McGrath named associate athletic director for business relations, communications

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Director of Athletics Dave Joyner has announced the appointment of Tom McGrath as associate athletic director for business relations and communications.McGrath joins the Nittany Lions with extensive experience in all operational aspects of collegiate and professional sports and the Olympic Games. Among his responsibilities will be the general management of Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics’ primary revenue generating areas, including marketing, ticketing sales and service, the Nittany Lion Club, licensing, multi-media rights, corporate partnerships and communications.“We are very excited to welcome Tom McGrath to the Penn State and State College communities,” said Joyner. “Tom’s experience in multiple arenas will be a great asset to our communications and business development sectors. Because of his direct sport responsibilities and interactions with coaches and student-athletes at Colorado, Tom brings a unique perspective and understanding of the traditional, and exciting emerging opportunities that exist in our daily and long-term operations.”"I am truly honored to join the Penn State community and to be a part of such a great academic institution with tremendous success and recognition in intercollegiate athletics,” McGrath said. “The loyal fan base and long-standing support of this community provides student-athletes in 31 sports with the opportunity to compete at the highest level and receive a world class education. I look forward to working with Dr. Joyner and the talented and dedicated staff in Athletics and across the University."McGrath joins the Nittany Lions after serving as vice president of international business development with Jet Set Sports, one of the world’s foremost providers of hospitality and ticket packages for the Olympic Games. A graduate of Springfield College, he served as senior associate athletics director at the University of Colorado from 2005-10. While in Boulder, McGrath contracted more than $100 million in long-term revenue through new multimedia rights and corporate sponsorships, led CU Athletics’ strategic investment in the basketball programs and played an integral role in Colorado’s transition from the Big 12 Conference to the Pac-12 Conference.Soon after earning his master’s degree at Springfield College, McGrath joined USA Basketball as associate executive director, where he worked extensively with NBA on creating the highly successful marketing program for USA Basketball and the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. The Melrose, Mass., native coordinated the men’s basketball programs for the Olympic, Pan American and World University Games from 1978-92.McGrath served as vice president-administration with the NBA’s Boston Celtics from 1992-95, overseeing all the franchise’s business and communications operations and serving as a point person on the team’s transition from the Boston Garden to a new facility. He then worked as executive vice president at Host Communications, where he directed the company’s business relationship with the NCAA corporate partner program and rights associated with marketing, radio network, Internet, publishing, events and merchandise licensing.