Chris McFarlane--an Orlando native, graduate of the UCF DeVos Sport Business Management program and an executive associate athletics director at the University of Pittsburgh the last two and a half years—joined the UCF Athletics staff in January 2021 as deputy athletics director for external relations and business development.
In that role, McFarlane has oversight of the UCF Convocation Corporation, all UCF arena and stadium events--and business-to-business relationships for the department of athletics. The wholly owned convocation corporation is a $20 million annual operations entity that consists of student housing, retail space and Addition Financial Arena. Additionally, he serves as a sport administrator for the Knights’ men's soccer and men's and women's basketball programs. He previously served as sport administrator for the UCF football program and actively represents the Knights at the conference level for all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
McFarlane served as Pitt’s executive associate athletics director for philanthropy and engagement from August 2018 until coming to UCF. In that role, McFarlane directed all fundraising initiatives, including comprehensive annual and major gifts programs, a $300 million capital campaign and a team of 13 professionals.
A member of the executive leadership team, McFarlane also played a key role in high-level strategic decision making for the department of athletics and its 750 student-athletes, band and spirit squads. Having dual reporting roles to director of athletics Heather Lyke and University senior vice chancellor for philanthropic and alumni engagement and president of the medical and health sciences foundation Kris Davitt, McFarlane oversaw all aspects of planning, implementation and execution of a comprehensive, coordinated fundraising program at Pitt.
Before heading to Pittsburgh, McFarlane spent five previous years at Northwestern, where he served as associate athletics director for major gifts and had oversight and strategic direction of all major gifts activity and staff during a $450-plus million athletics campaign. Carrying a full portfolio of major and principal gift donors and prospects, he also served in a leadership role for all campaign and department-wide priorities as a member of the department’s senior administrative staff. Promoted three separate times during his tenure in Evanston, McFarlane also led stewardship and parent partners programming for the Wildcats. He served as a sport administrator for the men’s soccer and women’s tennis programs.
Prior to Northwestern, McFarlane led the athletics development offices at both Mount St. Mary's University (Emmitsburg, Maryland) and Loyola University Maryland (Baltimore, Maryland), bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience into his role in Evanston. He previously held the position of senior director of athletics development at Mount St. Mary's. During his tenure at The Mount, McFarlane managed all major gift, annual fund, corporate partnership and capital project initiatives to extraordinary levels of success.
A 2003 graduate of Florida State University, he also earned a master's degree in sport business management and his MBA from UCF in 2005 and completed a certificate program in leadership from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management in 2016.
McFarlane is a member of the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD). He completed the NCAA Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute in 2011 and the Collegiate Athletics Leadership Symposium (CALS) in 2015.
In that role, McFarlane has oversight of the UCF Convocation Corporation, all UCF arena and stadium events--and business-to-business relationships for the department of athletics. The wholly owned convocation corporation is a $20 million annual operations entity that consists of student housing, retail space and Addition Financial Arena. Additionally, he serves as a sport administrator for the Knights’ men's soccer and men's and women's basketball programs. He previously served as sport administrator for the UCF football program and actively represents the Knights at the conference level for all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
McFarlane served as Pitt’s executive associate athletics director for philanthropy and engagement from August 2018 until coming to UCF. In that role, McFarlane directed all fundraising initiatives, including comprehensive annual and major gifts programs, a $300 million capital campaign and a team of 13 professionals.
A member of the executive leadership team, McFarlane also played a key role in high-level strategic decision making for the department of athletics and its 750 student-athletes, band and spirit squads. Having dual reporting roles to director of athletics Heather Lyke and University senior vice chancellor for philanthropic and alumni engagement and president of the medical and health sciences foundation Kris Davitt, McFarlane oversaw all aspects of planning, implementation and execution of a comprehensive, coordinated fundraising program at Pitt.
Before heading to Pittsburgh, McFarlane spent five previous years at Northwestern, where he served as associate athletics director for major gifts and had oversight and strategic direction of all major gifts activity and staff during a $450-plus million athletics campaign. Carrying a full portfolio of major and principal gift donors and prospects, he also served in a leadership role for all campaign and department-wide priorities as a member of the department’s senior administrative staff. Promoted three separate times during his tenure in Evanston, McFarlane also led stewardship and parent partners programming for the Wildcats. He served as a sport administrator for the men’s soccer and women’s tennis programs.
Prior to Northwestern, McFarlane led the athletics development offices at both Mount St. Mary's University (Emmitsburg, Maryland) and Loyola University Maryland (Baltimore, Maryland), bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience into his role in Evanston. He previously held the position of senior director of athletics development at Mount St. Mary's. During his tenure at The Mount, McFarlane managed all major gift, annual fund, corporate partnership and capital project initiatives to extraordinary levels of success.
A 2003 graduate of Florida State University, he also earned a master's degree in sport business management and his MBA from UCF in 2005 and completed a certificate program in leadership from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management in 2016.
McFarlane is a member of the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD). He completed the NCAA Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute in 2011 and the Collegiate Athletics Leadership Symposium (CALS) in 2015.