# Decision Makers: Building the Model Program with TCU AD Jeremiah Donati

Published 2019-03-13 · Updated 2026-07-23 · Sports & Entertainment on MarketScale
Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/sports-entertainment/decision-makers-tcu-athletics

> Over the last 20 years, the TCU athletic department has used a model of stability and constant progress to work its way into the national consciousness. Relegated to the Western Athletic Conference following the collapse of its home for 72 years, the Southwest Conference, the Horned Frogs worked their way back up the ladder,…

Over the last 20 years, the [TCU athletic department ](https://gofrogs.com/)has used a model of stability and constant progress to work its way into the national consciousness. Relegated to the [Western Athletic Conference](https://www.wacsports.com/landing/index) following the collapse of its home for 72 years, the Southwest Conference, the Horned Frogs worked their way back up the ladder, moving from the WAC (1996-2000) to [Conference USA](http://conferenceusa.com/) (2001-2004) to the [Mountain West](https://themw.com/) (2005-2011) before finally reaching the [Big XII](http://www.big12sports.com/) in 2012.

Having accomplished so much over the past 25 years, it would be easy for the athletic department to sit back and admire its achievements, but that’s not the approach that TCU Athletic Director [Jeremiah Donati](https://marketscale.com/industries/contributors/jeremiah-donati/) is taking.

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