Missouri AD Mike Alden Ranks in Top 10 in Fundraising Nationally

College athletics is at a unique crossroad in its financial existence as the powerful industry has had to adapt to more changing factors than ever, headlined by an evolving economy.

But in Columbia, Missouri, the model has been established. It's easy to see why Missouri sports across the board enjoy an above-average level of success, and it begins at the top with its director of athletics, Mike Alden.

CollegeAD.org has compiled a list of the top 10 fundraising athletic directors at the college level, of which Alden is a heralded participant. It's pointed out that a strong percentage of Missouri's yearly operating budget comes from donors of its Tiger Scholarship Program, highlighting a strong relationship and belief that Mizzou alumni trust strongly in Alden and the job he's doing.

The Tiger Scholarship Program is one of the premier fundraising vehicles in the nation. The group is the financial support arm of Missouri athletics and actually takes no state or taxpayer support. It is funded solely from private donations and the generosity of investors.

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Also of note, two other members of this top 10 list come from Mike Alden origins. They are Brian Wickstrom of the University of Louisiana at Monroe and Ross Bjork of Ole Miss. Their presence is important as understudies of Alden, a further testament to his professional ability. Indeed, being "Mizzou Made" extends to the world of athletic administration as well.

Leadership

Alden took over for Missouri in 1998 and was immediately challenged in his role when Norm Stewart retired as men's basketball coach in 1999. Two years later, current football coach Gary Pinkel was brought in by Alden to aide a football program that had seen two winning seasons it its last 18 years.

Facilities for football at Mizzou when Alden arrived on campus were not among the best in the country. A basic and confined press area highlighted the horizon of Memorial Stadium, and outdoor practice was taking place in the rain if weather dictated.

That was then, and this is now. To see the progress across the board has been nothing short of impressive. Missouri's athletics have had to confront bold challenges, but it's the product of tough decision-making that has allowed them to adapt and succeed.

Facilities

"It could be almost the 'Show-Me State' mentality," Alden said of fans and the community coming to embrace facility upgrades. "I think it's taken time for us to be able to communicate our vision and be able to educate our constitutes that these investments are going to pay dividends, and certainly I think they've seen those dividends being received."

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Those dividends have shot up in a short period of time. In its last season in the Big 12, Missouri was set to make $12.41 million in money from the conference. That money was forfeited as a part of its exit agreement with the league. But in 2013-14, Missouri pulled in $20.9 million from the SEC, a number that has allowed it to sell the prospect of donation to an alumni base who was uncertain with all the initial SEC changes.

Tough Decisions

In April of 2012, Alden made one of the boldest moves anyone has ever made associated with athletics at Mizzou. He unveiled a new Nike branding identity model that was to be used across the board with all sports to help associate anything the student-athletes were doing with the school and vice versa. What this initially meant to fans and alumni was replacing the block style "M" on the helmets with the new logo, which was a tough pill for many traditionalists to swallow.

However, a prevailing feeling is taking root that what is going on with football—and really everything from volleyball to wrestling at Mizzou—has come with change. Change never goes seeking anyone out; Mike Alden and his staff have been proactive and making change part of what they have to do, and it's working.

But business isn't about relishing in the limelight for too long. It's never really about "what have you done for me," but more about "what have you done for me lately?" For Alden, the prospects of the future and moving forward have a lot of excitement associated with it.

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"I think that the strength of our advertising brand has never ever been stronger at Mizzou than it is right now," said Alden. "As you go into 2015, to me, that in itself gives you probably the biggest sense of pride because you know that that brand awareness is based on academic integrity, it's based on social responsibility and doing things the right way, it's built on competitive success, and it's based on the fact you're the flagship institution for an entire state."

In this case, the brand is succeeding because of its awareness, orchestrated by Alden. He has proven he can bring winners into key positions and make his brand a much more attractive item all around, which is a plus for everyone professionally, as well as the people of the state of Missouri.

All quotes were obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted.

Follow Dan Irwin on Twitter @irwinsports or on Facebook.