Megan MacLeod was hired as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Brand Advancement in July of 2023. With a wealth of experience and nearly 20 years in the industry, MacLeod will oversee the department's athletics communications, marketing, video and creative departments.
MacLeod came to Illinois State after spending time at San Jose State as the Associate Athletics Director for Marketing, Digital Media and Licensing. Prior to that, she spent three years at South Alabama, where she was a member of the senior leadership team with direct responsibility for brand advancement and fan engagement. She has spent time at Power-5 schools Illinois, Iowa, and Purdue, as well as running football marketing experiences at Memphis, South Florida, and South Alabama.
She joined South Alabama after spending the previous three-plus years as Director of Marketing at South Florida. At South Alabama, her duties focused on brand advancement, marketing, creative content and in-game entertainment programming with goals including developing initiatives to increase awareness and attendance, engage students, enhance the customer experience and solidify the department's brand. While at South Florida, she helped the Bulls football attendance increase by 20 percent overall and nearly 40 percent among students in 2018, while helping grow attendance at men's basketball by almost 50 percent — highlighted by a 90 percent jump in student presence — and almost 20 percent overall growth in crowds at women's basketball games.
Prior to her time at South Florida, MacLeod was at Memphis for over six years where she started with the Tigers as Assistant Director of Marketing & Promotions before moving up to Director of Game Presentation & Promotions. She also served as the Assistant Director of Promotions & Advertising at Purdue (2009-10), Assistant Director of Marketing & Promotions at Davidson (2008-09), and started as a post-graduate intern in sports marketing at Iowa (2007-08).
MacLeod graduated from Illinois in 2005 with a degree in leisure studies and later earned a master's degree from Illinois in recreation, sport & tourism. She has been a member of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators since 2009, serving on multiple committees within the organization.
