Texas A&M has hired Nebraska's Trev Alberts as the Aggies' new director of athletics, the school announced on Wednesday.
Alberts was expected to get a five-year deal with Texas A&M that will put him near the top of the SEC and among the top 10 athletic directors nationally in terms of salary, sources tell ESPN's Pete Thamel.
"From my perspective, there has never been a more consequential time in history for higher education and the evolving landscape of intercollegiate athletics," Alberts said in a statement. "Leadership matters now more than ever before. My interest in Texas A&M is not only due to its prestigious reputation but also because of President (Mark) Welsh's compelling vision in which, I believe, Athletics can play a small but important role in helping Texas A&M achieve unprecedented success."
Welsh said he "can't imagine a better individual to lead the Aggie Athletics program" going forward.
"With Trev's expertise, the Aggies are poised to not only excel on the fields, tracks and courts, but also successfully navigate the multi-faceted intersection of sports, commerce and student-athlete empowerment," Welsh added via the school's statement. "He has a profound understanding of the intricate business of athletics and the evolving landscape of college athletics, particularly in the realm of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL)."
Dennis Leblanc, Nebraska's executive athletic director for academics, was named interim athletic director on Thursday by interim president Chris Kabourek, who added he is beginning a national search for a permanent successor to Alberts.
Alberts, 53, a former All-America linebacker at Nebraska who won the Butkus Award in 1993, has led his alma mater's athletic department since 2021. He replaces Ross Bjork, who left Texas A&M after five years to become athletic director at Ohio State. Former Texas A&M football coach R.C. Slocum, also the special assistant to the university president, had been serving as the school's interim athletic director.
Leaving his alma mater will be bittersweet.
"I truly want to express my gratitude to the University of Nebraska -- the school and its fans have been and always will be immensely important to me," Alberts said. "Nebraska changed my life, and I'm thankful for the incredible 15 years I spent here."
Nebraska executive associate athletic director Doug Ewald said athletic department staff were notified of Alberts' decision in a late-afternoon email, catching executive-level athletic department staffers by surprise.
"I'm disappointed to see Trev Alberts leave," said Chris Kabourek, interim president of the University of Nebraska. "But I'm grateful for his 15 years of service to the U of Nebraska and we wish him all the best."
Alberts agreed to a contract extension in November through 2031, which raised his salary to $1.7 million with another increase to $2.1 million in 2026. According to the terms of that new deal, Alberts will owe Nebraska $4.12 million for departing Nebraska before the end of 2024.
After an injury-plagued NFL career that ended in 1997, Alberts served as a broadcaster for ESPN and other media outlets before becoming athletic director at Nebraska Omaha in 2009. He returned to his alma mater in July 2021 and oversaw the hiring of football coach Matt Rhule and others.
His departure continues the administrative flux at Nebraska, which is looking for its fifth athletic director since joining the Big Ten in 2011.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.