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Staff Directory
- Title:
- Director of Athletics
- Email:
- Phone:
- 603-862-2013
Allison Rich, Esq., Ed.D. was named UNH Director of Athletics on July 5, 2022 and formally introduced in a July 14, 2022 press conference. In this role, she leads a 20-sport NCAA Division I program focused on athletic and academic excellence, alumni and fan engagement, and providing an outstanding student-athlete experience – creating Wildcats for Life.
The Wildcats have excelled athletically and academically under Rich's leadership with scores of student-athletes receiving All-America, all-conference, and all-academic honors. Additionally, Rich has been instrumental in the fundraising efforts for the Wildcats, which brought in more than $15 million dollars in support of Athletics capital projects, endowed scholarships, and program needs, with a 262-percent increase in just her first two years. She spearheaded the launch of the annual Wildcats for Life fundraising campaign in the fall of 2023 to support important programs for all of UNH’s 500+ student-athletes, including advances in health and well-being, academic and athletic performance, and personal development.
Rich’s leadership at UNH transcends the realm of Athletics, extending into her active role in President Chilton’s cabinet. In this capacity, she engages in critical discussions and strategic planning on issues that impact the entire University, all while championing Athletics as the institution’s “front porch.” Her unwavering commitment to advancing college athletics and enhancing the student-athlete experience is further demonstrated through her extensive industry involvement. In June 2024, Rich was appointed to the NCAA Division I Council as the representative for the America East Conference. Additionally, she serves on the NCAA Division I Competition Oversight Committee, which oversees regular season and championship administration for sports outside of football and men’s and women’s basketball, as well as the America East Coordinating Committee and Finance Committee. She is also a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Northeast Regional Advisory Committee.
Rich is currently the Chair of the NCAA Division I Infractions Appeals Committee, and also serves on the NCAA General Counsel’s Advisory Board and National Sports Law Institute Board. She is the immediate past President of the Sports Lawyers Association, an international non-profit organization dedicated to the understanding, advancement, and ethical practice of sports law. As President, she led the Association through a vital strategic planning process and assisted in driving change and forward progress through and after the pandemic.
Rich came to UNH with nearly three decades of collegiate athletics administration experience. She spent the previous nine years at her alma mater, Princeton University, as the Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator. At Princeton, Rich was a member of the executive management team for an NCAA Division I Athletics department that consisted of 38 sports and boasted more than 1,000 student-athletes and 200 staff members. She managed, mentored, and provided leadership for all coaches and staff while supervising 12 athletic teams, including the Tigers' Division I FCS football program.
As a licensed attorney, Rich was engaged with Princeton Athletics legal issues and related areas, and she also provided oversight for the student-athlete experience in a department that excelled nationally while maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence and student-athlete welfare. Her contributions to the Princeton Tiger Performance program propelled student-athletes to success academically, athletically, and socially by developing resources, identifying department core values, and eliminating barriers to physiological and psychological wellness. Further, she demonstrated a commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion serving as a founding member and on the executive committee of Tigers Together, a program devoted to ensuring a sustainable culture of inclusion, mutual respect, and unity for Princeton Athletics and beyond.
Rich began her college athletics career at Loyola University Chicago in the position of Policy and Review Coordinator/Compliance and Marketing Assistant. She followed that with a move to the NCAA national office as a Membership Services Representative, where she served as a liaison to NCAA conferences, committees, and the governance structure. She next worked at the University of the Pacific as the Associate Director of Athletics for Internal Affairs and legal counsel for Athletics before serving as the Deputy Director of Athletics/SWA at California State University, Fullerton, with responsibility for all day-to-day operations and strategic planning for the Athletics program.
Rich then advanced to Florida State University as the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Affairs/SWA. In that role she created a comprehensive branding, external relations, and communications strategic plan for promoting Seminole Athletics in addition to implementing fundraising, marketing, and sponsorship strategies, creating an outbound ticket sales staff, and negotiating television contracts and media/sponsorship rights deals. She also served as an athletics consultant for JMI Sports, LLC and Allison Rich Consulting where she worked with institutions to review various components of their athletics programs to identify areas of improvement and develop best practices and plans for implementation.
Rich graduated from Princeton with a Bachelor of Arts in history, earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the Chicago-Kent College of Law, and subsequently received a doctorate in educational administration from the University of the Pacific. Licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and a qualified arbitrator from the State of Florida, Rich is a Sports Management Institute Executive Program and Women Leaders in College Sports Executive Institute graduate. She is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Women Leaders in Sports, and the American, Illinois, and Chicago Bar Associations. She has served as an adjunct professor teaching various collegiate and master's level courses in law, sports, and higher education.
