Northwestern University Athletics
Staff Directory
Jacob Pavilack
- Title:
- Senior Associate Director, Athletic Communications (Men's Basketball, Football, Lacrosse)
- Email:
Jacob Pavilack joined Northwestern University in 2022 and currently serves as Senior Associate Director of Communications, overseeing communications efforts for the men's basketball, football and lacrosse programs.
While at Northwestern, Pavilack has overseen communications efforts for numerous program milestones and department initiatives. He served as the lead publicist for Northwestern men's basketball's back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2022-23 and 2023-24, and oversaw the jersey retirement of Billy McKinney's No. 30, the first jersey to be retired across all 21 of Northwestern's varsity sports.
Pavilack has also worked closely with the football program, publicizing bowl game victories in 2023 and 2025 and the appointment of Dan & Susan Jones Family Head Coach David Braun in 2023. He played a pivotal roll in the announcement and storytelling surrounding the creation and vision of Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, the campus's lakefront temporary football stadium built while New Ryan Field is constructed.
During the 2023 season, he served as the public relations contact for the Northwestern lacrosse program, which won its eighth national title in program history. While working with the program, he has publicized three trips to the national championship site.
Prior to joining the Wildcats, Pavilack served two years as an assistant communications director at the University of Arkansas (2020-22) as the secondary football contact and primary softball contact. He oversaw the communications efforts for the first SEC title in the softball program’s history and served as the host media coordinator for both NCAA Tournament Regionals and Super Regionals in 2021. While working with the football program, he was part of the communications team that publicized the 2021 Razorbacks team that won the Outback Bowl and finished the season ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll. Additionally, Pavilack served as a play-by-play broadcaster for SEC Network+ covering volleyball and softball.
Pavilack also spent time at Texas State University (2019-20) as the primary contact for softball and women’s basketball while serving as the football program’s secondary contact.
From 2013-19 Pavilack worked as an undergraduate assistant and graduate assistant in athletic communications at Kent State University. During his time in Kent he worked with the football, men’s and women’s basketball, softball, baseball and women’s soccer programs as a lead communications contact. He had a sizeable role with the Kent State Sports Network from Learfield IMG College as a play-by-play announcer for men’s and women’s basketball, softball, baseball and field analyst for football. In 2015 he was one of the young full-time network announcers in the country at 20 years old. Additionally, Pavilack called Olympic sports on ESPN3.
Before arriving at Kent State, Pavilack worked in local radio in his hometown of Wheeling, West Virginia. He called many West Virginia and Ohio high school sporting events, including state championship football, basketball and softball games.
Pavilack is a two-time graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor of science in aviation management (2017) and a master of arts in sport and recreation management (2019).
While at Northwestern, Pavilack has overseen communications efforts for numerous program milestones and department initiatives. He served as the lead publicist for Northwestern men's basketball's back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2022-23 and 2023-24, and oversaw the jersey retirement of Billy McKinney's No. 30, the first jersey to be retired across all 21 of Northwestern's varsity sports.
Pavilack has also worked closely with the football program, publicizing bowl game victories in 2023 and 2025 and the appointment of Dan & Susan Jones Family Head Coach David Braun in 2023. He played a pivotal roll in the announcement and storytelling surrounding the creation and vision of Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, the campus's lakefront temporary football stadium built while New Ryan Field is constructed.
During the 2023 season, he served as the public relations contact for the Northwestern lacrosse program, which won its eighth national title in program history. While working with the program, he has publicized three trips to the national championship site.
Prior to joining the Wildcats, Pavilack served two years as an assistant communications director at the University of Arkansas (2020-22) as the secondary football contact and primary softball contact. He oversaw the communications efforts for the first SEC title in the softball program’s history and served as the host media coordinator for both NCAA Tournament Regionals and Super Regionals in 2021. While working with the football program, he was part of the communications team that publicized the 2021 Razorbacks team that won the Outback Bowl and finished the season ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll. Additionally, Pavilack served as a play-by-play broadcaster for SEC Network+ covering volleyball and softball.
Pavilack also spent time at Texas State University (2019-20) as the primary contact for softball and women’s basketball while serving as the football program’s secondary contact.
From 2013-19 Pavilack worked as an undergraduate assistant and graduate assistant in athletic communications at Kent State University. During his time in Kent he worked with the football, men’s and women’s basketball, softball, baseball and women’s soccer programs as a lead communications contact. He had a sizeable role with the Kent State Sports Network from Learfield IMG College as a play-by-play announcer for men’s and women’s basketball, softball, baseball and field analyst for football. In 2015 he was one of the young full-time network announcers in the country at 20 years old. Additionally, Pavilack called Olympic sports on ESPN3.
Before arriving at Kent State, Pavilack worked in local radio in his hometown of Wheeling, West Virginia. He called many West Virginia and Ohio high school sporting events, including state championship football, basketball and softball games.
Pavilack is a two-time graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor of science in aviation management (2017) and a master of arts in sport and recreation management (2019).
Women's Basketball - Joe McKeown Postgame Recognition (3/1/26)
Monday, March 02
Women's Basketball - Purdue Postgame Press Conference
Monday, March 02
Men's Basketball - Martinelli's Game-Winner Lifts 'Cats over Ducks (2/28/26)
Saturday, February 28
Men's Basketball - Oregon Postgame Press Conference (2/28/2026)
Saturday, February 28
