Began at Illinois: 

July 2025 

Education: 

Michael is a graduate of The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received a Bachelor's degree in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism with a concentration in Sports Management. 

Past Experience: 

Michael most previously comes from SponsorUnited where he spent a year in the Sponsorship Analytics division, primarily in the PGA and DP World Tour areas of focus. Michael was a student manager for the Women's Volleyball team at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2018 to 2022, where he also served as a student representative on the University's Athletic Board from 2021-2022. After graduation, Michael continued his work within the DIA as an intern under Kamron Cox from 2022-2024 in Strategic Initiatives including NIL research and development, legislative policy development, and intercollegiate and conference business analytics. 

 Personal: 

Michael is a Champaign native. His grandfather, John "Rocky" Ryan is an Illinois Football alum and 1951 Rose Bowl champion. 

Last updated December 2025