Martin was named Director of Athletics and Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of South Carolina Upstate on August 14, 2023. He is currently in his third year in Spartanburg. Since taking the helm, Martin has helped transform the trajectory of Spartan Athletics by boosting revenue generation, competitive success and brand visibility across the Upstate region and beyond.
Since Martin’s arrival, total athletics fundraising has increased 72% over FY23, while corporate sponsorship revenues have climbed more than 22%. The department also launched a new partnership with NoCap Revenue Solutions, creating opportunities for student-athletes and teams to grow their personal brands and leverage Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities in the local market.
Upstate achieved its best-ever finish in the Big South Conference Sasser Cup standings (3rd) in 2024–25, highlighted by four Big South Championships — the most in program history in a single year. Women’s Soccer, Baseball, and Men’s Golf each captured their first-ever Division I championships and NCAA postseason bids, while Softball claimed its ninth conference title and second consecutive NCAA appearance.
Academically, Spartan student-athletes set a department record 3.32 GPA and all but two teams had a team GPA over 3.0.
Brand awareness has also reached record levels. Under Martin, Upstate unveiled a new Spartan spirit mark in May 2025, produced a record 94 ESPN+ broadcasts (second-most in the Big South) with 149,582 unique viewers and 4.73 million minutes watched, and launched community-building partnerships with the Hub City Spartanburgers and Fifth Third Park, bringing events like Morgan Square Madness and Sparty’s Ball & Auction to downtown Spartanburg. Additionally, helped create an alternate identity as “Hub City,” which created new revenue streams for the athletic department.
Facility investments have followed suit, including new LED lighting at key venues, upgrades to the Sport Performance Center, and a new basketball and volleyball floor in the Hodge Center, all part of a larger facility master plan that includes a new Track & Field complex. The department has also enhanced student-athlete transportation with multiple new vehicles and launched its long-term “Elevate Upstate” Strategic Plan, adding Competitive Cheer, Competitive Dance and Development Teams for Soccer beginning in 2025-26.
Martin’s reputation as an external revenue builder in collegiate athletics was established long before arriving in Spartanburg. Across prior leadership roles at Idaho, Winthrop, Concordia–Portland, and South Dakota, he has generated tens of millions of dollars in new facility funding, corporate sponsorships and major gifts.
At the University of Idaho, Martin served as Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations, leading all fundraising, marketing, ticketing, communications, licensing and multimedia efforts.
At the University of Idaho, Martin served as the lead fundraiser for the $51 million Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU) Arena, one of the most distinctive basketball and events facilities in the nation. He also negotiated a 10-year, $5 million naming rights partnership with P1FCU for the historic Kibbie Dome, one of the largest corporate agreements in Idaho Athletics history. Beyond facility development, Martin helped renovate the Lauren McCluskey Track and Vandal Tennis Center, created the Field Club premium seating area, and launched “Vandal Village,” the department’s central tailgating hub.
Martin’s impact extended to ticketing and attendance, where he oversaw record growth, including a 358% increase in men’s basketball season-ticket sales, a 259% rise in women’s basketball season-ticket sales, and a 165% jump in student attendance. Martin also established the department’s first-ever NIL Program, bringing together the Colleges of Business and Law to help student-athletes build sustainable NIL ventures through partnerships with INFLCR and Opendorse.
Prior to Idaho, Martin served as Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Concordia University–Portland, where he led the Cavaliers to record fundraising success and guided the athletic department to a GNAC Academic All-Sports Championship with a 3.49 GPA—the highest in school history.
At Winthrop University, Martin served as Associate Athletic Director for External Operations, where he revamped the entire fundraising and sponsorship model for Eagle Athletics.
While at Rock Hill, Martin’s strategic major-giving plan led to record donations in 2017–18, marking an 84 percent increase over the prior year and a 133 percent increase over 2015–16. His focus on donor cultivation and relationship-building elevated the department’s fundraising capacity and created a stronger culture of giving among alumni and community supporters.
He personally secured the two largest corporate sponsorships in school history, landing multi-year deals with Atrium Health and Founders Federal Credit Union that provided both financial stability and brand visibility for Eagle Athletics. Under his leadership, the Eagle Club booster program surpassed $500,000 in annual scholarships for the first time and grew its membership by 94 percent, solidifying its place as a vital pillar of support for Winthrop’s student-athletes.
Martin also spearheaded the department’s seven-year strategic plan, The Drive to ’25, a roadmap designed to align Winthrop Athletics with university-wide goals for academic excellence, enrollment growth and community engagement.
Before Winthrop, Martin served as Assistant Athletic Director for Major Gifts at the University of South Dakota, where he maintained a portfolio of more than 120 donors and helped fund three new athletic facilities totaling over $75 million — including the Sanford Coyote Sports Complex, First Trust & Bank Soccer Complex, and Lillibridge Track & Field Complex. He personally raised over $1.2 million in major gifts for scholarships and sport-specific enhancement funds during his tenure.
Earlier in his career, Martin gained foundational experience with Learfield Sports in business development and licensing, managing more than 30 university partnerships across the western United States, and as External Revenue Coordinator at Eastern Washington University, where he helped rebrand and modernize the Eagle Athletic Fund.
A native of La Crosse, Washington, Martin graduated Magna Cum Laude from Eastern Washington University with dual bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration (Finance & Economics) and Communication Studies, before earning a master’s degree in Sport Administration.
As a student-athlete, he was a five-year member and team captain of Eastern Washington’s 2010 FCS National Championship football team, setting the school record for games played (51) at the time of his graduation.
He and his wife, Nikki, live in Spartanburg with their daughters, Chandler and Camden, and their son, Holden.
