COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Colleen Sorem has been named University of Maryland Deputy Athletic Director as announced Monday by Director of Athletics Damon Evans. Sorem will assume the role of second administrator in command with the responsibility of overseeing day-to-day operations of the department. She will also serve as CFO, managing the organization's $94 million budget.
Sorem has over 15 years of experience in the world of collegiate athletics, most recently serving as the interim Deputy Athletic Director since October of 2017. She joined Maryland in 2014 as Associate Athletic Director for Business Operations. Her immediate impact quickly led to a promotion to Senior Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations where she had direct oversight of the following units: business operations, facilities and events, human resources, and information technology.
Additionally, Sorem supervised the women's basketball, women's lacrosse and women's golf programs. The women's lacrosse program captured the NCAA Championship in 2017, while the women's basketball team has clinched multiple Big Ten Conference Championships during her tenure. She also served as the secondary sport administrator for the football program and coordinated football scheduling.
"Colleen is a rising star in the collegiate sports industry and she is more than deserving of this promotion," Evans said. "Colleen has done outstanding work since joining our staff at Maryland, demonstrating strong leadership qualities and a keen eye for business operations as well as a broad-based understanding of the world of intercollegiate athletics. I am confident that her innovative thinking and passion for Maryland will lead to great success in this role."
Sorem recently played a key role in the negotiation and execution of a new multi-media rights agreement which represented an increase of more than $30 million from the previous contract. She has continued to demonstrate creative financing solutions including $5M in funding for technology enhancements at XFINITY Center (including WIFI and stadium vision), baseball turf ($2.5M) and a new volleyball ($1M) locker room. Sorem also continues to assist with the oversight and construction management of the $196M New Cole Field House project.
"I could not be more excited and honored to take on the role of Deputy Athletic Director here at Maryland," Sorem said. "I'd like to thank Damon Evans for trusting me with this exciting new opportunity. Having worked with him over the past four years, I am familiar with his tremendous leadership ability and look forward to helping bring his vision of 'One Maryland' to life alongside the tremendous student-athletes, coaches, staff, faculty and alumni throughout the Maryland Athletics family."
Prior to Maryland, Sorem was the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Finance and Operations at Towson University, where she created and administered the departmental budget and had direct supervision of the business office, facilities and equipment operations, sports medicine, strength & conditioning and the volleyball, women's lacrosse and women's basketball programs. She also renegotiated the apparel contract with Under Armour and served as the department's liaison for the softball complex renovation, Towson Center locker room renovations and new 5,500 seat Towson Arena.
She began her career at UMass-Lowell, before spending four years at Florida Gulf Coast. At both institutions, she had direct supervision of the business office, maintaining and monitoring day-to-day operations of the athletic department budget, as well as oversight of other units and multiple sport programs.
Sorem graduated from James Madison University in 2000 with a bachelor of science in Kinesiology and a minor in business, before obtaining her masters in sports administration at the University of Alabama in 2002.
Sorem has over 15 years of experience in the world of collegiate athletics, most recently serving as the interim Deputy Athletic Director since October of 2017. She joined Maryland in 2014 as Associate Athletic Director for Business Operations. Her immediate impact quickly led to a promotion to Senior Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations where she had direct oversight of the following units: business operations, facilities and events, human resources, and information technology.
Additionally, Sorem supervised the women's basketball, women's lacrosse and women's golf programs. The women's lacrosse program captured the NCAA Championship in 2017, while the women's basketball team has clinched multiple Big Ten Conference Championships during her tenure. She also served as the secondary sport administrator for the football program and coordinated football scheduling.
"Colleen is a rising star in the collegiate sports industry and she is more than deserving of this promotion," Evans said. "Colleen has done outstanding work since joining our staff at Maryland, demonstrating strong leadership qualities and a keen eye for business operations as well as a broad-based understanding of the world of intercollegiate athletics. I am confident that her innovative thinking and passion for Maryland will lead to great success in this role."
Sorem recently played a key role in the negotiation and execution of a new multi-media rights agreement which represented an increase of more than $30 million from the previous contract. She has continued to demonstrate creative financing solutions including $5M in funding for technology enhancements at XFINITY Center (including WIFI and stadium vision), baseball turf ($2.5M) and a new volleyball ($1M) locker room. Sorem also continues to assist with the oversight and construction management of the $196M New Cole Field House project.
"I could not be more excited and honored to take on the role of Deputy Athletic Director here at Maryland," Sorem said. "I'd like to thank Damon Evans for trusting me with this exciting new opportunity. Having worked with him over the past four years, I am familiar with his tremendous leadership ability and look forward to helping bring his vision of 'One Maryland' to life alongside the tremendous student-athletes, coaches, staff, faculty and alumni throughout the Maryland Athletics family."
Prior to Maryland, Sorem was the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Finance and Operations at Towson University, where she created and administered the departmental budget and had direct supervision of the business office, facilities and equipment operations, sports medicine, strength & conditioning and the volleyball, women's lacrosse and women's basketball programs. She also renegotiated the apparel contract with Under Armour and served as the department's liaison for the softball complex renovation, Towson Center locker room renovations and new 5,500 seat Towson Arena.
She began her career at UMass-Lowell, before spending four years at Florida Gulf Coast. At both institutions, she had direct supervision of the business office, maintaining and monitoring day-to-day operations of the athletic department budget, as well as oversight of other units and multiple sport programs.
Sorem graduated from James Madison University in 2000 with a bachelor of science in Kinesiology and a minor in business, before obtaining her masters in sports administration at the University of Alabama in 2002.
