The University of Rhode Island Athletic Director of 18 years, Thorr Bjorn, is being honored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics as one of the 28 Athletic Directors of the Year on June 10.

Bjorn is one of four recipients in the Football Championship Subdivision, following URI football’s best season in the Coastal Athletic Association, winning its seventh conference title in program history and first since joining the CAA in 2007.

“Over the last four years especially, some of the funding increased to help our program operate at a CAA level, and it’s made a big difference,” Bjorn said. “There’s been a lot of things about Rhode Island I’ve been very proud of. That’s certainly near the top of the list, if not at the top, because of where we were for so long.”

Before the 2019 season, $4.1 million, $3 million of which was from alumni investments, was put into Meade Stadium for artificial turf and lighting, which helped increase the legitimacy of the program, according to Bjorn.

“For so many years people kept saying, ‘why would you ever go to Rhode Island to recruit?’” Bjorn said. “But when we had donors make those investments, that argument went away. Now that we’re adding these new stands, no one can ever say that about us again. Football’s important here. And we’ve proven that we can be good at it.”

The renovations to Meade Stadium’s stands will cost around $42 million, making fans more comfortable and giving more space for the press box, according to GoRhody.com. Additional future renovations with $64 million in state funding will go towards a new track and field facility and improvements to the Tootell Aquatic Center, softball complex, baseball complex and soccer complex.

Football is one of five varsity athletics programs at URI that have won a conference title in the last two years, with the other four being men’s indoor and outdoor track and field, women’s basketball and rowing.

The goal for Bjorn and his staff is to have 12 conference titles within 12 years. With five down, the goal is now putting other programs into better positions to succeed, according to Bjorn.

“The focus there is really important because if you win an A-10 championship, you’re going to go to the NCAA championships and have an opportunity,” Bjorn said.

URI men’s indoor and outdoor track has consistently earned its place to compete in NCAA championships, as indoor has won five straight A-10s and outdoor has won four straight.

“John Copeland was a legend, our longtime [track and field] coach, and then one of his great athletes, Trent Baltzell, took over as an assistant and then head coach,” Bjorn said. “It’s almost scary to have an expectation that you’re going to win every year. Because at some point, someone may overtake you for a year or two. But rowing’s been the same way; our rowing program has that same level of success.”

Women’s rowing had been the last varsity sport added at URI in 1996 before Bjorn and URI President Marc Parlange sat down near the end of the COVID-19 pandemic to discuss the university’s athletics being out of balance in terms of gender equity in accordance with Title IX regulations. The idea of adding a women’s lacrosse program was thrown out by Bjorn and immediately encouraged by Parlange.

In December 2021, the program’s addition was officially announced, and by March 2022, URI found its head coach in Jenna Slowey. Fast forward to spring 2025, URI women’s lacrosse is in action and just earned its first conference victory on March 26.

“I’ve never been part of, certainly in this role, adding a program like that, and to see the women on that team, they’re amazing,” Bjorn said. “They’re great athletes, great students and great in the community. A huge point of pride. The sky’s the limit for them.”

For Bjorn, receiving this award is a reflection of the department around him and all that they have accomplished in his tenure.

“I’m proud and humbled,” Bjorn said. “This is an award for all our administrators, our coaches and our student-athletes. To be recognized, I’m just fortunate enough to be sitting in the chair. But it’s a department-wide recognition. And I’m incredibly grateful that the folks that made that decision chose us.”

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