This study addresses the challenge of anticipating administrative difficulties in implementing innovative pedagogies like Agile-blended learning (ABL). Using a novel AI role-play methodology, four large language models simulated an academic administrator’s perspective across five common implementation scenarios. A thematic analysis of the AI-generated data revealed three consistent strategic tensions: (1) the conflict between pedagogical flexibility and institutional standardization; (2) the gap between strategic ambition and resource reality; and (3) the challenge of integrating technology without causing systemic fragmentation. The paper discusses the implications of these tensions for university administration, proposing that a more “agile” administrative approach is needed to support such innovations. It also confirms that AI role-play is a valuable approach for strategic foresight and generating hypotheses in educational research, providing a new tool to tackle emerging challenges in higher education.