Staff Directory

Todd Knisley serves as Executive Deputy Athletic Director, Chief Operating and Revenue Officer, bringing more than 15 years of experience in revenue generation, partnerships, and strategic leadership across collegiate and professional sports.

As Executive Deputy AD, COO/CRO at Rutgers, Knisley will serve as principal advisor to the Director of Athletics, ensuring efficient and effective administration across all units of the department, with a focus on fiscal performance, strategic planning, organizational alignment, and operational excellence. He will oversee the daily operations of the athletics department, collaborating with university leadership, senior athletics administration and campus and community partners to support the University’s mission and athletics department goals. Knisley will also serve as the sport administrator for football.

Knisley most recently served as vice president and general manager of Ohio State Sports Properties with Learfield, where he managed one of the largest revenue enterprises in college athletics. His portfolio included multimedia rights, naming rights, ticket sales, Ohio Stadium tours, digital content and name, image and likeness initiatives. Under his leadership, the property experienced unprecedented revenue growth, exceeding its revenue goals in each of the past six years.

Knisley was part of the formation of the Buckeye Sports Group, a groundbreaking initiative designed to support, streamline and enhance NIL opportunities for Ohio State student-athletes. This comprehensive approach helped to elevate all 36 Buckeye sport programs and create a sustainable, best-in-class NIL ecosystem to benefit athletes, brands and the university.

Before Ohio State, Knisley was general manager of Mountaineer Sports Properties at West Virginia University where he guided consistent year-over-year growth. He spent seven years with the Mountaineers, overseeing all sales and operations for the property as associate general manager from 2013-15 before being elevated to the general manager role from 2015-20. He previously held leadership and sales roles at Marshall University, Texas Christian University, the University of Oklahoma and with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings.

Knisley was named to the prestigious Forty Under 40 list by Sports Business Journal in 2023 and has served as a board member with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission for the past five years.

Knisley earned both a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in sport management from West Virginia University, graduating magna cum laude. Knisley and his wife Kelsey are the proud parents to three children – Brooks, Chase and Caroline.

Lisa Tirrell serves as the Executive Vice President, Key Partnerships and External Affairs for Scarlet Knight Enterprises. She is an accomplished sports business executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning professional sports, Division I athletics, corporate partnerships, multimedia rights, naming rights, licensing, retail, and revenue generation. In her current role with Scarlet Knight Enterprises, Tirrell oversees the external affairs and key partnerships of the company. She is also responsible for the brand partnerships, creative, operations, and strategy for the unit.

In her previous role as President & CEO of Scarlet Assets Management Company (SAMCO), the first privately owned university athletics subsidiary of its kind, Tirrell led the strategic vision, business operations, and commercial growth for Rutgers University, beginning with Rutgers Athletics. She oversaw all revenue-generating initiatives including corporate partnerships, naming rights, premium hospitality, ticketing, merchandise.

Prior to leading SAMCO, Tirrell served in several executive leadership roles within Rutgers Athletics, including Associate Athletic Director for Marketing & Business Development and Assistant Athletic Director for External Affairs & Brand Marketing. She directed marketing, multimedia rights, branding, merchandise, licensing, and fan engagement strategies for all 24 Division I programs while overseeing relationships with some of the most recognized brands in sports, including Adidas, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, LEARFIELD, and Audacy.

Among her most notable accomplishments, Tirrell played a leadership role in securing and activating the naming rights partnerships for SHI Stadium and Jersey Mike’s Arena, helping generate significant long-term revenue while creating meaningful business engagement strategies with corporate partners. She also spearheaded Rutgers Athletics’ year-long 50th Anniversary of Title IX Celebration, integrating all varsity sports into one of the department’s most celebrated institutional initiatives.

Tirrell’s professional career began with the Lakewood BlueClaws, the High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, where she spent nearly eight years progressing through multiple leadership positions. She managed special events featuring nationally recognized entertainers, led corporate revenue initiatives, directed retail operations, built one of Minor League Baseball’s premier internship and inside sales programs, and earned the 2010 South Atlantic League Female Executive of the Year Award for her leadership and innovation.

Her work has been recognized through numerous honors, including being named to the NJBIZ Power Education 50 in both 2024 and 2025 and being named the American Heart Association Woman of Impact Winner in 2025.

