Altius Sports Partners Announces Leadership Transitions and Expansion Amid Continued Growth

Andrew Donovan promoted to lead the organization

September 3, 2025 – Altius Sports Partners (Altius), a leading strategic partner for college athletics departments and brands, announced today a series of leadership changes and executive hires that build on the company’s momentum and continued growth, driving innovation for universities, brands, and athletes. Altius CEO Tommy Gray has been hired as Senior Vice President, College at Fanatics, where he will oversee the global sports commerce giant’s relationships with college programs nationwide and help refine the company’s strategy in the college space. With Gray’s transition, Andrew Donovan, currently President of Altius’ college division, will replace Gray as Altius’ top executive, guiding the company through its next phase of success.

“Altius has momentum,” said Donovan, who originally joined Altius in July 2021. “From the very beginning, I’ve seen us evolve into a leading organization in this space. We’ve assembled a dynamic team of experienced, successful, and connected leaders, and I’m honored to guide them into the future. Our vision is clear: to be the trusted partner schools and brands rely on to navigate this turning point in college sports while delivering real value and opportunities across the landscape.”

“I’m extremely proud of all that Altius has accomplished, and I know the company will continue to thrive under Andrew’s leadership,” said Gray, who joined Altius in 2023 as Chief Strategy Officer before being promoted to CEO in 2024. “The talented, hard-working people at Altius have always been the company’s differentiator, and the team has continued to grow even stronger with the outstanding additions to the roster over the past year, including two new executive-level additions in the past few weeks and another one coming soon.”

Altius has strengthened its leadership team and the expertise it delivers to schools and brands through additional changes that were finalized recently:

• Former Buffalo Bills EVP/COO Ron Raccuia has taken on an expanded role with Altius after joining the company as Senior Advisor in 2024.
• Tyler Reichwein, formerly Vice President at Learfield Amplify, joined Altius as Senior Vice President, College.
• John Durbin, formerly Chief Commercial Officer at FC Cincinnati, joined as Vice President, College.
• With Kim DeCarolis, who previously ran Altius’ brands division, now at Georgia as Executive Director of Athlete Commercial Strategy and Terése Whitehead, former Vice President, Consumer Products & Strategy at the NFLPA, at Michigan as Executive General Manager for NIL, Altius has embedded senior leaders inside two of the nation’s most prominent athletic programs. Both will also serve on the Altius executive team.
• Brent Swartz, Vice President, Brands since he joined Altius after eight years as Vice President, Brands at Wasserman, now leads Altius’ brands division.
• Bob Keyser, Vice President, Client Strategy & Insights since he joined Altius after a decade of leadership at the Pac-12, is leading Altius’ recently formed Client Strategy & Insights team that is developing customized strategies and insights to help schools and brands navigate the dynamic college sports landscape with confidence.
• Former Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert is serving as a consultant to Altius, contributing his expertise to elevate the football programs at select partner schools.

Since its inception in 2020, Altius – now backed by underdog & company, an innovative marketing services firm in sports, media, entertainment, and nonprofits – has become a trusted advisor to more than 40 Division I athletics programs, including nearly half of the Power 4. Through data-driven, creative, and practical strategic guidance, the company’s college division equips campus leaders to navigate the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics with confidence and precision. Additionally, its brands division partners with leading companies such as Verizon and Powerade, helping them develop and execute impactful college sports strategies and campaigns.

“Altius is at an exciting moment of change within the collegiate space and is well positioned to create new solutions for our clients,” said Dan Mannix, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, underdog & company. “Combining Andrew’s track record, relevant experience and new leadership role with our investment in new Altius teammates who bring a mix of college and pro sports experience, as well as the resources of underdog & company, our goal is to be the go-to trusted partner in the college ecosystem.”

Altius has evolved from a consultancy guiding programs through the early NIL era into the premier strategic partner for athletics departments and brands. Today, the firm supports clients across NIL, integrated revenue strategy, and operational efficiency. Its leadership group includes Chairman Oliver Luck, Dan Mannix (Co-Founder & Managing Director, underdog & company), Senior Advisor Ron Raccuia, and Sports Law Consultant Gabe Feldman, alongside a team of executives serving brands and college relationships.

Altius also announced today the launch of an executive-level search to further develop its leadership team. For more details and to apply, please visit this link.

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About underdog & company

underdog & company and its 180+ passionate, diverse teammates include underdog venture team, Altius Sports Partners, B. Partners, and the recent acquisition of BeCore. The underdog & company network provides a results driven-winning mix of services which include strategic and creative planning, sports and culture marketing consulting, college-specific strategy and consulting, integrated marketing and storytelling, brand experiences and events, and revenue generation including out-of-home solutions and strategic partnerships.