UVa's Associate AD for External Operations Makes Move

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Aug. 9, 1999

BOWLING GREEN, Kty. – Dr. Wood Selig, Associate Athletic Director forExternal Operations at the University of Virginia, has been namedDirector of Athletics at Western Kentucky University.

The 38-year-old Selig (pronounced SEE-lig), amember of the athletic administration at Virginia for the past 11years, fills the vacancy at Western created by the June 30 retirement of Lewis Mills.

“Dr. Selig is a seasoned, externally orientedathletic administrator who comes to Western from a strong athletic program at anesteemed university in a leading athletic conference,” WKU President Dr. GaryRansdell said. “He is ready to run his own program and lead Western towardit’s vision to be nationally competitive in all of it’s athletic programs.Wood connected well with the coaches and administrators at Western. He andEllen and their children will be marvelous additions to Kentucky, to BowlingGreen and to the Western Family.”

Dr. Selig has served UVa as associate AD forexternal operations for the past five years, helping the 24-sport Cavalier program reach new heights infund-raising, ticket sales and corporate relations, along with marketing and promotions efforts. Among his specificassignments at UVa were:

overseeing the athletic department’spartnership with it’s multi-media consulting firm, including assisting in the production, distribution and sales ofvarious television and radio projects as well as corporate sales and marketing opportunities,production of annual marketing and salesplans for season and single-game ticket sales,overseeing the athletic department’slicensing and merchandising program,assisting in the athletics capital campaign representing the athletic department in thenegotiation of shoe and apparel contracts and other affinity programs.

“I want to thank Dr. Ransdell and the searchcommittee for providing me with this tremendous professional opportunity at Western Kentucky,” Dr. Seligsaid. “Western athletics has a dynamic history and a tradition of national success. I look forward to buildingupon that history and writing new chapters.

“And, I am looking forward to enhancingWestern’s athletic facilities by increasing revenues via philanthropic and corporate support along with renewedenthusiasm for Hilltopper athletics manifested through increased ticket sales and attendance,” he added.”Hopefully, the results will position Western to compete at the highest level as we enter the new millennium.”

He joined the staff at Virginia as director ofsports promotions in 1988 and was promoted to assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions in 1990,a position he held for four years prior to taking on his most recent duties.

A native of Chapel Hill, N.C., who callsNorfolk, Va., home, Dr. Selig began his career in college athletics as an administrative assistant to the athleticdirector at Ohio University (1984-85) before moving to Virginia Commonwealth, first as director of ticketoperations (1985-87) and then as assistant to the athletic director (1987-88), where he organized fund-raisingactivities, produced and marketed corporate sponsorship proposals, and coordinated scheduling formen’s basketball.

“Our search committee struggled to narrow thefield of candidates from 45 to three,” said Louis Berman, president of the Hilltopper AthleticFoundation (HAF) and chair of the search committee. “The quality of candidates was extraordinary.

“We are very pleased with Dr. Ransdell’s finaldecision,” he added. “And, we believe our new AD will bring considerable experience, along with tremendousenergy and intellect, to the position. I am confident that, with his leadership, the HAF will achieve it’sambitious goals.”

Selig earned his doctorate in higher educationat the University of Virginia in May following the completion of his dissertation, “A Study of DonorPredictability Among Alumni Athletes at the University of Virginia.” He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology>from Washington & Lee in 1983. And, he holds a master’s in sports administration from Ohio University (1985).

An active member of the American MarketingAssociation, the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Directors and the National Association ofDevelopment Directors, Dr. Selig and his wife, the former Ellen Miller of Annapolis, Md., are the parents oftwo sons, two-year-old Camden Alexander and three-month-old Nicholas James.