North Dakota State Athletic Director Gene Taylor has chosen not to retain the school's longtime sports information director, George Ellis.
In a prepared statement, Taylor said he and Ellis "didn't share the same vision for the direction of the sports information department."
"I didn't feel George was meeting our performance expectations we've set for our entire athletic department," Taylor said. The termination was effective June 30, the school said.
Ellis, 59, has been at NDSU for 30 years. During his tenure, the sports information office has won more than 130 national awards.
"Obviously I'm disappointed after giving 30 years of my life to the university," Ellis said. "I've retained an attorney and we will explore all areas available to us."
Citing his awards, he said, "I think I've done an outstanding job for the university. I don't think my performance has slipped over the years."
Taylor said women's sports information director Jeff Schwartz is overseeing both the men's and women's athletic programs. A search for Ellis' replacement will begin immediately, Taylor said.
Sports information directors are responsible for producing programs and media guides for a university's athletic teams. Their departments also keep statistics and provide information to reporters.
NDSU is moving to NCAA Division I next year, a move that Ellis' attorney claims led to his client's termination.
"NDSU is going Division I; Taylor decided that there is no room for a 60-year-old man on his team," Fargo attorney Pat Monson said in a written statement.
Ellis began his career at Morningside College in 1968 and stayed there for five years before moving to Northern Iowa for one year. He was hired at NDSU in 1974, and was the Bison baseball coach from 1980-84.