Assistant Director of Championships, Licensing and Commercial Partnerships

Assistant Director Of Licensing And Commercial Partnerships

The Assistant Director of Licensing and Commercial Partnerships is a newly created position responsible for managing and growing the NCAA's Endemic Partner Program—a strategic commercial initiative through which companies integral to college sports (equipment manufacturers, apparel brands, sports technology providers, and related suppliers) receive traditional marketing rights in exchange for their partnership with the Association. This position serves as the NCAA's primary day-to-day manager of endemic sponsor relationships, working in close collaboration with an NCAA-designated marketing rights agency to prospect, onboard, activate, and steward endemic partners across the championships portfolio.

The Assistant Director ensures that endemic sponsors receive full value from their NCAA partnership, that contractual obligations are met on both sides, and that the program grows in scope, revenue, and strategic importance over time—translating the NCAA's unique position at the center of the college sports ecosystem into durable, mutually beneficial commercial partnerships.

Job Responsibilities

Program Management & Development

• Serve as the primary NCAA national office point of contact for the Endemic Partner Program, owning the day-to-day operational management of all active endemic partnerships and the overall health of the program.
• In partnership with the NCAA's designated marketing rights agency, develop and refine the Endemic Partner Program's structure, sponsorship tiers, rights packages, and pricing framework to maximize both partner value and NCAA revenue across a multi-year ramp-up period.
• Maintain a comprehensive program dashboard tracking partner status, contract terms, activation deliverables, revenue performance, and renewal timelines for all endemic sponsors.
• Coordinate with legal and compliance to ensure that all endemic partnership agreements are consistent with NCAA rules, association policies, and the boundaries established by the NCAA's broader commercial marketing rights structure.
• Work with the Director of Licensing & Commercial Partnerships to set annual program revenue targets and contribute to the long-range financial planning for the endemic program.

Marketing Rights Agency Liaison

• Serve as the NCAA's primary operational liaison to the designated marketing rights agency, coordinating on prospecting strategy, sales pipeline management, partnership proposals, contract negotiations, and partner activation.
• Review and approve agency-developed sales materials, sponsorship decks, partner proposals, and activation plans to ensure alignment with NCAA brand guidelines, policies, and commercial priorities.
• Participate in joint sales calls, pitches, and partner meetings alongside agency representatives, providing NCAA institutional knowledge, credibility, and decision-making authority.
• Conduct regular performance reviews with the agency, evaluating pipeline progress, deal conversion rates, activation quality, and partner satisfaction against agreed benchmarks.
• Escalate and resolve agency-partner conflicts, compliance issues, or fulfillment gaps in a timely manner, ensuring the program's integrity and partner confidence are maintained.

Partner Relationship Management & Activation

• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with all endemic sponsors, serving as their primary NCAA contact for questions, requests, activations, and strategic dialogue.
• Develop and execute partner activation plans that deliver the full scope of contractual marketing rights, including on-site presence at NCAA championships, digital and social integrations, licensing of NCAA marks, signage, hospitality, and other negotiated benefits.
• Coordinate with internal NCAA teams—including Championships Operations, Digital, Social Media, Media Coordination, Broadcast, Ticket Operations, and Marketing—to facilitate seamless activation of endemic partner rights across all relevant championship events and platforms.
• Manage the transition of existing Official Supplier Program partners into the endemic partnership structure, where applicable, ensuring continuity of relationship and a clear, compelling articulation of enhanced rights and value.
• Conduct post-championship and post-season activation reviews with each partner, documenting deliverable fulfillment, gathering partner feedback, and identifying opportunities to strengthen or expand the partnership.

Prospecting, Pipeline & Business Development

• In collaboration with the marketing rights agency, maintain an active pipeline of endemic partnership prospects, including current Official Suppliers, prospective new entrants in sports equipment and apparel categories, and adjacent sports industry companies.
• Research and identify new endemic partnership categories not currently represented in the Official Supplier Program, developing tailored sponsorship concepts and outreach strategies to expand the program's brand base.
• Support contract…