Staff Directory
- Title:
- Deputy Director of Athletics/CRO
- Email:
- Phone:
- 8162351039
Kansas City Athletics and Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Dr. Brandon Martin brought in David Sabolcik for the title of Deputy AD/Chief Revenue Officer on Sep. 9, 2024. Sabolcik brought over 20 years of experience in collegiate athletics administration, including an eight-year stint as the Senior Associate AD of External Relations at the University of Northern Colorado.
"My family and I are excited for this new adventure and an opportunity to make an impact on Kansas City Athletics," Sabolcik said. "Dr. Martin and team have the Roos on an upward trajectory, and I look forward to working with our external team to implement the Impact Plan for Excellence. UMKC is an outstanding university in a passionate sports city and we will engage fans around KC to fuel the department's elevation. Roo up!"
Sabolcik joined the Kansas City Athletics senior staff, taking head of the external relations department, leading the charge for revenue development, ticketing, marketing and promotions and strategic communications.
"We are thrilled to welcome David and his family to the Roo family," Dr. Martin said. "His wealth of experience in external relations will undoubtedly have a positive impact on our efforts to enhance resource growth and revenue generation. Having David on board is another critical step toward our overarching goal of intentional excellence."
From 2016-24, Sabolcik led the external team at Northern Colorado with sport supervision duties for the Bears' men's basketball, wrestling and football teams. His team was responsible for ticketing revenue records in all five of UNC's ticketed sports and he oversaw a ticket revenue increase of 22% in his first year on the job.Â
During his tenure, he was the lead contact for the largest corporate sponsorships in Northern Colorado's history, including healthcare, apparel and beverages with combined values of over $1.5 million. In addition, negotiated media rights deals for the Bears' non-Big Sky sports and served as liaison to Bear Sports Properties.
Prior to his time with Northern Colorado, Sabolcik was the Associate Athletic Director for Development at the University of Nevada from 2013-16. His focus was on the growth of major gift giving, leading a 35% growth in two years from $4.58 million to $6.52 million. He helped secure a pair of seven-figure gifts for an $11 million football stadium renovation and worked with coaches to a near 200% increase in men's basketball fundraising.
He also helped develop the Wolfpack's strategic operations for overall fundraising success, refocusing efforts from ticket sales and benefits-based giving to a donor-centric plan of communication, identification and cultivation.
Before his time with Nevada, he spent one year each with Georgia State (2012-13) and San Jose State (2011-12), both in an Associate AD of Development role.
His time at Georgia State was marked by the football team's transition to the FBS level, redesigning season ticket renewals and leading to a 1000% increase. In addition, he developed social media communication strategies for development and helped lead multi-media efforts for donor visits.
During his stop at San Jose State, Sabolcik directed the day-to-day operations of SJSU's fundraising efforts and rebranded the department's development strategies, aligning all sport-specific groups under the umbrella of the Spartan Foundation.
Sabolcik made his name during a decade-long stay at New Mexico from 2001-11, beginning as an Assistant Director of the Lobo Club, and finishing as an Assistant Athletic Director/Lobo Club Executive Director.Â
His time spent with the Lobos saw Sabolcik manage a $5 million annual giving program, growing the annual fund by 65%. He was key in closing some of the largest gifts in department history, was the development liaison for the Lobos' $3 million football stadium renovation and was a key fundraiser in the $65 million renovation of UNM's historic basketball arena.
Beginning his career at Division II MSU Moorhead, Sabolcik oversaw a 176% increase in fundraising efforts and coordinated a $230,000 track & field endowment.
Sabolcik earned his Bachelor's degree in Sports Management from Slippery Rock University, and later pursued a Master's in Communication Management from John Carroll University. During
his time at Slippery Rock, he was a member of the football team, earning academic and athletic All-American, All-District and All-Conference honors.
Sabolcik comes to Kansas City with his wife, Kara, and two children: Macyn and Ryland.
What They're Saying About David Sabolcik
"Since our days in the Lobo Club, David has been a dedicated administrator who tirelessly works for the overall benefit of the student-athlete, department and community that he has been affiliated with. He will be great asset to the Roos as he brings his passion and knowledge of college athletics to the forefront of Kansas City's continued success." -Â David Spafford, Vice President/Director of Athletics, Emporia State University
"David has been an instrumental part of our basketball team's success over the past several years. As our sport administrator, he worked closely with our program in many aspects, including daily operations, fundraising, sponsorships, marketing, community engagement and so many other aspects that helped us to run a successful program. He will be missed, but I have no doubt that he will do a tremendous job at Kansas City." -Â Steve Smiley, Head Men's Basketball Coach, Northern ColoradoÂ