Tirell earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Spanish from Wagner College. She currently resides in her hometown of Point Pleasant, NJ with her husband Tom, and their sons Ty Thomas & Duke Thomas.

Kerry Atkinson serves as the Executive Vice President, Corporate Partnerships with Scarlet Knight Enterprises. In his role, Atkinson manages and sets strategy for the units corporate partnership efforts.

Atkinson held the role of general manager for Rutgers Sports Properties from March 2021 through March 2024 before assuming the Executive VP role overseeing corporate partnerships with Scarlet Asset Management Company (SAMCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of Rutgers University.

Before joining the Scarlet Knights, Atkinson had been the general manager for Learfield IMG College’s Syracuse Sports Properties since July 2015. Atkinson brings decades of professional and college sports sponsorship, sales, marketing and media expertise to Rutgers.

He is a former executive director, strategic partnerships for Sunrise Sports and Entertainment, overseeing related activity for the NHL’s Florida Panthers and BankAtlantic Center (now BB&T Center), and a former senior vice president of sales for the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Atkinson also has held senior corporate partnership sales positions with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the American Hockey League’s Rochester Americans.

After years in upstate New York, Atkinson now resides in his hometown of Freehold, NJ.

Stephen Fiorella serves as Associate Vice President, Corporate Partnerships with Scarlet Knight Enterprises since February 2026. In his role, he oversees strategy, development and execution of corporate partnerships that drive revenue growth.

Fiorella joins Rutgers following his tenure as Director of Corporate Partnerships with the New York Football Giants, where he was responsible for selling and managing the organization’s partnership and media rights portfolio. He led the development of fully integrated marketing partnerships across media, experiential, digital and event platforms across categories including beverage, pharmaceutical, tech, automotive, financial services, and consumer brands. He also played a key role in mentoring and developing partnership sales staff.

Prior to the Giants, Fiorella held senior partnership and sales roles with Learfield IMG College at Boston College and Syracuse, managing multimedia rights portfolios and consistently meeting or exceeding revenue goals. His background also included positions with Galaxy Communications, and the Syracuse Crunch Hockey Club, where he focused on new business development, corporate partnerships, and high-profile special events.

A graduate of Boston College, Fiorella earned a Master of Science in Administrative Studies from the Woods School of Advancing Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the Carroll School of Management. Fiorella was a five-time All-American in skiing at Boston College.

Dann Kabala serves as Vice President, R NIL for Rutgers Athletics, leading the department’s Name, Image, Likeness strategy and expanding opportunities for Scarlet Knights student-athletes.

Kabala joined Scarlet Knight Enterprises in January 2026, bringing more than two decades of experience across collegiate athletics, roster management, player relations, recruiting operations, and NIL management. He joins Rutgers from Penn State, where he most recently served as Director of Player Relations (Revenue Share/NIL) for football. In that role, he led NIL strategy, negotiated player agreements, supported NIL budget planning and helped position the Nittany Lions as a national leader in student-athlete revenue generation.

At Rutgers, Kabala will oversee the R NIL program, working closely with Athletics leadership, Scarlet Knight Enterprises (SKE), marketing, communications, development and external partners to build a comprehensive NIL ecosystem that supports student-athlete brand growth, education and long-term value creation. His role will be central to aligning NIL efforts with the department’s broader branding, fan engagement and revenue objectives.

During his time at Penn State, Kabala played a critical role in securing major donor commitments, expanding NIL participation and supporting teams that consistently competed at the highest level, including a College Football Playoff semi-final appearance and New Year’s Six bowl games. In addition to overseeing the football program’s revenue share and NIL department, Kabala also managed the 5th quarter/player development program, which focuses on life skills, academics, career prep and personal growth beyond football.

Prior to his time at PSU, Kabala served as director of player personnel at Pitt from 2012 through 2017. With the Panthers, he oversaw the recruiting department, managing its budget and coordinating travel logistics for all official and unofficial visits. He also assisted with the program’s transition into the ACC. Kabala also served as the assistant director of football operations/recruiting & eligibility at the University of Arkansas from 2009-12 where he helped build the 2011 team that finished ranked No. 5 in the country.

Kabala holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Science in sports marketing and management from Indiana University.

