Career: Athletics Director, University of Oregon

Rick's first job as sports executive came with his selection as the Athletic Director at the the University of Oregon, where he served from 1981 to 1984.  At the time of his arrival, the athletic department was in financial difficulty and in the midst of an NCAA investigation.  When Bay left Eugene to accept the job at Ohio State, Oregon had balanced its athletics budget and was in good standing with the NCAA.  He hired his eventual successor, Bill Byrne, and, equally important, refused to fire football coach Rich Brooks, both of whom went on to accomplish great things for the school. Just before leaving Eugene for Columbus, Rick married his wife, the late Denice Yvonne Nave, a Eugene native.

Bay was virtually unknown in sports administration when he landed at Oregon.  At the time he was the associate executive director of the University of Michigan Alumni Association.  But he had also served as the president of the United States Wrestling Federation, which won a binding arbitration ruling to become the new natiional governing body for wrestling on the United States Olympic Committee.  His leadership during the process earned him high praise in the world of amateur athletics and caught the attention of the Ohio State search committee.

His tenure on the Oregon campus was marked by his high visibility in the community and around the state.  In an effort to restore public confidence and accessibility to the athletic administration, Bay attended countless cultural events and even worked out with the women's track team.  His administration is credited with setting the philosophical framework that led to the resurgence of Oregon football and the spectacular development of the Ducks' athletics physical plant.