Allison Rich - Director of Athletics - Staff Directory - University of New Hampshire Athletics

Staff Directory

Allison Rich

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 highly competitive 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.

Under Rich’s leadership, the Wildcats have excelled both athletically and academically with numerous student-athletes receiving All-America, all-conference, and all-academic honors. Additionally, Rich has been instrumental in the fundraising efforts for the Wildcats, generating nearly $23.5 million dollars in support of Athletics capital projects, endowed scholarships, and program needs – tripling the total raised over the previous three-year period. 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, raising more than $147,000 for the Wildcat Athletics Fund since its establishment. This important initiative supports student-athlete growth and well-being through advances in health and wellness, academic and athletic performance, and personal development.

Rich’s influence at UNH extends beyond Athletics, reflected in her active role within 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 an exciting, welcoming, and engaging gateway to UNH. Rich’s unwavering commitment to advancing college athletics and enhancing the student-athlete experience is further demonstrated in her active industry involvement at the national level. In June 2024, she was appointed to the NCAA Division I Council as the America East Conference representative. She also serves on the NCAA Division I Competition Oversight Committee. Additionally, Rich is a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Northeast Regional Advisory Committee and contributes to the America East Coordinating and Finance Committees.

Rich is currently the Chair of the NCAA Division I Infractions Appeals Committee and is a Board of Directors member and recent president of the Sports Lawyers Association, an international non-profit organization dedicated to the understanding, advancement, and ethical practice of sports law. During her presidency, she led the Association through a vital strategic planning process and helped drive meaningful progress during and after the pandemic.

Rich joined UNH with nearly three decades of collegiate athletics administration experience. She spent nine years at her alma mater, Princeton University, as the Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator. As a member of Princeton’s executive management team, she helped lead an NCAA Division I Athletics department comprising 38 sports, more than 1,000 student-athletes, and 200 staff members. Her responsibilities included providing strategic leadership, mentorship and oversight for coaches and staff, while supervising 12 athletic programs, including the Tigers' Division I FCS football team.

As a licensed attorney, Rich played a key role in addressing legal matters with Princeton Athletics and provided strategic oversight of the student-athlete experience. She helped guide an internationally recognized department committed to academic excellence and student-athlete welfare. Her leadership in creating the Princeton Tiger Performance program empowered student-athletes to succeed academically, athletically, and socially by developing resources, identifying department core values, and removing barriers to physical and mental well-being. Rich also served as a founding member and executive committee member of Tigers Together, a program dedicated to ensuring a sustainable culture of inclusion, mutual respect, and unity within Princeton Athletics and beyond.

Rich began her college athletics career at Loyola University Chicago, where she served as Policy and Review Coordinator and Compliance and Marketing Assistant. She then joined the NCAA national office as a Membership Services Representative, acting as a liaison to NCAA conferences, committees, and broader governance structure. Her next role took her to the University of the Pacific, where she served as the Associate Director of Athletics for Internal Affairs and Athletics legal advisor. She later became the Deputy Director of Athletics and SWA at California State University, Fullerton, overseeing all day-to-day operations and planning for the Athletics program.

Rich then advanced to Florida State University as Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Affairs and SWA. In this role, she created a comprehensive strategic plan for branding, external relations, and communications to elevate Seminole Athletics. Her work included the implementation of fundraising, marketing, and sponsorship initiatives, establishment of an outbound ticket sales team, and negotiations for television contracts and media rights deals. She also served as an athletics consultant, partnering with institutions to assess their athletics programs, identify areas of improvement, and develop best practices for implementation.

Rich earned her Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, Juris Doctorate from Chicago-Kent College of Law, and doctorate in educational administration from the University of the Pacific. She is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and is a qualified arbitrator from the State of Florida. Rich is also a graduate of the Sports Management Institute Executive Program and Women Leaders in College Sports Executive Institute. Her professional affiliations include the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Women Leaders in Sports, and the American, Illinois, and Chicago Bar Associations. In addition to her administrative roles, she has served as an adjunct professor teaching undergraduate and graduate-level courses in law, sports, and higher education and is a regularly invited speaker on these important topics.

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