TicketsZach Stipe is the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Communications and Creative Content at the University of Cincinnati, overseeing all external communications operations for the Bearcats.
He leads The Agency, Cincinnati’s integrated communications, creative video, digital media, social media and graphic design division, managing a team responsible for shaping the Bearcats’ brand, voice, and national presence.
Stipe, who joined UC in 2021, was elevated to Senior Associate AD in 2025 after previously being promoted in 2024 to direct The Agency. He serves as the department’s primary spokesperson and the lead media relations strategist for Cincinnati football, working closely with Director of Athletics John Cunningham and head football coach Scott Satterfield.
Stipe brings nearly two decades of high-level experience across three major “Power Four” programs. He is one of the few communications leaders in college athletics to have served as the primary football communications contact for two different College Football Playoff teams—the 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats and the 2014 Florida State Seminoles. He also led all communications and award campaign strategy during Florida State’s 2013 BCS National Championship season and Jameis Winston’s Heisman Trophy run.
At Cincinnati, Stipe managed all media relations during the Bearcats’ undefeated 2021 regular season and historic CFP appearance. He directed award campaigns for Jim Thorpe Award winner Coby Bryant, All-American and first-round pick Sauce Gardner, quarterback Desmond Ridder, and head coach Luke Fickell, who captured nearly every national Coach of the Year honor.
Before arriving in Cincinnati, Stipe served as the Director of Football Communications at both Tennessee (2017–20) and Florida State (2013–16), promoting more than 40 NFL Draft picks and supporting teams that played in eight bowl games, including six New Year’s Six appearances. At FSU, he worked directly with head coach Jimbo Fisher and led national award campaigns for standouts such as Jalen Ramsey and Dalvin Cook.
In 2024, Stipe launched two major institutional storytelling platforms: Let’s Reign, UC’s official podcast, and Bearcats All-Access, a weekly half-hour television show produced in partnership with WCPO Channel 9.
Stipe began his career at Tennessee, serving as a graduate assistant from 2008–11 while earning his master’s degree. He later worked with several sports, including Pat Summitt’s Lady Vols. He also gained corporate communications experience as an account manager with Scooter Media from 2020 to 2021, leading PR campaigns for regional and national clients.
A native of Canton, Ohio, Stipe is a graduate of Ohio Northern University, where he competed in cross country and track and earned a degree in journalism. He holds a master’s degree in sport management from Tennessee. He and his wife, Katie, live in Anderson Township with their three sons: Owen, Henry and Charlie.