Will Pantages Named Senior Associate AD for Football Strategic Communications

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Will Pantages has joined Ohio State Athletics as a Senior Associate Athletic Director for Football Strategic Communications. He will oversee all aspects of football media relations, strategic messaging, and public relations planning, setting the tone and direction for how the program is presented to local, national, and global audiences. He will also be leading the football Creative Media and Branding team.

Pantages comes to Columbus after spending six years as the Senior Associate AD for Communications & Content at Wake Forest University. While there, he provided strategic leadership and direction for Communications, Fan Experience & Campus Partnerships, and Creative Services for all 18 sports. He was also the primary communications contact for the Wake Forest football program.

“We are excited to add Will to our Buckeye team,” said Chris Park, Executive Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs and Chief Communications Officer. “He has tremendous passion, enthusiasm and vision for his work in the communications and creative space and his experience as a high-level thought leader within college football will be valuable in this new role centered around our Ohio State Football program.”

Prior to Wake Forest, Pantages spent four seasons at the University of Florida, serving as the Assistant Director of Athletics Communications and Digital Content. He was the primary media contact for the Gators' football program, working directly with UF's assistant coaches, student-athletes and assisting in requests for Dan Mullen, Jim McElwain and Randy Shannon. In addition, he supervised three content creators, served as the social media manager for all football social media accounts, managed the department's overall and football-only content calendars and assisted in staff organization and hiring with his superiors.

Pantages also spent the 2013-14 athletic season at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, serving in a variety of roles with the football and men's basketball programs.

“It is a privilege to join The Ohio State University,” Pantages said. “I’m excited to collaborate with an outstanding team to highlight all the accomplishments of our student-athletes and continue advancing one of the most respected brands in college athletics.”

A native of Akron, Ohio, Pantages completed his undergraduate degree in communications and economics from Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio in 2013. While there, he played baseball as a catcher during his freshman season and then pitched for the Yellow Jackets in 2011, '12 and '13 while also working year-around in the sports information department.

A New Communications Structure

Chris Park was hired in January to serve as the Executive Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs and Chief Communications Officer. Park is leading the department’s external communications strategies, marketing, brand engagement, media relations, and strategic storytelling efforts that elevate Ohio State’s mission and impact across regional, national, and global markets.

Gary Petit, who has been a member of the Ohio State Athletics Communications office since 2014, will lead the communications unit and oversee all non-football related communication strategies. Petit is also the primary communications contact for the men’s basketball program.

In addition to Pantages’ hiring, Mike Basford will continue to help guide the media relations efforts for the football program. Basford has been at Ohio State since 2013 and has worked with the football program for the last nine seasons. He’s been instrumental in working with the student-athletes, assistant coaches and head coach Ryan Day as well as all other facets of promoting the program.

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