RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque announced the promotion of Ryela Rodriguez to Assistant Athletic Director for Corporate Partnerships.
 
In her new role, Rodriguez will oversee the curation, development, and management of all corporate partners for UTRGV Athletics. Among these responsibilities, Rodriguez will oversee all marketable inventory items, strengthen relationships with current partners, ensure that all obligations are met between partners and UTRGV Athletics, and develop and execute a comprehensive strategic plan.
 
"Ryela has contributed so much to UTRGV's success over the last three and a half years, and I am grateful for her commitment, dedication, and the energy she brings to our department each day," Conque said. "Ryela's passion for both student-athlete success and the Rio Grande Valley has served our department well. She is respected by her colleagues and beloved by our supporters. I am excited to work with Ryela in her new role, and I know she will continue to do great things for the Vaqueros."
 
Prior to her new role, Rodriguez was promoted to assistant athletic director for fan engagement and group sales in October 2024. In this role, Rodriguez helped UTRGV break the overall attendance record for the third-straight year, welcoming over 140,000 fans through the gates. Her efforts were instrumental in helping baseball welcome 82,258 fans during the 2025 season, ranking 34^th in the NCAA in total attendance and 30^th in average attendance.
 
"Ryela has played an integral role in our record-breaking attendance and ticket sales the last few years, including spearheading tremendous success in group sales, leading our school day efforts, and building relationships with many community organizations throughout the Valley," said senior associate athletic director/chief revenue officer Derek Schramm. "We're very excited as she steps into her new role working closely with our corporate partners. Ryela's relational skills, creative thinking, and passion for UTRGV and the Valley will lead her to even more achievements."
 
In addition, Rodriguez leads all school day efforts which generally welcome over 2,000 students from local primary and secondary schools to the UTRGV Fieldhouse for a once-a-season opportunity to receive a tour from student-athletes and attend a UTRGV game or match. Most recently, volleyball hosted their annual school day which saw 2,535 in attendance.
 
"I am extremely excited to take on this new role and continue contributing to the success of our department. I want to thank Chasse Conque, [Associate Athletic Director for Development/Chief of Staff] Eddie Galvan, and Derek Schramm for the trust and confidence they have placed in me," Rodriguez said. "Their mentorship and leadership throughout my time with UTRGV Athletics have played a major role in my personal and professional growth. It's a special time for the Rio Grande Valley, and being able to advance my career here at home is something I do not take for granted. I look forward to continuing to build relationships in the community and helping drive UTRGV Athletics forward in a way that leaves a lasting impact."
 
Rodriguez was promoted to assistant director for tickets sales and operations in September 2023. In this role, Rodriguez was responsible for selling and renewing season tickets and played a role in game day logistics and ticket pricing for all ticketed UTRGV events. Rodriguez also assisted the ticketing team in generating revenue through group sales as approximately 30,000 fans attended UTRGV Athletics events as part of a group.
 
As a member of the UTRGV ticket staff since May 2022, Rodriguez has helped the department reach record highs in overall attendance and group sales every year. Among the highlights, Rodriguez helped UTRGV gather the largest crowd to ever watch a women's basketball game in the Valley with 6,591 fans in attendance to see UTRGV take on Texas in 2023, volleyball set a new single game attendance record of 2,771 fans when they battled Texas Tech in 2024, and baseball break their single game attendance record when 6,537 fans to see UTRGV defeat Stephen F. Austin in 2025.
 
Prior to UTRGV, Rodriguez became familiar with the workings of collegiate athletics as an employee at the National Junior College Athletic Association's (NJCAA) National Office and was involved with fan engagement and external operations while earning her bachelor's degree at Baylor. Rodriguez has also earned an associate's degree from Tyler Junior College and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration from UTRGV. She is a Rio Grande Valley native and graduate of McAllen Rowe High School.

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