Dann and his wife Becky Kabala have a boxer dog named Elle.

Will LaRossa serves as Director, R NIL, leading the strategy, execution, and day-to-day operations of Rutgers Athletics’ Name, Image and Likeness initiatives.

Joining Scarlet Knight Enterprises in February 2026, LaRossa brings experience across professional sports, collegiate athletics, and global brand marketing, most recently serving as Manager, Brands with Wasserman. In that role, he managed national client partnerships and sponsorship strategy on behalf of major brands across the NBA, including overseeing integrated activations, negotiating new sponsorship and talent opportunities, and leading on-site execution at league and team events.

He played a key role in launching permanent experiential spaces, coordinating multi-market influencer campaigns, and developing analytics-driven recaps to measure performance against partnership objectives.

Prior to Wasserman, LaRossa served as Associate Director of Marketing and Event Experience at the University of Miami, where he led marketing initiatives to drive attendance and fan engagement across ticketed and Olympic sports while serving as the primary liaison for partnership activations. He also managed large-scale game presentation and event operations, oversaw the department’s mascot and student staffing programs, and helped cultivate meaningful connections between athletics, campus, and the local community.

LaRossa began his career with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, working in corporate partnership activation. A graduate of Miami, LaRossa earned his Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Sports Administration and Media Management.

Brian Cahill serves as Vice President, Ticketing for Scarlet Knight Enterprises, supporting Rutgers Athletics since September 2023. His role includes ticketing strategy, revenue generation, sales leadership, service operations and fan experience initiatives.

Cahill has spent his 20-plus year career in the sports and entertainment industry, with experience across collegiate athletics, professional hockey, Major League Soccer (MLS) and minor league baseball. Prior to his current role, he held leadership positions with The Aspire Group at Rutgers Athletics, the San Jose Sharks, New York Red Bulls and Somerset Patriots.

A proud Rutgers alumnus and more than 20-year Rutgers football season ticket holder, Cahill is passionate about Rutgers Athletics and enjoys connecting directly with the fanbase. Throughout his career, he has focused on building strong teams, developing revenue strategies, improving processes and creating a service-first approach for fans, donors and partners.

Cahill earned a degree in Exercise Science and Sport Studies/Sport Management. He resides in Fair Haven, New Jersey with his wife Allison, their daughter Madison, son Andrew, and dog Hudson.

Andrew Granozio serves as Vice President, Operations for Scarlet Knight Enterprises, where he helps lead strategic initiatives that support Rutgers Athletics and its corporate partnership efforts.

In this role, Granozio oversees operational initiatives designed to enhance fan engagement, strengthen business partnerships and support revenue-generating opportunities for the Scarlet Knights. With more than a decade of experience in athletics operations, ticket sales, fan engagement, data analytics and revenue generation, Granozio has established himself as a leader known for driving organizational growth and developing innovative business strategies.

The is the second stint with Rutgers Athletics, previously serving as director of business development and premium seating.

Prior to joining Scarlet Knight Enterprises, Granozio held leadership positions with Princeton, where he managed athletic ticketing and fan development initiatives. Throughout his career, Granozio has also held key roles with Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment, Learfield IMG College Ticket Solutions, the Lakewood BlueClaws, Syracuse and several other athletic organizations. Across these positions, he led ticket sales operations, premium seating programs, fundraising efforts, sponsor sales initiatives, account management initiatives, and business development strategies using data analytics that increased revenue and strengthened community engagement.

Granozio earned a degree in Sports Management from Centenary University, providing the foundation for a career dedicated to advancing collegiate athletics through strategic leadership and operational excellence.

Tyler Lundgren serves as Vice President, Finance and Human Resources for Scarlet Knight Enterprises since June 2025. Lundgren oversees the organization’s financial operations, human resources functions, strategic planning initiatives and overall business administration.

Lundgren is responsible for managing budgets, supporting organizational growth, developing operational strategies and ensuring effective personnel management across the enterprise. Prior to joining Scarlet Knight Enterprises, he worked in the Rutgers Athletics business office. Lundgren previously served in leadership roles at SUNY Maritime College

Before moving into senior administrative leadership, Lundgren built a diverse professional background through positions in athletic operations, coaching and student-athlete development. His experience includes roles at SUNY New Paltz as well as work as an independent soccer trainer and coach, providing him with a broad understanding of athletic program management and student-athlete success.

