Now in his 10th year with Binghamton Athletics, Ze D. Zeon serves as the Deputy Director of Athletics and Chief Development Officer for the Bearcats. With nearly two decades of athletic leadership experience, Ze’s expertise spans fundraising, brand management, strategic planning, fiscal management, revenue generation, and facility oversight. His responsibilities also include managing NCAA compliance and academic progress. A former student-athlete and coach, Ze is widely recognized for driving results and advancing the mission of collegiate athletics.
Ze also serves as the Divisional Diversity Officer for Athletics, the NCAA Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee (ADID) for the division, Director of the University’s Licensing and Trademark Services, and Sport Supervisor for men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s lacrosse, and men’s soccer.
In March 2022, Ze was selected for the prestigious National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Senior Administrator Mentoring Institute, a program designed to prepare senior athletics administrators for Athletic Director roles. He is also a participant in Advancement Resources’
The Art and Science of Donor Development, a globally recognized program on research-based professional education in philanthropy. Ze is a Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) Certified Double-Goal Coach and a 2021 recipient of Cornell University’s Diversity and Inclusion certification. In 2025, he was selected to participate in the FCS/I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Fellows Program, a nationally recognized initiative designed to prepare aspiring athletics directors through advanced professional development, mentorship, and hands-on leadership training.
As a strategic and collaborative leader on the division’s executive leadership team, Ze oversees all areas of external advancement, including major gift fundraising, annual giving, business development, marketing and promotion, strategic communication, community engagement, corporate partnerships, licensing and trademarks, merchandise, ticket sales, multimedia, the game day experience, and new revenue initiatives.
Under his leadership, Binghamton Athletics has celebrated numerous milestones:
- Successfully secured major gifts totaling nearly $80 million in support of Binghamton Athletics.
- Achieved 100% annual staff giving for three consecutive years.
- Reported the highest single-year revenue increase in licensing and royalties.
- Negotiated the largest healthcare partnership agreement in program history, increasing its value by 650%.
- Increased corporate sponsorship revenue by 300%.
- Spearheaded multiple registered trademarks to strengthen brand identity and visibility.
- Established giving societies, the 1946 Legacy Society and the Bearcat Society.
- Oversaw the construction of a 35,000-square-foot indoor field house.
- Directed comprehensive renovations of the Bearcats Softball Complex and the construction of the Bearcats Baseball Complex.
- Delivered multiple enhancements to the Events Center and Bearcats Sports Complex.
- Organized the first-ever student-athlete giving challenge, achieving 99% participation.
- Established the Battle of the Interstate rivalry basketball series.
- Launched the “Experience the Bearcat” initiative.
- Increased premium courtside seating memberships by 42%.
- Led the redesign of binghamtonbearcats.com to align with the university’s forward-focused brand identity.
- Supervised the 2024 women’s lacrosse program, which won its first-ever conference title and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals.
- Advanced Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) partnerships and opportunities for student-athletes.
- Influenced a multimillion-dollar renovation of the university’s outdoor track and field facility.
- Developed a comprehensive naming opportunity plan in collaboration with the Division of Advancement.
- Created a strategic plan to endow head coaching and administrative positions through naming opportunities.
- Designed a new secondary athletics logo, reflecting the university’s modern brand identity.
- Organized the division’s first-ever youth day basketball game.
- Launched the annual #ONEBinghamton Madness season kickoff event.
- Increased average streaming and broadcast viewership by 59% in two years.
- Boosted home attendance, including a 137% increase in men’s basketball and a 134% increase in men’s soccer during the 2023–24 season.
Before his promotion to Deputy AD, Ze served as Associate Athletic Director, managing facilities, operations, game management, and capital projects. Beyond athletics, he contributes to campus-wide initiatives, including the SUNY Child Protection Committee, the Professional Staff Senate Evaluation Coordinating Committee, and multiple senior leadership search committees. At the conference level, he serves on the America East Championships Gender Equity Review Panel and the Championship Committee.
Since joining Binghamton in 2016, Ze has been a tireless advocate for the university, championing equity and inclusiveness in both student and staff recruitment. He successfully secured bids to host the 2017, 2018, and 2022 America East Softball Championships. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked closely with local and state health officials to reopen athletic facilities and supported campus-wide return-to-work efforts, including coordinating weekly testing for the university community.
Previously, Ze held leadership roles at Stony Brook University (2013–15) and Saint Peter’s University (2008–13), where he managed event operations, capital projects, and athletic programs. His early career included a role with the New Jersey Nets during the 2006–07 NBA season as a Basketball Operations Intern, where he supported the coaching staff and players.
Ze holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts from Ramapo College of New Jersey, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Saint Peter’s University, and a Diversity and Inclusion certification from Cornell University. A former two-sport standout at Ramapo, he played soccer and volleyball before beginning his career as an assistant men’s basketball coach and facility supervisor.
He is a member of NACDA, the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA), NACMA, and NAADD. Originally from Liberia, West Africa, Ze resides in Greater Binghamton with his wife, Sarah, their daughter, Sienna Maecee, their son, Matteo Sebastian, and their dog, Chloe.
