What the Athletic Director Does on a Friday Night

By 4Football Staff · October 17, 2026 · 9 min read

The person in the windbreaker with a radio is running the whole event. A look at what a high school athletic director handles before, during and after a Friday night football game.

Walk around the edge of a high school stadium an hour before kickoff and you will notice a person who never seems to stand still. They check the gate, talk to a police officer, wave to the visiting bus, answer a question from the concession stand and glance at the sky. They are rarely on the field and almost never on camera. If they do their job well, nobody notices them at all.

That person is usually the athletic director, often called the AD. On a Friday night in the fall, the AD is the game's host, manager, safety coordinator and problem solver. The head coach is responsible for the team; the AD is responsible for the event.

This article follows an athletic director through a typical home football game, from the week before kickoff to the last light turned off. The duties differ from school to school, because a small rural school with one AD who also teaches full-time handles a Friday night differently than a large suburban district with a full athletic office. Where practice varies, we say so.

The job before game night

Friday night begins earlier than most people realize. A good AD has handled much of the work by Wednesday.

Scheduling and contracts

The football schedule is set months before the season, often a year or more in advance. The AD works with the conference, the state association and opposing schools. For non-conference games, the AD may negotiate dates and sign game contracts that spell out details such as kickoff time, officials, and how gate receipts will be shared, if at all. The practice varies by state and conference.

Officials

The AD, or the assigner the school uses, makes sure that a qualified officiating crew is assigned to the game. Crews are registered with the state association, as described in our article on becoming a high school football official. The AD confirms the crew, arranges payment and provides a place for them to dress and meet before the game.

Facilities and equipment

During the week the AD or a facilities staff checks:

The field, including line painting, goalposts, sideline equipment and any maintenance
The scoreboard, game clock and play clock
The lights, if the game is at night
The press box and the public address system
The locker rooms, which must be clean, open and stocked for both teams
Restrooms and the concession stand
Fencing, gates and seating

If something is broken, the AD finds someone to fix it. If it cannot be fixed, the AD decides on a workaround, which may mean notifying the opponent and officials.

Staffing

On game night, a lot of people have to be in the right place. The AD arranges for:

Ticket takers and gate workers
Security or police presence
Emergency medical personnel
The athletic trainer
Announcers and scoreboard operators
Parking attendants
Concession volunteers, often from a booster club
Custodial staff

Many of these workers are paid, some are volunteers, and some are teachers who receive a stipend. The AD maintains a master list and confirms each assignment.

Communication

The AD communicates with the visiting school's AD about arrival time, parking for the bus, ticket policy and the visiting team's side of the stadium. The AD also tells the principal and superintendent about any issues and works with the band director, cheer coach and student leaders on the pregame and halftime schedule.

Three hours before kickoff

On Friday afternoon, the school day may still be underway, but the AD is already in game mode.

Weather check. The AD or the school's designated person monitors the forecast. Lightning is the key concern. Many schools follow guidance from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and their state associations, which commonly recommends suspending activity when lightning is detected nearby and waiting a set period, often 30 minutes, after the last strike or thunder before resuming. Check your state's policy.
Final field check. The AD walks the field and sidelines to make sure everything is in place and safe.
Gate setup. Ticket tables, gates and any electronic ticket scanners are set up and tested.
Staff briefing. Many ADs hold a short meeting with the event staff, security and trainers to review the plan, including where to go in an emergency.
Welcome. The visiting team and officials start arriving, and the AD makes sure they know where to go.

The visiting team and the officials

Hosting is a form of hospitality, and a competent AD takes it seriously.

The visitors

The AD greets the visiting coach and team, shows them to a locker room, explains the plan for warmups and points out where the buses will park. Most associations expect the host to provide a safe, usable space for the visitors, though the details are set locally. The AD also makes sure the visiting fans have a section of seating and know how to buy tickets.

The officials

Officials usually arrive at least an hour before the game. The AD or a designated staff member greets them, takes them to their dressing room and gives them any necessary information, such as the location of the emergency medical personnel, the clock operators and the school's policies on sideline access. Payment is often handled at this point or after the game, depending on local practice. The AD also tells the referee who the game administrator is, because the AD is usually the person the referee calls if something unusual happens.

The pregame meeting

Many states require, and most schools hold, a pregame conversation among the officials, the coaches and sometimes the game administrator. Topics typically include:

The approach to game management, such as how many timeouts are available
Any ground rules about the field, such as unusual boundaries or obstructions
Emergency procedures, including who calls for medical help and how the field will be cleared
Sideline rules, including who is permitted in the team area
Weather procedures

The AD usually takes part in the emergency discussion, since the AD controls the venue.