Lundgren is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz, earning a degree in business administration and management.

Katie Champion serves as Director, Corporate Engagement for Scarlet Knight Enterprises where she leads and oversees a wide range of projects, partnerships and initiatives that support the organization’s business objectives.

Champion is responsible for coordinating complex projects, managing stakeholder relationships, overseeing event execution and ensuring the successful delivery of high-quality experiences for clients, partners, and fans. Champion joined the department in April 2024 as Director, Project Management.

Prior to joining Scarlet Knight Enterprises, Champion spent more than five years with Sports Video Group, where she advanced through several production and operations roles. There, she managed event programs, sponsorship deliverables, marketing materials and large-scale industry events. Champion also served in development roles with the Rutgers University Foundation, supporting the R Fund from September 2016 through September 2018.

Champion earned a Master of Science in Global Sports Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Psychology from Rutgers University. She was a four-year letterwinner on the field hockey team, ranking in the top-15 all-time in the program record books for goals and points.

Ron Chen serves as the Director of Creative Brand Partnerships for Scarlet Knight Enterprises. In this role, he leads the creative strategy and activation of corporate partnerships, helping brands connect with fans and student-athletes through innovative marketing campaigns and storytelling initiatives.

Chen oversees creative and partnership activation for more than 100 corporate partnerships, manages integrated marketing campaigns across digital, social media and live-event platforms and develops new revenue-generating opportunities through advertising and sponsorship programs. His work has contributed to record-breaking fan engagement and significant growth in partnership value.

Prior to joining Rutgers, Chen worked at Old Dominion, where he directed athletic marketing and social media efforts for 17 varsity sports programs. He helped shape the university’s digital brand identity, led fan engagement initiatives and supervised teams of interns and graduate assistants.

Earlier in his career, Chen gained experience with a variety of collegiate and professional sports organizations, including the Detroit Tigers and Michigan Football. His responsibilities included launching Michigan Football’s first official TikTok account, supporting social media strategy for the Detroit Tigers, conducting sports marketing research, creating digital content and developing innovative fan engagement campaigns.

Chen earned his degree from Michigan in sport management.

Jackie Dimmick serves as the Manager, Brand Partnerships for Scarlet Knight Enterprises, where she oversees the fulfillment and execution of corporate partnership assets for Rutgers Athletics.

In her role, she leads the brand partnership fulfillment team, manages sponsor activations and collaborates on the development of partnership proposals and new business opportunities, helping deliver impactful experiences for corporate partners and Rutgers fans.

Prior to joining Scarlet Knight Enterprises in 2024, Dimmick spent three years with Rutgers Sports Properties, as Partnership Services Coordinator. During her tenure, she managed sponsorship fulfillment, cultivated partner relationships, and executed marketing initiatives across Rutgers Athletics.

A 2021 graduate of Rutgers University, Dimmick earned a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management with a minor in Digital Communication, Information and Media.

Victoria O’Brien serves as the Manager, Corporate Partnerships for Scarlet Knight Enterprises, overseeing the fulfillment and activation of corporate sponsorship assets for Rutgers Athletics.

In this role, O’Brien focuses on building and maintaining corporate relationships, driving sponsorship opportunities, activating partnerships and generating revenue through innovative marketing and business development strategies. Prior to joining Scarlet Knight Enterprises, O’Brien worked with Rutgers Sports Properties, supporting client relationships and sponsorship fulfillment.

O’Brien has also held positions with the Philadelphia Flyers and Rutgers Athletics, gaining experience in sales, marketing and fan engagement.

A graduate of Rutgers University, O’Brien earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management.

Sam Jiorle serves as Manager, Corporate Partnerships with Scarlet Knight Enterprises, overseeing the fulfillment and activation of corporate sponsorship assets for Rutgers Athletics.

Prior to joining Scarlet Knight Enterprises, Jiorle served as an Account Executive with Learfield/Seton Hall Sports Properties, where he was responsible for generating ticket revenue through season, group and premium ticket sales. Jiorle previously worked as a Sales Academy Representative with the New York Red Bulls, focusing on ticket sales, premium hospitality and corporate engagement. He also gained experience with Learfield/Penn State Sports Properties in game-day operations and sponsorship fulfillment.

