SAN DIEGO – San Diego State director of athletics John David Wicker has announced the hiring of Tim Rice as senior associate athletic director for development. A prolific administrator and fundraiser, Rice joins the Aztec staff after spending the past two years as associate athletic director for football development at San José State University.
While at SJSU, Rice worked as a key member of the university advancement team charged with forging a strong cross-campus partnership with intercollegiate athletics. He also led efforts and provided leadership to "ALL IN, the Campaign for Spartan Football" – a $40 million capital drive designed to enhance football facilities, which has already secured $20 million in funding for a new football operations building, and is positioned for future success.
"I am excited to welcome Tim and his wife Kerstin to the Aztec Nation," Wicker said. "Tim will bring a renewed energy and focus to our Aztec Club team that will benefit our entire department and fan base. Tim's experience developing the "ALL IN" initiative at San José State will be a great asset as we begin our campaign to build the new Aztec stadium."
During the fiscal year 2017-18, Rice was the top fundraiser across all departments at San José State, closing over $9 million in pledges and commitments supporting various areas. He also discovered and secured the largest gift in the history of Spartan football totaling $5 million, as well as the lead donor supporting the new football operations building.
In addition to collaborating with department and university management on initiatives supporting a $350 million campus-wide capital campaign, Rice launched the "Bronzan Society", a football leadership giving program at SJSU that recognizes donors of $100,000 or more to the football operations building project.
"We have a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in front of us here at San Diego State University, one that will make a major impact on the city and the region for generations to come," Rice said.
"There has never been a better time for San Diego residents and Aztecs everywhere to unite in support of the mission and growth of SDSU. San Diego truly is "One City, One Team", and together we will strive every day to provide opportunities for our student-athletes, the leaders of tomorrow.
"To the current and future Aztec Club supporters, thank you for all you do. I can't wait to meet you and build this together."
From 2010-13, Rice completed his first stint at SJSU as the Spartan athletic department's development coordinator before spending the next three years at Northern Illinois University, where he oversaw a Huskie Athletic Fund staff of five full-time employees and spearheaded the efforts to redesign and relaunch all aspects of athletics development. That comprehensive relaunch resulted in a 172 percent increase in overall giving to NIU athletics.
At NIU, Rice was promoted to senior assistant athletic director for revenue generation, a position focused on growing all annual revenue through premium seating and hospitality. In his role, Rice worked closely with ticketing, marketing and Huskie Sports Properties to ensure all revenue-generating units were effectively synchronized.
In addition, Rice executed a remodel of all donor parking and premium seating at NIU's Huskie Stadium, resulting in an 89 percent increase in premium seating revenue.
Rice graduated in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in advertising and public relations from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich., before obtaining his master's in sport management from the University of San Francisco in 2010.
While at GVSU, Rice served as a marketing assistant for two years and was director of Laker Nation, the largest dues-paying student organization in the school's history. He also worked as a graduate assistant in the office of athletics development at the University of California, Berkeley.
Rice is married to Kerstin Kraft, and the couple are expecting the first child in February.