The future of ISU athletics have been visiting campus this week.

The athletics director finalists, Paul Griffin from South Florida, David Martin from Oklahoma State and Bruce Van De Velde from Oklahoma, have been interviewing and getting acquainted with the ISU campus.

Idaho Athletic Director Mike Bohn has also been mentioned as a candidate for the job.

Vice President of External Affairs Murray Blackwelder said that “[Bohn] is not going to be [in Ames], and he is not a candidate.”

Martin visited on Wednesday and Griffin was in Ames Thursday. Van De Velde will be on campus today.

Head of the search committee James Melsa said it is “a chance for them to see what we are all about” and “a chance for us to see them other than on paper.”

Melsa explained that one of the main objectives of having them on campus is to see how they perform in an open forum.

“They have to perform in a press-conference-type situation, and sometimes that can be pretty tough,” Melsa said.

Melsa added that the candidates get a chance to meet the coaches and senior administrators.

Melsa said that Martin and Griffin have different ideas from each other but “we would not feel unhappy if we had to choose an AD from the two candidates that were here.”

Melsa added that the feeling should be the same today when Van De Velde visits campus.

“The pool we have is an excellent pool of candidates,” Melsa said.

While Melsa said he didn’t get to talk with them extensively, “Martin seemed extremely interested.”

Melsa said Griffin, who is from a smaller sports school, South Florida, probably sees Iowa State as an “attractive” offer because it is in the bowl coalition and in one of the nation’s major conferences, the Big 12.

Griffin’s major accomplishment at South Florida was to get the school’s football team moved up to Division I.

Blackwelder will be doing the hiring process and hopes to have a new athletics director within “ten days to two weeks after [today].”

Blackwelder explained that the hiring process is long and complicated.

He said first “he will build a consensus report” and discuss it with the other members of the search committee. Then a decision will be made.

After the decision is made, Blackwelder said he will do “legal background checks” before he goes to the Board of Regents.

Blackwelder has to notify the Board before a public announcement can be made.

“I’m optimistic that I can get it done [in ten days or two weeks],” Blackwelder said.