Feb 21, 2025
Dr. Brandon Martin,
UMKC Roo Athletics 2025

Dr. Brandon E. Martin began his tenure as Kansas City Athletics Director on December 3, 2018. Martin’s leadership has helped change the culture within Kansas City Athletics, as his positive energy, passion and strategic vision have helped elevate the Roos' momentum on-and-off the field.  Martin has been a visionary, focused on comprehensive excellence. Since arriving in Kansas City, he has orchestrated the transformational changes below:

  • 95% Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and 3.35 GPA for all student-athletes.
  • Launced the Roo Athletic Fund – Annual Giving Arm for Athletics, increased donor participation 380% and raised $3.5M since launch of new program.
  • Increased department non-gift revenue 1,833% and all revenue 2,638% since December 2018.
  • Completed new brand and identity for Kansas City Athletics in June 2019.
  • Created Corporate Partnership. Program, increasing revenue 3,850%. Created Founding Partner program and successfully secured multi-year partnerships in health care and energy sector.
  • Navigated conference realignment transition from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) to The Summit League.
  • Accomplished $1.5 million North Lobby Renovation Program at Swinney Center.
  • Finalized enhancements in Swinney Center included new competition court, new graphics and installation of four new Daktronics videoboards.
  • Completed Phase One Durwood Soccer Stadium, installing a $1M state of the new art turf pitch.

May 2020, Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal selected Dr. Martin as committee chair of UMKC Forward, a campus-wide Covid-19 strategic initiative aimed at re-envisioning UMKC regarding efficiency, growth, innovation and revenue-generation. As chair of the Community Outreach/Auxiliary/Events Committee, Martin assisted in identifying university-wide opportunities for innovation and investment that lead to revenue growth through auxiliary and external services to advance the mission of UMKC.

In September 2020, Dr. Martin was promoted to Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics. In this role, Martin paired his athletics department leadership with strategic initiatives on campus including leading a task force on retention and graduation for underrepresented, first generation, transfer students, and students of color at UMKC. Since arriving at UMKC in December 2018, Dr. Martin has been appointed Executive in Residence in three academic departments on campus: The Henry Block School of Management, School of Education, and Race, Ethnic, and Gender Studies. In each academic role, he assists with the strategic vision, course development, advising students, and recruitment. These roles also include teaching various courses related to higher education administration, sport management, and diversity and social issues in college and professional sports.

On a national level, Martin serves on the NCAA Division I Council and was appointed 3rd Vice President for the D-I AAA Association in 2022. Dr. Martin also serves as Co-Chair for the Black AD Alliance—an organization aimed at promoting the growth, development, and elevation of Black athletics administrators at the Division I level. He is also the Chair of the Summit League Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. In 2022, Martin was recognized by the Sports Business Journal as one of the top Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion leaders in professional and collegiate sport. In that same year, he was also recognized by Ingram’s Magazine Missouri’s Business Magazine as one of the top 50 Missourians to know.