Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Ryan Gottlieb Hired as Deputy Athletics Director/Chief Commercial Officer
2/11/2026 3:00:00 PM | General
BOCA RATON, Fla. – An experienced and accomplished revenue generator for nearly two decades in college athletics, Florida Atlantic announced Wednesday the hiring of Ryan Gottlieb as Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Commercial Officer.
In this newly created position, Gottlieb will oversee all aspects of FAU's commercial revenue generation efforts with an emphasis on ticket strategy, sales and service. He will manage the department's partnership with outbound ticket sales consultant, Taymar, and the relationship with Ticketmaster, while also facilitating other revenue generation efforts to include concessions and outside events and concerts, and the department's partnership with multimedia rights holder, Playfly.
Gottlieb will serve on the Athletics Executive Staff and have sport oversight responsibilities.
"With Ryan, we are hiring one of the most respected and accomplished revenue generators in college athletics," said Vice President and Director of Athletics Brian White. "He brings a unique skillset that will greatly enhance and support our ticket sales strategies, initiatives and operations, while spearheading efforts to foster and sustain revenue streams at our venues throughout the year. This is a critical position at a pivotal time in college athletics, and we have attracted one of the best to paradise."
His extensive background at the Power Four level includes stints at Georgia Tech, Rutgers and most recently four years as senior associate AD and revenue generating officer at Colorado. His resume also includes stops at Alabama-Birmingham and Louisiana Tech.
"I'm incredibly grateful to Brian White for the opportunity to join Florida Atlantic Athletics," said Gottlieb. "I appreciate the confidence he has shown in me, and I can't wait to join his incredibly respected staff and coaches. FAU has built tremendous momentum across its athletic programs, and I'm excited to work alongside this outstanding team to help continue that success of Winning in Paradise."
Gottlieb was hired by Colorado in January 2022, serving as the senior executive responsible for all athletic department revenue streams outside of philanthropy, while leading a department-wide revenue transformation that grew operating revenues by 55% over four years.
That growth was focused on a ticketing strategy that yielded dramatic increases in football season tickets and record setting revenue. He helped turn Folsom Field into a revenue engine by attracting 11 major concerts in four years, including three sold-out shows for Dead & Company in 2023, Odesza, Tyler Childers, Phish and John Summit. He managed CU's multimedia rights partnership with Learfield/Buffalo Sports Properties, negotiated a long-term food and beverage contract extension, while also serving as a sport administrator for the Buffs' men's golf team that advanced to the 2025 NCAA Finals.
Prior to his time in Boulder, Gottlieb produced similar ticket and revenue successes during a nearly five-year stint at Rutgers and nearly four years at Georgia Tech. Under Gottlieb's leadership, Rutgers experienced four consecutive years of season ticket growth in men's basketball, was consistently ranked in the top four nationally in wrestling attendance and led the country in football average attendance growth in 2021.
His Rutgers responsibilities included serving as the administrative point of contact for Rutgers Sports Properties, while helping procure Jersey Mike's as the naming rights partner for the Rutgers Athletics Center.
As the director of sales and service for Georgia Tech from 2014 to 2017, the Yellow Jackets set an all-time school record for total ticket revenue in school history in 2015, as the football program averaged 50,706 fans.
Gottlieb graduated from South Carolina in 2009. He immediately started his career in the sports sales industry, selling football and basketball season tickets at Georgia Tech from 2009-11.
He managed the Aspire Group's partnership with the University of Alabama-Birmingham and the Aspire Group's partnership with Louisiana Tech University before returning to Georgia Tech in 2014.
Born and raised in Atlanta, Ga., Gottlieb is married to his wife Kathryn and the couple has two children, son Stewart and daughter Cecelia.
#WIP
In this newly created position, Gottlieb will oversee all aspects of FAU's commercial revenue generation efforts with an emphasis on ticket strategy, sales and service. He will manage the department's partnership with outbound ticket sales consultant, Taymar, and the relationship with Ticketmaster, while also facilitating other revenue generation efforts to include concessions and outside events and concerts, and the department's partnership with multimedia rights holder, Playfly.
Gottlieb will serve on the Athletics Executive Staff and have sport oversight responsibilities.
"With Ryan, we are hiring one of the most respected and accomplished revenue generators in college athletics," said Vice President and Director of Athletics Brian White. "He brings a unique skillset that will greatly enhance and support our ticket sales strategies, initiatives and operations, while spearheading efforts to foster and sustain revenue streams at our venues throughout the year. This is a critical position at a pivotal time in college athletics, and we have attracted one of the best to paradise."
His extensive background at the Power Four level includes stints at Georgia Tech, Rutgers and most recently four years as senior associate AD and revenue generating officer at Colorado. His resume also includes stops at Alabama-Birmingham and Louisiana Tech.
"I'm incredibly grateful to Brian White for the opportunity to join Florida Atlantic Athletics," said Gottlieb. "I appreciate the confidence he has shown in me, and I can't wait to join his incredibly respected staff and coaches. FAU has built tremendous momentum across its athletic programs, and I'm excited to work alongside this outstanding team to help continue that success of Winning in Paradise."
Gottlieb was hired by Colorado in January 2022, serving as the senior executive responsible for all athletic department revenue streams outside of philanthropy, while leading a department-wide revenue transformation that grew operating revenues by 55% over four years.
That growth was focused on a ticketing strategy that yielded dramatic increases in football season tickets and record setting revenue. He helped turn Folsom Field into a revenue engine by attracting 11 major concerts in four years, including three sold-out shows for Dead & Company in 2023, Odesza, Tyler Childers, Phish and John Summit. He managed CU's multimedia rights partnership with Learfield/Buffalo Sports Properties, negotiated a long-term food and beverage contract extension, while also serving as a sport administrator for the Buffs' men's golf team that advanced to the 2025 NCAA Finals.
Prior to his time in Boulder, Gottlieb produced similar ticket and revenue successes during a nearly five-year stint at Rutgers and nearly four years at Georgia Tech. Under Gottlieb's leadership, Rutgers experienced four consecutive years of season ticket growth in men's basketball, was consistently ranked in the top four nationally in wrestling attendance and led the country in football average attendance growth in 2021.
His Rutgers responsibilities included serving as the administrative point of contact for Rutgers Sports Properties, while helping procure Jersey Mike's as the naming rights partner for the Rutgers Athletics Center.
As the director of sales and service for Georgia Tech from 2014 to 2017, the Yellow Jackets set an all-time school record for total ticket revenue in school history in 2015, as the football program averaged 50,706 fans.
Gottlieb graduated from South Carolina in 2009. He immediately started his career in the sports sales industry, selling football and basketball season tickets at Georgia Tech from 2009-11.
He managed the Aspire Group's partnership with the University of Alabama-Birmingham and the Aspire Group's partnership with Louisiana Tech University before returning to Georgia Tech in 2014.
Born and raised in Atlanta, Ga., Gottlieb is married to his wife Kathryn and the couple has two children, son Stewart and daughter Cecelia.
#WIP
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