DAVIS, Calif. – Pat Kreger, an accomplished businessman and veteran athletics administrator, has been named the new General Manager of UC Davis Sports Properties, the Aggies’ multimedia rightsholder and local LEARFIELD team. Kreger brings over 25 years of experience in business, fundraising and community building.
Kreger comes to Davis from the Southwest Section PGA’s Southern Nevada Chapter where he served as the Executive Director for more than two years. He created and implemented revenue generation programs, and through the Chapter Foundation worked on numerous philanthropic initiatives, including partnering with Ronald McDonald House Charities for the ‘Birdies for Good’.
“I am extremely excited to be joining the LEARFIELD and UC Davis teams as General Manager of UC Davis Sports Properties,” Kreger said. “I would like to thank Rocko DeLuca, Tony Soares and Jeff Bolitho for making this incredible opportunity possible. My wife Stephanie and I are very much looking forward to becoming a part of the UC Davis community.”
Kreger made a move to Las Vegas while he was working for Ikoniq. He started with the company in 2012 as the Vice President of Sales in Rochester, N.Y., and then made the move to Vegas as the Business Development Representative. With Ikoniq, Kreger expanded the business into new markets and generated over $15 million in new sales.
Before heading into the private sector, Kreger enjoyed a successful career in collegiate athletics, starting in 1996 as an Assistant Accounting Manager at Fresno State. He rapidly climbed the ranks, moving to San Diego State, where he worked from 1998-2003, with his final three and half years serving as the Assistant Athletic Director of the Aztec Athletic Foundation.
From Southern California Kreger trekked across the country to South Beach as the Director of the Hurricane Club at the University of Miami. He oversaw all activities of the Hurricane Club, consisting of 5,400 members and $5.14 million in annual contributions.
Kreger then served as the Associate Director of Athletics, overseeing all aspects of Development at the University of Akron. During his stint with the Zips, Kreger cultivated over $20 million in major gift commitments and increased the annual fund to over $1.6 million.
In his last stop at the collegiate athletics ranks, Kreger went to the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, for six years, holding his final duties in Chicago as the Director of Development. Kreger was primarily responsible for the identification, cultivation and solicitation of current donors and prospects in the Chicago region. He personally raised over $4 million, which included $1.3 million in naming rights and $1.2 million in endowment gifts, to name a few.
Kreger graduated from Mankato State University, earning a degree in accounting and finance.
UC Davis Sports Properties is solely dedicated to the Aggies, overseeing all aspects of the comprehensive rights relationship including management of the corporate partner platform. LEARFIELD is a media and technology services leader in intercollegiate athletics that unlocks the value of college sports for brands and fans. LEARFIELD services include licensing and multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and social media; data analytics; ticketing, ticket sales and development services, and professional concessions expertise; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue technology systems.