SAN JOSE, Calif. - Director of Athletics Jeff Konya has signed an extension to be at San José State through December 2027, announced by SJSU Interim President Stephen Perez on Wednesday. Under Konya's direction, the Spartans added one of the best multimedia rights deals in the country, secured a partnership with NBC Sports Bay Area, televised the Sammy Awards for the first time in program history, One Spartan Nation witnessed record increases, and SJSU Athletics created the department's new vision statement The Charge.
"I'm excited that we can solidify our relationship with Jeff into a bright future for Spartan Athletics and San José State," said Dr. Perez. "Jeff's leadership fosters an environment that supports the full development of our tremendous student-athletes in the classroom, in competition, in the community, and for their futures. San José State athletics serves as a crucial community building piece of our strategic plan and Jeff fully embraces our goals of educating our students, engaging with our community, and striving for excellence. It's a great day to be a Spartan and there are greater days on the horizon."
Konya is a two-time National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) AD of the Year in 2016-17 (Oakland University) and 2020-21 (Northeastern University), becoming just 1-of-4 Athletic Directors to earn that distinction in a four-year span. Under Konya's leadership, San José State has increased its outreach and brand exposure through strong partnerships with Playfly Sports, media outlets and corporate partnerships with a significant increase of One Spartan Nation membership.
"Thank you to Dr. Perez and San José State University for your confidence in my leadership here at SJSU," said Konya. "It's a pleasure to work with our student-athletes, coaches, staff and the President Cabinet. I believe in what we are trying to do as a university with Transformation 2030, and as an Athletics Department with our 'Charge'. We will keep rolling up our sleeves and continue to help One Spartan Nation reach new heights."
Konya Highlights
- Created new vision statement for the department called The Charge
- One Spartan Nation membership has nearly doubled, significant progress in capital projects being built and corporate partnerships are reaching record heights
- Secured partnership with NBC Sports Bay Area/California to televise four games (football, men's basketball, and two women's basketball games)
- First time the Spartans have been televised on NBC Sports Bay Area
- Signed a multimillion dollar deal with Playfly Sports to serve as multimedia rights provider over the next 10 years to significantly enhance the Spartans' brand
- Restructured the organization and executive leadership team to better serve the student-athletes, including the addition of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) officer for the department
- Made key coaching hires in Charles Ryan, first-ever black Director of Track and Field at SJSU, April Phillips for women's basketball and Tina Estrada for women's soccer
- Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) won its first-ever Mountain West SAAC Community Service Award in 2021-22
- Social Media continues to witness increases in engagement and followers, including over 60 million views on video posts
- Football witnessed its largest attendance numbers in over a decade
- Developed a new All-Access Show, The Charge, with unique storytelling features on student-athletes, staff and department accomplishments
- Football game against New Mexico State is a finalist for the SVG College Media Awards for Most Outstanding Live Game Production
- Improved in-game experience by adding elements in marketing to continue to engage fans
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