The University of Iowa named Beth Goetz as interim athletic director beginning Aug. 1.

Goetz’s appointment must be approved by the state Board of Regents.

This announcement comes after current UI athletic director Gary Barta announced May 26 that he will retire after 17 years at the university. Iowa will begin its search for Barta’s permanent replacement in early 2024.

Goetz has served as Iowa’s deputy athletic director and chief operating officer since September 2022 and is considered the favorite to permanently replace Barta. There are currently no women athletic directors across the 14 Big Ten schools.

“Beth is a talented and respected leader not only at Iowa but also at the national level in college athletics,” UI President Barbara Wilson said in a statement. “I am grateful she has agreed to lead this crucial part of our university, and I am confident she will generate a lot of excitement and forward momentum for our student-athletes, coaches, athletics staff, and Hawkeye fans.”

Beth Goetz will serve as our interim director of athletics, effective Aug. 1.

Goetz, who currently serves as deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer, will hold the Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair.#Hawkeyes

— The Iowa Hawkeyes (@TheIowaHawkeyes) June 1, 2023

Goetz joined the Iowa athletics staff from Ball State University, where she served as athletic director from 2018-2022. Ball State won 10 Mid-American Conference championships under Goetz and achieved the highest Academic Progress Rate in program history in 2020-21.

Before Ball State, Goetz served as the chief operating officer and senior woman administrator at UCONN from 2016-18. She acted as Minnesota’s deputy athletic director from 2013-15 and the interim athletic director during the 2015-16 season. Goetz served as associate athletic director at Butler from 2008-13.

Goetz was an accomplished soccer player throughout college. She earned All-American honors at Brevard College and was inducted into the Tornado’s Hall of Fame in 2017. Goetz finished her collegiate soccer career at Clemson, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996.

Goetz went on to earn her Master’s degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2000. She was the Tritons’ women’s soccer team’s head coach from 1997-2008 and served as assistant athletic director and senior woman administrator from 2001-08.

Goetz has also taken on several national leadership positions.

Goetz was named to the NCAA Competition Oversight Committee in 2018. She was recognized by the Indianapolis Business Journal as one of the 2021 Women of Influence and was named by Women Leaders in College Sports as the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS Nike Executive of the Year.

Goetz also served as vice chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee in 2021 before stepping into the chair position in 2022-23.

“I want to congratulate Gary Barta on his long career at Iowa and thank President Wilson for putting her trust in me and the tremendous people we have here at Iowa,” Goetz said in a statement. “The Hawkeyes have a proud and storied tradition with the greatest fan base in the country, and I am appreciative of the opportunity to lead the department. I am committed to supporting our talented coaches, staff, and student-athletes as we build on the positive trajectory of athletic and academic excellence.”