Michael Alford
Michael Alford was named the Athletic Director at Central Michigan University in May 2017.
Before that, he was the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development and Administration at the University of Oklahoma. He has over two decades experience in intercollegiate athletics and professional sports. Before joining the University of Oklahoma, he was Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships and Sales for the Dallas Cowboys.
He has also held leadership positions in sales and marketing with ABC, the Cincinnati Bengals and Crimson Tide Sports Marketing.
At the University of Oklahoma, Alford distinguished himself as the Sooner Club set annual giving records for donations in 2013 and 2014 and membership increased to all-time high of over 10,600 members. He also established the Sooner Club’s “Young Alumni” program to increase ticket sales and enhance membership. This organization continues to help talented student-athletes receive a world-class education while competing at an elite level in the athletic arena.
During his tenure with the Cowboys, Alford cultivated corporate relationships that resulted in over $400 million in contractual revenue for the club. He managed all aspects of programming for Cowboys Stadium, a state-of-the-art facility that opened in 2009, and has hosted numerous college football contests, concerts and other marquee events, including Super Bowl XLV.
His responsibilities at Alabama included strategic planning. He was also active in recruitment, management and training of the marketing and promotional staff. Alford had a leading role in a senior management team that planned and implemented improvements to numerous athletics facilities, including Bryant Denny Stadium and Coleman Coliseum.
Before that position with the Crimson Tide, Alford worked as a sports sales manager for ABC. Here he developed the media rights sales plan for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and oversaw media and stadium sponsorships. He was also with the University of Southern California, where he was involved in sponsorships, merchandising and contract negotiations, as well as the development of the Galen Events Center.
A graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alford earned a bachelor’s degree in communications arts in 1993. His master’s degree in athletics administration was earned at the University of Arkansas in 1995. He and his wife Laura, have three daughters, Audrey, Ashley and Anna Leigh.
