Patrick Ransdell
Ransdell, who becomes MSU’s 11th athletic director, has served as deputy athletics
director for external relations at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina,
since December 2021.
Before overseeing external operations and leading major fundraising initiatives at
Appalachian State, Ransdell spent five years at the University of Central Florida,
ultimately serving as executive associate AD for the Orlando university. Upon his
arrival at UCF in 2016, he initially served as assistant AD for administration before
being promoted in summer 2017 to executive associate AD for revenue generation and
took on the role as UCF’s chief revenue officer for the department.
While at Appalachian State, the Mountaineers experienced record-setting attendance numbers, leading the nation in percentage of stadium capacity filled, while also setting program records for total attendance. The school also experienced record numbers for donor participation, ticket revenue and annual fund growth during Ransdell’s tenure.
Similarly, during his time at UCF, the Knights experienced record revenue in tickets and corporate sales, while enjoying national success on the field.
From 2013-15, Ransdell was an assistant director of development at Miami University
in Oxford, Ohio, before being promoted to assistant AD there in February 2015.
He has also held leadership positions at UNC-Wilmington and Coastal Carolina after
starting his athletics administration career at the University of Mississippi. All
told, he has 20 years of notable leadership experience at six different NCAA Division
I universities.
A four-year student-athlete on Western Kentucky’s baseball team, Ransdell earned his
bachelor’s degree in mass communication from WKU in 2002 with a minor in psychology.
He later completed two post-graduate degrees at Ohio University, including his MBA
in 2004 and master’s in sports administration in 2005.
Ransdell and his wife Brooke have two children, Walker and Collins.
