Michael Schroeder joined Mizzou Athletics in July 2024 after spending three-and-a-half years at the University of Memphis as Associate Athletic Director, Integrated Communications & Marketing. At Mizzou, Schroeder is a member of the Senior Leadership Team and oversees the Tigers' marketing, communications, ticketing, creative content and broadcasting efforts.
Working under Mizzou Director of Athletics Laird Veatch at Memphis, Schroeder was tasked with leading communications, marketing, game presentation, licensing, social media and digital media, as well as assisting with Name Image & Likeness and working as the department's liaison with multimedia rightsholder Learfield. Schroeder came to Memphis after five years working in professional baseball (2016-20) and seven years at Western Kentucky University (2009-16).
Highlights of Schroeder's time at Memphis included running point on the announcement of a monumental Name, Image and Likeness program involving Fortune 50 company FedEx, the ownership transfer of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium to the University, and the renovation plans for the football stadium. He also was a member of the athletic department's working group for the planning of the $220 million renovations to the stadium. Additionally, Schroeder oversaw a 16 percent increase in licensing royalties in FY23, and he won CLC's 2023-24 Institution Marketing Program of the Year for an innovative co-brand involving Memphis Athletics' logo and Penny Hardaway's "1 Cent" logo. Memphis' marketing staff has also made impressive strides in growing student attendance at games, and Schroeder and others in the external units have worked strategically to innovate new ticketing options for fans and grow single-game revenues.
Previously with the Triple-A Pacific Coast League office (2019-20), one of the two leagues at the highest classification of Minor League Baseball, Schroeder was in charge of league communications efforts, including weekly, monthly, and end-of-season awards, production of the annual Sketch and Record Book, maintaining the league's website, social media, and archives, and assisting the league's PR Directors. He also assisted with club service items and facets of baseball operations such as Field Timing Coordinators, official scorers, umpires, scheduling, discipline, and more.
Prior to joining the PCL, Schroeder spent four seasons as PR Director with the Memphis Redbirds (2016-19), a tenure which included PCL Championships in 2017 and 2018 and the Triple-A National Championship in 2018. With the Redbirds, Schroeder oversaw all media operations and publicity for the organization, managed social and digital media, and worked with the general manager and the marketing, ticketing, and community relations departments on all organizational initiatives. He was the primary liaison between Redbirds players, coaches and front office members and the media.
Before entering professional baseball, Schroeder spent seven years (2009-16) in communications and media relations in the athletic department at Western Kentucky University, where he was in charge of the athletic media relations department as Associate Athletic Director for Communications. He orchestrated announcements for the athletic department's move to Conference USA and hirings of multiple head coaches and athletic directors, and worked as the primary men's basketball media relations contact.
Schroeder earned his bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Illinois in 2009, where he was a four-year baseball letterwinner as team manager. He secured a master's degree in Athletic Administration from WKU in 2012.Â
Schroeder is originally from Bloomington, Ill.
