By: Mark Wasik
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State Director of Athletics Milton Overton announced this week the hiring of Jacob Dye as the Owls' Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Fan Experience. Dye most recently worked at Loyola Marymount University, where he served as associate athletic director for marketing, fan engagement, branding, and licensing.
Dye brings nearly 10 years of experience in the collegiate marketing and fan engagement fields to the Black and Gold. A talented strategist, innovator, and collaborator, he has demonstrated success in growing fan affinity and increasing revenue at multiple institutions. His duties have included involvement with risk management and behavioral intervention teams, university and athletics diversity and inclusion councils, and NIL working groups.
"We are very excited to bring an experienced marketer of Jacob's caliber to Kennesaw State," said Rob Aycock, Kennesaw State Senior Associate Athletic Director. "He will provide an immediate boost to the experience of our fans and student-athletes across all of our sports."
In his previous position at LMU, he oversaw the department's digital media, graphics design, licensing/branding, marketing/fan engagement, spirit squad, and ticketing areas. While working with the CLC and LMU's 400+ licensees, Dye was able to break royalty records through continuous apparel offerings, new license agreements and increased online options. He also served on the West Coast Conference External Affairs Committee to further enhance external engagement across the conference and improve championship events.
During his tenure at LMU, Dye was integral to various projects and partnerships. One such project is the LMU and Los Angeles Rams partnership. On September 6, 2023, LMU and the Rams entered a historic partnership, making LMU the first-ever official higher-education partner of the Rams. With exclusive academic and pre-professional opportunities with the Rams organization, students received an inside look at one of the nation's most successful sports franchises.
He began his career at Mississippi State University where his team was named Marketing Team of the Year in 2016 and 2017 by the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA). Dye then went on to Southern Utah University, where he helped build and grow the athletics marketing operation, maximizing ticket revenue and setting records for fan attendance, efforts that were also recognized by NACMA.
In 2019, Dye went to work for ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association), and moved up to his eventual title of Director of Marketing & Communications & Advanced Media. He coordinated all media availabilities at the ITA and implemented consistent messaging and branding for the association throughout the collegiate tennis seasons, as well as handling all communications and media relations efforts at all levels of collegiate play.
Dye then moved to Denver University in 2021 as the Director of Campus Engagement and In-Event Promotions. He also served as Denver's athletics department liaison to Denver Sports Properties; a joint venture of PlayFly Sports, and chaired the Diversity and Inclusion Council.
Dye is an active member of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA), Fair Labor Association (FLA), College Sports Communicators (CSC - formerly CoSIDA), and the International Collegiate Licensing Association (ICLA).
