Oct 28, 2026 | General, Administration
OMAHA - Omaha Deputy Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) Lindsey Ekwerekwu was named a recipient of the D1 AAA ADA 2026-27 Fellow Class on Wednesday afternoon.
"I am incredibly honored and grateful to have been selected for the NACDA Fellows Program," Ekwerekwu said. "Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to learn from outstanding leaders who have challenged me to grow, think differently, and continue evolving as an athletics administrator. I see this opportunity as another meaningful step in that journey. The opportunity to connect with and learn alongside talented colleagues from across the country is equally exciting. Ultimately, I look forward to bringing these experiences and insights back to Omaha Athletics as we continue striving to provide an exceptional experience for our student-athletes."
The program pairs a Fellow with an athletics director mentor to address potential areas that they should focus on during the 10-month process, ranging from development, leadership strategies to sport oversight, along other skill areas. In addition, the Fellows class will meet monthly via zoom to discuss hot topics and hear from veteran leaders in the industry. Ekwerekwu will be paired with George Mason Athletic Director Marvin Lewis.
This is the second-consecutive year that an Omaha Athletics' employee has taken part in the program. Senior Deputy Athletic Director and COO Matt Maher paired up with Utah Tech Athletic Director Ken Beazer last year.
Ekwerekwu has been with Omaha since 2012 where she was the Director of Academic Success. Ekwerekwu has continued to climb the ladder in the Omaha Athletic Department as she was promoted to the Associate Athletic Director of Academics in 2013 and served in that role until she took the role of of Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator in 2019. Ekwerekwu was promoted to Executive Associate Athletic Director and SWA in 2022 and was promoted to her current position, Deputy Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator, in 2025.
In her role, Ekwerekwu student-athlete success including academics, student-athlete development, athletic training, strength and conditioning, sports performance, psychology and nutrition services. She is the Sport administrator for women's basketball, cross country/track and field and men's and women's swimming and diving and represents Omaha Athletics as a member of the Summit League's Joint Council and serves as a member of the Omaha Athletics Cabinet. She is also the department's Title IX Coordinator for Athletic Equity.
"We are very excited for Lindsey to earn this opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business," Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Adrian Dowell said. "Lindsey has been vital in this athletic department's success and has continued grow in her time with Omaha, and we are excited for her to continue to grow and learn from some of the best administrators in the country to bring new ideas into our athletic department."
About Division I-AAA ADA: Now in its 25th year, the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance initiatives common to its Division I-AAA membership (the Division I institutions that do not sponsor football), in particular, aspects related to their flagship basketball programs. For more information on the Division I-AAA ADA, please visit www.div1aaa-ada.com. The Division I-AAA ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 61st year. For more information on NACDA and the 19 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.
