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Colgate University Athletics

Mark Wheeler

Mark Wheeler

Sport Administrator for Men's Basketball, Women's Lacrosse and W/M Tennis

Mark Wheeler was named Colgate University’s Deputy Athletics Director for External Operations in July 2024. 

An innovative leader with more than a decade of executive-level experience, Wheeler spent nine years as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Administration and Compliance at Syracuse University serving on the University’s Leadership Team as well as the Athletics Director’s Executive Team. Within the athletics department at Syracuse, he oversaw contracts, budgets, scheduling, and personnel for the nationally ranked women’s lacrosse program as well as oversight of the women’s tennis and women’s soccer programs. Wheeler also had direct involvement in the operation of the men’s basketball program under Hall of Fame Coach, Jim Boeheim, and more recently, Head Coach Adrian Autry.

As part of his role at Syracuse, Wheeler oversaw digital social media, communications, and creative content while creating and launching the Syracuse Athletics Department Name, Image, and Likeness program. He was responsible for implementation strategy, brand partnerships, operational roll-out, and athlete training, while working directly with student-athletes to review opportunities, ideate with brand building, and assist in the execution of campaigns.

Among his accomplishments at Syracuse, Wheeler was instrumental in establishing the sport administrators committee to allow for greater collaboration and ideation among sport administrators. He also oversaw corporate sponsorships and multimedia rights, closing multiple deals in conjunction with Learfield’s Syracuse Sports Properties, to the benefit of new and existing partners which produced the highest revenue in athletics department history in FY23.

A dynamic leader, Wheeler drove change in the Syracuse athletics department culture and created more unity and buy-in among coaches and staff through developing trust, listening to understand, and providing timely solutions. Wheeler hired women’s lacrosse head coach, Kayla Treanor, and women’s soccer head coach, Nicky Adams, resulting in immediate success as the women’s lacrosse program reached the 2023 and 2024 Final Four. The women’s soccer program had a winning record for the first time in 10 years in 2022. Wheeler’s other oversight responsibilities dealt with Title IX policies and processes including tracking roster changes and monitoring student-athlete funding, opportunities, and overall treatment and wellness.

Wheeler also worked alongside several head coaches at Syracuse to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for head coaches’ funds and was responsible for fundraising and planning the naming of indoor tennis courts. He assisted in the planning, design, fundraising, and execution of the Lally Athletics Complex – a $55 million capital project to build a new football operations center and renovate the former football wing into a brand new OneTeam hub for all Olympic Sports, including: a lounge, cafeteria, new locker rooms, weight room, and multiple recovery spaces. 

Prior to his time in Syracuse, Wheeler held positions in athletics administration and compliance at Boise State University, Ohio State University, and Pepperdine University.

Wheeler is a Brigham Young University alumnus with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, and a Pepperdine University School of Law alumnus with training in Dispute Resolution and Title IX.

Wheeler and his spouse, Kaela, have four children - Bennett, Anders, Theo, and Fiona.