Staff Directory
- Title:
- Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
(Media Contact: Football, Men's Golf, Cross Country, Track & Field)
- Email:
- Phone:
- 765.285.8242
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State University Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell made the appointment of Kevin Messenger as assistant athletics director for communications on May 1, 2023.
Messenger, a longtime athletics communications specialist, will lead an experienced Cardinals’ media relations staff tasked with publicizing the department’s 19 sport programs. Messenger has enjoyed successful stints in various intercollegiate athletics media relations roles at the University of Maryland, UNLV, Indiana State University, and the University of the Pacific. Messenger most recently served 17 seasons as the media relations director for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA in addition to managing media operations and public relations duties with Pacers Sports & Entertainment.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kevin Messenger to Muncie and Ball State,” said Mitchell. “Throughout his career, Kevin has produced excellent work product in sports information and communications. His wealth of experience and expertise will help us better promote the Ball State brand and the terrific accomplishments of our talented student-athletes, coaches, and staff.”
At Ball State, Messenger will spearhead communication efforts for the football program and will oversee the department’s digital production, social media strategy, and public relations outreach. Messenger has handled football sports information and media relations duties at every college athletics stop in his career, and for the past 20 years has maintained involvement with college football and the NFL as a weekly statistician and broadcast assistant with networks ranging from Big Ten Network, FOX Sports, CBS Sports, Westwood One Radio, and Compass Radio.
“I’ve always been a college SID at heart, and I’m thrilled to return to college athletics,” said Messenger. “I look forward to sharing the great stories of Ball State’s student-athletes and all its athletic programs.”
Outside of football, Messenger has worked with a wide variety of sports and, specific to basketball, been a part of 13 different NCAA Final Four events as a participant, host, or as a member of the media. He was the men’s basketball media relations contact for Maryland’s back-to-back trips to the Final Four and its national championship in 2002. He managed media operations and represented Pacers Sports & Entertainment for annual Big Ten basketball tournaments conducted at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in addition to the 2011 and 2016 Women’s Final Four and the first and second rounds of the 2017 NCAA men’s basketball championship.
Since 2020, Messenger continued his sportts media freelance work and taught sport public relations at the University of Indianapolis. Messenger is a native of Denver, Colorado.
