’s time as Creighton’s Athletic Director included 43 combined conference titles across all sports. The university saw an upgrade in facilities for basketball, volleyball and soccer, along with the baseball team moving its home games to the site of the College World Series, TD Ameritrade Park in downtown Omaha. He also moved the Blue Jays from the Missouri Valley Conference to the more relevant Big East Conference. On the other hand, the university’s men’s basketball team was put on two-year probation by the NCAA in late June. The punishment was the result of a multi-year investigation into recruiting allegations involving an assistant coach. Perhaps he’ll be most remembered for helping Creighton men’s basketball rise to national relevance, which includes the school’s first ever trip to the Sweet 16 at the 2021 national tournament.

Time and Energy

Rasmussen said his time at Creighton took a lot of effort, but the job was very rewarding.

“It’s been a labor of love. I love Creighton University. I love Omaha, Nebraska. I just think it was the appropriate time,” he said.

He said he will be leaving the athletic department with the best staff he’s had in his time at Creighton.

“In order to be completely successful as the athletic director at Creighton University, you need to be all in,” he said. “It takes a tremendous amount of energy and I’m just not sure that I have that energy anymore.”

27 Years of Change

During Rasmussen’s 27 years at Creighton, college athletics has changed dramatically and he said most of those changes have benefited student athletes.

“The facilities the kids get, the mental health that we provide for them, the nutrition that we provide for them, the professional training that we provide for them has advanced so much in the 27 years,” he said, “so I think for student athletes it’s a great time, especially at the Division One level.”

Rasmussen said college athletics have become more and more like a business and balancing a budget is important like never before.

“It’s become so much more monetized, for one,” he said. “You can start with facilities. You can talk about coaches salaries, You can talk about the predominant influence of football.”

Name, Image, and Likeness

At the start of July the NCAA released new rules that now allow college athletes to monetize their Name, Image and Likeness, or NIL. Rasmussen said the decision should have been made a while ago, but there’s too much focus on making as much money as possible, when universities have an opportunity to educate and prepare student athletes for leadership roles in their communities.

“In helping them with budget management, with time management,” he said, “with understanding taxation, with understanding building a brand, with understanding their value, not only as an athlete but outside of that.”

Rasmussen said college athletic departments and student athletes have been left with more questions than answers following the NCAA’s new rules.

“How does it impact recruiting? How does it impact retention? What can boosters and sponsors do and what can they not do?” he asked.

Rasmussen’s Time on NCAA Selection Committee

Rasmussen served on the NCAA men’s basketball selection committee for five years and was the chair of the committee in 2018. He said there was a lot of work involved, but the athletic department staff helped him through the process.

“It’s much easier for an athletic director, who’s at a larger institution,” he said, “who has much more expansive support staff where you can spread out the responsibilities that you’re going to lose as a result of being on the committee.”

He said being on the selection committee wasn’t just about selecting and seeding the best 68 teams for the tournament. He said the committee also selects the 14 locations of the tournament, oversees officiating, and develops marketing plans.

An Athlete’s Thoughts on Rasmussen’s Time as Athletic Director

Bruce Rasmussen was good at connecting and establishing relationships with the student athletes he oversaw, according to former Creighton basketball player, Jordan Scurry, who was a walk-on turned scholarship athlete for Creighton from 2016 to 2020. When he signed his scholarship papers, Rasmussen was there to congratulate him. From then on, Scurry made it a point to learn as much as he could from his Athletic Director. He said one quote from Rasmussen especially resonated.

“‘You measure impact on the condition of things when you got there and the condition of things when you left and that one really stuck out with me,’” he said.

Scurry said he learned a lot from his time at the university. He listened and learned about commitment in relationships and other parts of life from his conversations with Rasmussen.

Memories and Relationships

Rasmussen said he will leave Creighton remembering the people at the university and the relationships he has with them the most. He said student 'athletes educated him' far more than 'he educated them.'

“There are a lot of people that say that this generation is different and they are, but they imply that they're different in a bad way,” he said, “and I would tell you that I’m so excited about the next generation of leaders.”

He said young people today exhibit passion, intelligence, and character, which gives him hope for the future of the country.

What Will He Do Now?

Bruce Rasmussen said he hasn’t made too many decisions about what he will do after his time at Creighton University, but he has some people close to him he wants to see more often.

“I’ve got five children,” he said. “Four of them are outside of Omaha. I’ve got one in Montana, one in Colorado, and two in Arizona. As I get older and as they start to spread out and expand their families, I’d like to spend more time with my children.”

Additionally, Rasmussen said he has been somewhat active with numerous nonprofit organizations in Omaha and the area. He said with more time, he hopes to contribute and get more involved with those organizations.

Finally, Rasmussen said he will continue to be around to help Creighton's athletic department be successful.

Jim Jansen will serve as the interim athletic director starting Tuesday, August 17, while the university continues its search for Creighton’s next Athletic Director.