Jason Butikofer is in his third year at Purdue as deputy athletics director after joining the department in July of 2017.
Butikofer (pronounced BEET-ih-COE-fur) manages and coordinates all external relations functions for the Boilermakers - with focused direction of operational strategy/execution for fiscal operations, development, marketing/creative services, strategic communications, ticket operations, ticket sales {Aspire}, business intelligence, corporate sponsorships {Learfield/IMG College}, licensing/retail, facilities/operations, capital projects, student-athlete development, sports medicine and strength & conditioning,
Butikofer serves as the day-to-day administrator for football and men’s basketball. Both programs have enjoyed major success during his tenure. Football played in back-to-back bowl games in 2017 and 2018, while men’s basketball reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2018 and won the Big Ten Conference championship and reached the NCAA Elite Eight in 2019, the first Elite Eight appearance for the program in 19 years.
Butikofer’s impact on business strategy has been recognized nationally as he was named in July of 2019 to the “Sports Business Journal” list of Power Players: Leaders Behind the Scenes in College Sports.
Purdue has experienced massive growth in football attendance, showing growth of nearly 109% between 2016 and 2019. In his first year, football boasted the largest growth in home attendance in the nation (an increase of 13,433 per game from 2016 to 2017), and for the 2018 season Purdue secured more than 6,000 new season-ticket holders and a 95% renewal rate. Overall revenues for football grew 89% from 2016 to 2018. In addition, Purdue sold out its allotment of tickets to the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in 2018, helping the bowl attract a crowd of 59,024, ranking third among all non-New Year’s Six and College Football Playoff games.
Men’s basketball realized back-to-back school-record home attendance averages of 14,344 in 2017-18 and 14,467 in 2018-19 with 20 sellouts among 32 games. In the 2019-20 season, men’s basketball achieved a season ticket sell-out for the first time in 21 years.
Through a partnership with Levy/Boilermaker Hospitality, Purdue saw concession and premium sales at football games increase 33%. Purdue’s new team store partnership saw revenues grow 82% over budgeted projections. Overall revenues from licensing of Purdue products increased 19% during the 2018-19 school year. In 2019, Purdue Sports Properties was names the Learfield/IMG College Property of the Year highlighted by a 20% increase in gross revenue from 2016-17 to 2018-19.
Butikofer’s influence on the John Purdue Club has seen more than a 25% increase in membership and a 30% increase in annual fund dollars raised. In 2019, the JPC posted a record of $8.1 million in annual fund dollars raised, an increase of 30% since he joined the program. Overall, Purdue posted $50 million of production through the JPC, more than double the mark from the year prior to his arrival.
With an added focus on business intelligence, the department has seen increased revenues through success in digital marketing and focus on its sales team through a partnership with Aspire. Butikofer also led efforts to re-energzie the Purdue brand that have resulted in Purdue Athletics being an industry leader in social media and its creative services department, and was named the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators Marketing Team of the Year in 2019.
The creation of a partnership between Purdue Athletics and Franciscan Health highlight the department’s and Butikofer's focus on student-athlete welfare, providing access to a broad network of providers. Under the new agreement, Purdue Athletics has an on-site full-time head team physician and two part-time team physicians in addition to access to the variety of services encompassed via the entire Franciscan network.
The broadened support system available to student-athletes extends beyond a greater emphasis on sports medicine and nutrition. The department has added mental health structure inclusive of a multi-person staff as well as new staffing in student-athlete development.
In the classroom, Purdue student-athletes posted a school record for cumulative (3.12) and semester (3.10) grade-point average in the spring of 2019.
Butikofer came to Purdue from Southern Utah University, where he had served as athletics director since August of 2015. He managed 18 programs, more than 100 staff members and over 370 student-athletes.
At Southern Utah, Butikofer oversaw two Big Sky championships - football and men's cross country - both in 2015. In addition, the gymnastics team was ranked No. 18 nationally in 2016, while men's cross country finished 27th. Southern Utah student-athletes excelled in the classroom under Butikofer, boasting a 3.32 cumulative GPA at the conclusion of the spring 2017 semester.
Butikofer led the charge in maximizing fundraising successes at Southern Utah by forming the Thunderbird Athletic Foundation. He and his development team saw a 150% increase in overall revenue from fiscal year 2016 to 2017, reaching an all-time high. In addition to surges in corporate sponsorship revenue and individual donors, his guidance in coordinating marketing and promotion activities also increased ticket sales revenue, with Southern Utah achieving an all-time high in 2016-17. Football attendance swelled from an average of 3,261 in 2014 to 8,255 per game in 2016, an increase of 153% that ranked as the second-highest in the country. He also signed a contract extension with adidas that was the second-largest among FCS schools.
Butikofer moved to Southern Utah from Army West Point, where he was associate athletic director (2011 to 2012) and senior associate athletic director (2012 to 2015). His responsibilities included business analysis, revenue generation, internal operations and supervision of 14 sports. Annual donations increased by 340% and ticket revenue by 40% during his tenure.
Butikofer's other collegiate athletics experience includes stints at Arizona State University (five positions, including director of the Sun Angel Foundation and ticket office, from 2000 to 2007) and the University of Minnesota (director of annual fund and premium seating from 2008 to 2011). Under his guidance, Arizona State saw an 80% increase in funds. Butikofer helped raise $100 million for TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and spearheaded a $2.6 million increase in annual funding.
A native of Elgin, Iowa, Butikofer earned a bachelor’s degree in sport, health, leisure and physical studies from the University of Iowa in 1999. He served as a men's basketball manager under head coach Tom Davis. Butikofer currently is finalizing a master's degree in sports leadership at Northeastern University.
Jason Butikofer