Dan Griffin

Associate AD-level sports business leader with 20+ years of hands-on operating experience across NCAA athletics, revenue strategy, ticketing and attendance, sponsorship, multimedia rights, donor engagement, paid media and fan growth. Advises senior institutional stakeholders by translating market, audience and financial performance into practical go-to-market recommendations, operating models and executive-ready deliverables. Record includes supporting Wright State's most profitable ticket-revenue season, its first $1 million fundraising year and threefold multimedia-rights revenue growth at Kent State.

Associate Athletics Director - External Relations at WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY (2024-01 – Present)

• Lead the external-relations operating model across marketing, communications, corporate partnerships, ticketing and attendance strategy, fan engagement, donor events and community outreach; advise athletics and institutional leaders on revenue growth and resource allocation.
• Developed Wright State Athletics' first multimedia-rights partnership, evaluated and packaged revenue inventory, clarified partner deliverables and expanded integrated activation opportunities across media, digital and live events.
• Use ticket sales, attendance, audience, paid-media, digital and partnership performance to guide go-to-market strategy, audience segmentation, promotions, retention initiatives and budget allocation.
• Helped generate the most profitable ticket-revenue season in department history at more than $500,000 and contributed to the department's first $1 million fundraising year by revamping benefit-auction strategy.
• Created a pregame tailgate platform that opened new sponsorship inventory while strengthening fan experience and attendance; develop partner concepts, commercial briefs and executive presentations for senior and Board-level stakeholders.
• Coordinate multiple concurrent workstreams across marketing, ticketing, development, partnerships, creative, communications and game operations, turning strategic goals into executable plans, timelines and performance reviews.

Assistant Athletics Director - Communications & Broadcasting at KENT STATE UNIVERSITY (2019-01 – 2024-01)

• Led communications, broadcasting and digital strategy for 19 NCAA Division I programs while partnering with marketing, ticketing, development and multimedia-rights teams to improve brand and commercial performance.
• Managed fulfillment and inventory coordination for more than $1 million in advertising and sponsorship assets through Learfield and Van Wagner relationships; helped multimedia-rights revenue grow more than threefold to exceed $1 million.
• Launched the GoFlashes mobile app and tripled users annually by integrating content, live-event information, fan touchpoints and partner-ready digital inventory.
• Translated audience, media and engagement data into recommendations and senior-leadership narratives; earned national visibility through ESPN/SportsCenter, The Athletic and other major outlets.
• Supervised an eight-person communications and video team and led cross-functional delivery across high-volume live events, digital platforms, broadcasts and sensitive institutional initiatives.

Assistant Director - Athletics Communications at SAINT FRANCIS UNIVERSITY (2015-01 – 2019-01)

• Directed media relations, content and marketing support across a Division I portfolio, translating athlete and team stories into earned-media, digital and fan-engagement opportunities.
• Created the Jr. Frankies Kids Club, generating more than $5,000 in first-year revenue and establishing a repeatable membership and youth-engagement platform.
• Expanded livestreaming and produced coaches' shows, play-by-play programming, graphics and promotions across digital, broadcast and live-event channels.
• Mentored six graduate assistants and student employees while coordinating deliverables across sports, events and media partners.

Director - Athletics Communications at MILLSAPS COLLEGE (2012-01 – 2015-01)

• Managed communications, digital channels and promotional strategy for 18 NCAA Division III programs while supervising 10-15 student workers.
• Built game-day promotions and audience-development initiatives that contributed to record attendance and earned national Sports Illustrated coverage.
• Developed the Majors Sports Network, generating approximately $5,000 annually through media-network partnerships while expanding live coverage and sponsor-ready inventory.
• Integrated website, social, promotions, events and broadcast assets into a consistent athletics brand and fan experience.

Master of Science in Sports Management – Liberty University (2012)

Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism – Ohio University (2006)