CSUN Names Ryan Swartwood Director of Athletics
10/1/2025 10:00:00 AM | General
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—CSUN President Erika D. Beck announced today the appointment of Ryan Swartwood as Director of Athletics for the Matadors, effective November 15th.
Swartwood comes to CSUN from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, where he has served since 2019, leading the Seawolf program as Director of Athletics since 2021. This is a homecoming for Swartwood, who previously served as CSUN's Associate Athletic Director for Administration from 2013 to 2018 and Interim Athletic Director in 2018.
"We are excited to welcome Ryan back to lead CSUN Athletics and support our outstanding student athletes," said Beck. "Ryan is dedicated to CSUN's institutional values, the well-being of our student athletes, and continuing to elevate an athletics program that strengthens our Matador community. We look forward to his leadership and what's ahead for CSUN Athletics."
Swartwood becomes the 10th Director of Athletics in the 67-year history of Matador Athletics.
"I'm thrilled to be coming back to CSUN," Swartwood said. "I see great promise across the entire Athletic Department, and I'm looking forward to getting to work with our leadership team, head coaches, and professional staff to guide and support our student-athletes.
"Thanks to the University community, the search committee, and special thanks to President Erika Beck for such a professional search. University support of Athletics was inspiring, and one of the primary determinants for my acceptance of the position."
Swartwood returns to Northridge after six-plus years at Alaska Anchorage. He joined the UAA Athletics staff as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs in 2019 before being elevated to Director of Athletics in 2021. Under his leadership, UAA Athletics has continued to enjoy success on the national stage.
Since 2019, UAA has produced 83 All-Americans, 47 individual conference champions, four individual national titles, four conference team championships, 21 Academic All-Americans, and four NCAA Elite 90 award-winners. The department achieved a 3.4 collective grade point average, and the women's gymnastics team repeated as national leader in grade point average in 2025.
Swartwood, widely respected by athletics administrators across the United States, was also instrumental in negotiating an extension of Arena Naming Rights Agreement with Alaska Airlines and a department-wide agreement with Nike.
In his first stint at CSUN, Swartwood joined Matador Athletics as the Assistant Athletics Director for Administration in May 2013 and was promoted to the Associate Athletics Director for Administration in April 2015.
As a member of the Athletics Senior Staff, Swartwood managed and supervised the areas of contract administration and the operation of the athletics facilities. He also had department oversight of sports medicine and sports performance, in addition to serving as the program administrator for multiple sport programs.
Swartwood arrived at CSUN from the University of Oklahoma, where he served in the athletics compliance department for three years. Prior to his time at the University of Oklahoma, Swartwood gained experience as a legal intern for the Oakland Raiders, working directly for the General Counsel. Prior to that, as an intern with the California State University, Stanislaus Athletics Department, Swartwood assisted the senior administration with the National Letter of Intent process and the NCAA Coaches Certification Program.
Swartwood holds a bachelor's degree in history from San Diego State University and a master's degree in adult and higher education from the University of Oklahoma. He obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, where he served as an Associate Editor on the Arizona State Law Journal. During his time in law school, Swartwood gained experience at the Curtis & Arata Professional Law Corporation.
Swartwood and his wife, Chio are the proud parents of two sons, Sammy (6) and Mikey (4).
ABOUT CSUN
One of the largest universities in the country, California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is an urban, comprehensive university that delivers award-winning undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 36,000 students annually and counts nearly 435,000 alumni who fuel the region's economy. Since its founding in 1958, CSUN has made a significant and long-term economic impact on California, generating nearly $1.9 billion in economic impact and nearly 12,000 jobs each year. CSUN is a Hispanic Serving Institution, ranking amongst the top twenty in the nation in graduating Latinx students. Approximately 70 percent of CSUN students are first-generation college students, and 60 percent come from historically underrepresented groups. Washington Monthly magazine's 2025 ranking of colleges "based on what they do for the country" placed CSUN the third best in the nation "for your tuition (and tax) dollars, and Money magazine consistently ranks CSUN among the nation's "most "transformative" colleges for putting diverse students on the path to higher career earnings.
