New athletics director shares points of focus with CMU community
Three weeks before his first "official" day as Central Michigan University's athletics director, Michael Alford visited Mount Pleasant on Friday for the annual Chippewas Challenge event at Bucks Run Golf Club.
Alford, who will lead the CMU athletic department starting July 3, met with the media and went over his main points of focus as he transitions into his new position.
“It’s our job to go out and raise money,” Alford said. “We have to get alums excited with our vision and what the future is going to hold, not only for our university but for our athletics. Get them to contribute and get them to engage in the university community."
President George Ross said Alford stood out among the candidates during the interview process with his background in fundraising and marketing. Alford recently planned and managed a $160 million end zone facility project at Oklahoma, and led several capital campaigns, such as one for a $7 million basketball performance center that will open in 2018.
He joined OU in 2012 from the NFL's Dallas Cowboys where he served as senior director of corporate partnerships and sales since 2008. 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, which opened in 2009, and has hosted numerous college football contests, concerts and other marquee events, including Super Bowl XLV.
At Oklahoma, Alford helped run an athletic department with an annual budget of more than $120 million. At CMU, the athletic budget is around $30 million, nearly 75 percent of which is subsidized by student tuition dollars.
Come July, Alford will step into a new challenge as CMU faced a projected $20 million deficit. Ross said the deficit was not discussed during the interview process.
“We adjust our budget every year," Ross said. "The budget adjustment this year covers two years. And we’ll adjust next year and the year after. I was the vice president for finance and administrative services here for five years. During that time, we had a $22 million budget shortfall for one year on a budget that was $200 million less. So we’ve gotten that done and we’ll move forward."
Alford will be paid an annual base salary of $275,000, according to his contract acquired by Central Michigan Life. He signed a four-year deal which will be reviewed annually.
Alford replaces Dave Heeke, who accepted the same position at the University of Arizona in February.
According to his last contract with CMU, Heeke was paid a $245,000 salary.
In addition to his salary, Alford is eligible to receive additional compensation if the football team participates in a bowl game, and if the men's or women's basketball teams are selected for the NCAA Tournament.
Other perks included in his contract are:
- A full-sized vehicle for work-related travel
- Six season tickets for men's basketball and six football season tickets
- A membership with the Mount Pleasant Country Club
- Permission for his wife/children to travel to Bowl games and all Championship events CMU teams compete in
