McKee will oversee UNI’s annual fund, the Panther Scholarship Club (PSC), as well as ticketing and hospitality and overall revenue generation for the department.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have Steven join our team,” said Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs Jamar Thompson. “His background and experience in fundraising and revenue generation will be a tremendous asset to the department.”
McKee comes to Cedar Falls after previously serving as the Associate Athletic Director for External Operations at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. In his role with the Wolves, McKee helped secure corporate sponsorship partnerships, managed NSU’s portfolio of athletic donors and oversaw athletic ticketing operations. During his tenure, Northern State saw an 8.6% increase in ticketing revenue from the previous year, saw 100% of premium seating sold in each of the last two fiscal years and helped raise $350,000 towards funding of the Wolves’ football program. He also helped increase revenue for the NSU wrestling program, which saw a 207% spike in the last year and a half.
One of McKee’s biggest roles as Northern State included serving as executive director of the Wolves Of The Water fishing tournament, the largest walleye fishing tournament in South Dakota featuring 140 teams. The annual event helps raise funds for NDSU athletic scholarships, in which he helped increase revenue by 150% with over $50,000 raised.
McKee previously served as NSU’s Coordinator of Athletic Marketing and Events, helping operate athletic clubs such as the Wolves Buddies Youth Group and Howling Wolves Student Fan Club. Overseeing all marketing and in-game presentation efforts, McKee helped grow attendance at Wolves’ home games, which included a 45.6% increase in football attendance.
As a graduate student at NSU, McKee helped coordinate special fundraising events such as Wolves On The Water and the annual NSU Wolves Golf Classic. His contributions to Northern State were on full display during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he assisted in the retention and growth of season ticket holders and team store sales. He also assisted in securing $26,000 in new corporate contributions during the pandemic.
“I could not be more excited to be joining the outstanding team at UNI,” said McKee. “The University of Northern Iowa has a tremendous history of success in athletics and in the classroom. I cannot wait to help carry that success forward and engage with the campus community, alumni and the Cedar Falls and Waterloo area.”
A native of Yankton, South Dakota, McKee was a defensive lineman at the University of Sioux Falls, appearing in 23 career games with 22 starts, 71 total tackles with 11.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. He graduated from USF with a pair of bachelor’s degrees in business administration and sports management in 2018 before acquiring his master’s degree in sport performance and leadership from Northern State in 2021.