#GoMatadors
Swartwood comes to CSUN from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, where he has served since 2019, leading the Seawolf program as Director of Athletics since 2021. This is a homecoming for Swartwood, who previously served as CSUN's Associate Athletic Director for Administration from 2013 to 2018 and Interim Athletic Director in 2018.
"We are excited to welcome Ryan back to lead CSUN Athletics and support our outstanding student athletes," said Beck. "Ryan is dedicated to CSUN's institutional values, the well-being of our student athletes, and continuing to elevate an athletics program that strengthens our Matador community. We look forward to his leadership and what's ahead for CSUN Athletics."
Swartwood becomes the 10th Director of Athletics in the 67-year history of Matador Athletics.
"I'm thrilled to be coming back to CSUN," Swartwood said. "I see great promise across the entire Athletic Department, and I'm looking forward to getting to work with our leadership team, head coaches, and professional staff to guide and support our student-athletes.
"Thanks to the University community, the search committee, and special thanks to President Erika Beck for such a professional search. University support of Athletics was inspiring, and one of the primary determinants for my acceptance of the position."
Swartwood returns to Northridge after six-plus years at Alaska Anchorage. He joined the UAA Athletics staff as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs in 2019 before being elevated to Director of Athletics in 2021. Under his leadership, UAA Athletics has continued to enjoy success on the national stage.
Since 2019, UAA has produced 83 All-Americans, 47 individual conference champions, four individual national titles, four conference team championships, 21 Academic All-Americans, and four NCAA Elite 90 award-winners. The department achieved a 3.4 collective grade point average, and the women's gymnastics team repeated as national leader in grade point average in 2025.
Swartwood, widely respected by athletics administrators across the United States, was also instrumental in negotiating an extension of Arena Naming Rights Agreement with Alaska Airlines and a department-wide agreement with Nike.
In his first stint at CSUN, Swartwood joined Matador Athletics as the Assistant Athletics Director for Administration in May 2013 and was promoted to the Associate Athletics Director for Administration in April 2015.
As a member of the Athletics Senior Staff, Swartwood managed and supervised the areas of contract administration and the operation of the athletics facilities. He also had department oversight of sports medicine and sports performance, in addition to serving as the program administrator for multiple sport programs.
Swartwood arrived at CSUN from the University of Oklahoma, where he served in the athletics compliance department for three years. Prior to his time at the University of Oklahoma, Swartwood gained experience as a legal intern for the Oakland Raiders, working directly for the General Counsel. Prior to that, as an intern with the California State University, Stanislaus Athletics Department, Swartwood assisted the senior administration with the National Letter of Intent process and the NCAA Coaches Certification Program.
Swartwood holds a bachelor's degree in history from San Diego State University and a master's degree in adult and higher education from the University of Oklahoma. He obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, where he served as an Associate Editor on the Arizona State Law Journal. During his time in law school, Swartwood gained experience at the Curtis & Arata Professional Law Corporation.
Swartwood and his wife, Chio are the proud parents of two sons, Sammy (6) and Mikey (4).
ABOUT CSUN
One of the largest universities in the country, California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is an urban, comprehensive university that delivers award-winning undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 36,000 students annually and counts nearly 435,000 alumni who fuel the region's economy. Since its founding in 1958, CSUN has made a significant and long-term economic impact on California, generating nearly $1.9 billion in economic impact and nearly 12,000 jobs each year. CSUN is a Hispanic Serving Institution, ranking amongst the top twenty in the nation in graduating Latinx students. Approximately 70 percent of CSUN students are first-generation college students, and 60 percent come from historically underrepresented groups. Washington Monthly magazine's 2025 ranking of colleges "based on what they do for the country" placed CSUN the third best in the nation "for your tuition (and tax) dollars, and Money magazine consistently ranks CSUN among the nation's "most "transformative" colleges for putting diverse students on the path to higher career earnings.
#GoMatadors
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