Emergency planning

Safety is the part of the AD's job that nobody sees until it matters. Schools are expected to have an emergency action plan for athletic events. A typical plan covers:

Who calls 911 and how, including the field's exact address
Where the ambulance will enter and where it will park
Where the AED is located and who is trained to use it
Who is on-site with medical training
How fans would be evacuated in severe weather or other emergencies
A plan for communicating with the crowd

The AD is usually responsible for making sure that the plan is up to date and that the people who need to know it have seen it.

The AD also works closely with the athletic trainer. When the trainer asks to stop a game or to take a player out, the AD supports that decision.

During the game

Once the ball is kicked off, the AD's job shifts to monitoring.

Walking the stadium

Many ADs spend the game walking the stands and perimeter. They check:

Crowd behavior, including the student section and visiting fans
Entrances and exits, for blocked paths or overcrowding
The concession stand, for supplies and lines
Restrooms and trash
The parking lot, if there are concerns

Radio and phone

The AD often carries a radio or phone to stay in touch with security, the press box and the trainer. If a problem comes up, the AD hears about it quickly.

Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship at a high school game involves players, coaches, students and parents. The AD may speak to a fan who is out of line, ask a student section leader to change a chant or ask security to remove someone who threatens others. State associations typically have sportsmanship policies, and many schools have signs or announcements about expected conduct. When a coach or player is ejected, the AD may need to document it and report to the association.

Game management issues

Things happen. A scoreboard fails. A goalpost is damaged. A player is hurt and the ambulance is needed. A fight starts in the stands. A storm approaches. The AD makes decisions with the officials, the coaches and the administration, following the school's procedures and the state's rules.

Halftime

Halftime is busy. The AD makes sure the band, cheer squad and dance team have their space, that special events such as homecoming or senior recognition are carried out as planned, and that the concession stand stays stocked. For more on those performing groups, see our guide to marching bands, cheer and dance teams at high school games. The AD also keeps an eye on timing: the clock must be restarted on schedule.

Delays and cancellations

Weather and safety can interrupt games. The AD's role in a delay includes:

Clearing the stands and field. Following the weather policy, the AD works with officials to suspend play and direct people to safe shelter.
Tracking the clock. If a delay follows a lightning rule, the AD or a designated person tracks the waiting period and resets it if lightning is detected again.
Deciding with the referee. The referee has authority over the field under the rules, but the AD has authority over the venue, and the two work together. State association policies spell out who has final say in various situations.
Communicating. The AD informs the crowd through the public address system, the principal and the visiting school.
Deciding whether to resume, shorten or reschedule. State rules and conference agreements address how to handle suspended games. They differ widely, so there is no single answer.

After the final whistle

When the game ends, the AD's night is not over.

Sportsmanship. The AD may be on the field or near the exits to help with crowd departure and to thank the visiting team, officials and workers.
Officials. If officials have not been paid, the AD makes sure they are, and thanks them. Many ADs also ask about any issues, because feedback helps improve the event.
Visitors. The AD helps the visiting team's bus depart safely.
Cleanup. Staff and volunteers pick up trash, and the AD confirms that locker rooms and facilities are secured.
Gate receipts. Cash and records from ticket sales and concessions are counted, documented and secured. Schools have rules about handling money, often requiring two people.
Reports. If an injury, ejection or unusual incident occurred, the AD completes the required forms for the school, district or state association.
Lock up. The AD or a designee makes sure lights are off, gates are locked and the facility is secure.

It is not unusual for the AD to leave long after the crowd has gone.

What the AD does the rest of the week

Friday night is the visible part. The AD also handles:

Budgets and purchasing
Hiring and evaluating coaches
Eligibility checks, including academic and age requirements
Scheduling for all sports, not just football
Equipment inventory and reconditioning
Communication with parents
Compliance with state association rules
Facility use by other groups
Fundraising coordination with booster clubs
Responding to complaints

Because football shares the stadium with other sports, the AD may need to schedule field use, set up for soccer or track and coordinate practice times. Our article on funding high school athletics explains how the money side works.

How fans can help

A smooth Friday night depends partly on the crowd.

Arrive early, follow parking instructions and have your ticket ready.
Follow the school's policies on bags, outside food and drink and re-entry. They vary.
Treat volunteers and officials with respect. Most of them are neighbors, teachers and parents.
If you see a safety problem, tell a staff member or security.
Pick up your trash.
Cheer for your team, not against theirs.

If you attend as a visiting fan, remember that the host school is doing you a favor by hosting you. A courteous crowd makes the AD's night easier.

The short version

The athletic director manages the event, while the coach manages the team.
Much of the work happens before game night: contracts, officials, facilities, staffing and communication with the visiting school.
Safety is central: weather monitoring, an emergency action plan, an AED and medical staff on site.
During the game, the AD walks the stadium, monitors crowd behavior and stays in contact with security, the trainer and the press box.
After the final whistle, there is cleanup, money handling, reports and lock-up.
Rules vary by state and conference, including weather policies and who has authority in a suspension.
Find local games and venues in the high school directory, the schedule and the team pages, and check the host school's website for ticket and bag policies.

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