A graduate of Penn State, Jiorle earned a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Smeal College of Business.

Daniel Newton currently serves as Coordinator, Operations for Scarlet Knight Enterprises, where he oversees operational initiatives and supports partnership fulfillment for Rutgers Athletics.

In his role, Newton manages operational projects and assists with the execution of corporate partnership agreements. He supports sponsorship fulfillment, coordinates partnership-related initiatives and helps ensure successful collaboration between Rutgers Athletics and its corporate partners.

Prior to joining Scarlet Knight Enterprises, Newton worked for LEARFIELD as Partner Service Coordinator for Rutgers Sports Properties. In this position, he served as a liaison between corporate partners and Rutgers Athletics, executing sponsorship assets, coordinating hospitality experiences, managing game-day activations and supporting revenue-generating partnerships across multiple athletic programs.

Newton previously worked with the New York Giants as a member of the Client Services Game Day staff, where he helped deliver premium fan and partner experiences. He was also served as a student manager with the Rutgers baseball program from 2019-22.

Newton earned a Master’s degree in Global Sports Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Sport Management from Rutgers. He also completed his Associates Degree at Middlesex County College.

Sophia Polos serves as the Coordinator, Brand Partnership Fulfillment for Scarlet Knight Enterprises, where she supports the execution and activation of corporate sponsorship assets for Rutgers Athletics.

Prior to joining Scarlet Knight Enterprises, Polos worked for the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, where she advanced from Corporate Partnerships Assistant to Partnership Services Coordinator. In those roles, she supported sponsorship fulfillment, managed partner relationships and coordinated partnership activation initiatives. She also gained experience in promotions, sales and customer engagement through positions with Press Communications and Topgolf.

A graduate of Monmouth University, Polos earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a concentration in Media Studies and Production.

Sarah Wisnack serves as Content Creator, R NIL with Scarlet Knight Enterprises. Wisnack creates multimedia content and campaign concepts that support student-athlete branding and NIL initiatives.

Prior to joining Scarlet Knight Enterprises, Wisnack worked as a Graphic Designer at Central Garden & Pet and as a Digital Designer with AGAIN Interactive. She also held creative design positions with Rutgers Athletics and Rutgers Student Affairs, helping shape gameday social media strategy, creating digital and print creative, producing photo and video content, and supporting brand and marketing initiatives.

A graduate of Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Wisnack earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design.

Shaunak Sawant serves as Content Creator, R NIL with Scarlet Knight Enterprises. In his role, Sawant produces multimedia content through videography and video editing that supports student-athlete branding and NIL initiatives.

Prior to joining Scarlet Knight Enterprises, Sawant worked as a Live Sound Engineer with RDX Productions and as a Production Assistant with From Start to Film, supporting video production, audio engineering and post-production. He also co-founded Cold Brew Entertainment, where he served as Creative Director, and has produced content for Rutgers Men’s Basketball and a variety of independent film and commercial projects.

Sawant graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Rutgers University.

Catherine Moore serves as Coordinator, Brand Partnerships for Scarlet Knight Enterprises.

Previously, Moore was the Director of Operations and Scheduling for the Gazelle Group, where she oversaw scheduling, event operations and logistical planning for the organization’s events and initiatives. She managed operations for collegiate basketball events and maintained relationships with more than 275 Division I men’s basketball programs.

Prior to that, Moore worked as an Event Coordinator at Wasabi Technologies, supporting global events and partnerships with organizations, including the Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins and Liverpool Football Club.

A graduate of Seton Hall, Moore earned bachelor’s degrees in Sport Management and Public Relations.

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Alex Davis serves as the Coordinator, Finance and Human Resources for Scarlet Knight Enterprises, where he helps support the organization’s finance and human resources operations, including accounts receivable, payroll, benefits administration and financial reporting.

Prior to his current role, Davis served as a Business Operations Assistant with Scarlet Knight Enterprises, supporting finance and HR functions, financial reconciliations and process improvements. He also completed a finance internship with Rutgers Athletics, where he assisted with budgeting, forecasting and operational reporting.

Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a minor in Economics at Rutgers. A former Rutgers track & field and cross country student-athlete, he also co-founded Student Athletes in Finance & Accounting.