Scott Leykam, who was named as a 2022-23 National Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), has led the Pilots to impressive athletic performances, academic success, fundraising success, and facility expansion/renovation during his 12-year tenure on The Bluff. In 2023-24 alone, eight of 16 Pilot programs advanced to NCAA Championships, while at the same time, recording a 3.37 cumulative GPA with nearly half of all student-athletes qualifying for the Dean’s List.
Leykam was named Athletic Director by then-UP President Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C., on May 4, 2012, and was promoted to Vice President for Athletics prior to the 2016-17 academic year. Leykam is charged with oversight of the University’s 16 varsity athletic programs, 300 student-athletes, and all campus recreation and intramural programs.
Upon his arrival on The Bluff, Leykam has focused on three goals for the University of Portland Athletic Department: delivering a premier student-athlete experience, enhancing the fan and alumni experience, and maximizing the Department’s campus impact. The Pilots have moved forward in all three of these areas in the last 12 years.
“Scott truly understands the unique Catholic character of the University of Portland and what makes us special; namely, a commitment to successful athletics and the growth and development of our student-athletes as whole persons,” Beauchamp said.
In addition to his impact on The Bluff, Leykam has a significant impact on Division I Athletics at the national and conference levels. Leykam currently serves as Chair of the West Coast Conference (WCC) Executive Council, is a member of the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee and is Co-Chair of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Leykam, who was also awarded the 2021 Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Builders’ Award, is a past Chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee and was a member of the NCAA Championships & Sports Administration Cabinet.
On-field performance
Portland’s NCAA varsity programs have thrived during Leykam’s tenure. Ten different programs have qualified for NCAA postseason events during his tenure, including all cross country and track programs, both soccer programs, both basketball programs, volleyball, and men’s tennis. The 2021-22 season was particularly strong, with six programs participating in postseason. That number is the most since the 2016-17 season.
The 2016-17 academic year – Leykam’s first as the Vice President of Athletics – was one of the strongest in UP Athletics history. Men’s soccer won the WCC title and a berth to the NCAA Tournament, volleyball finished third in the nationally competitive WCC with a program-record 10 wins in conference play, both cross country teams qualified for the NCAA Championships (first ever qualification) and men’s tennis won its first WCC Championship. Four coaches –Nick Carlin-Voigt (men’s soccer), Brent Crouch (volleyball), Ian Solof (women’s cross country) and Aaron Gross (men’s cross country) – won WCC Coach of the Year awards.
Women’s basketball has experienced a highly successful five years since Michael Meek was hired to take over the program prior to the 2019-20 season. Meek has led the Pilots to three WCC Tournament Championships during that time, including back-to-back championship wins between 2022-23 and 2023-24. The first of those three championships came in the 2019-20 season, Meek's first season, and was the first championship win for the Pilots since 1994. It qualified them for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997. The 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, but the Pilots have since gone on to play NCAA Tournament games against the Oklahoma Sooners in 2023 and Kansas State Wildcats in 2024.
Portland Women’s Basketball has earned postseason berths in each of the last five years qualifying for the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) in 2021 and the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) in 2022. The Pilots earned their first postseason win ever at the WBI, advancing all the way to the championship. In the WNIT, the Pilots earned their first-ever home playoff victory and first WNIT victory, defeating Colorado State at the Chiles Center.
Men’s basketball was given a fresh slate when Leykam hired Shantay Legans as the new head coach in March 2021. In Legans’ first season, the Pilots put together their best season in years, going 19-15 (7-7 WCC) for their best overall record since 2010 and their best conference record since 2015. They played in postseason play for the first time since 2015, participating in The Basketball Classic. They hosted the University of New Orleans for the first home playoff game in program history, defeating the Privateers for the first NCAA postseason victory in program history and first home playoff victory.
Pilot Baseball has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, thanks in large part to significant facility improvements. They have posted at least 30 wins in each of the last three seasons, a first for the program, and broke the program record for wins in 2024 with 37. The Pilots qualified for the WCC Tournament for the first time in program history in 2022 and have made it each year since. They have advanced to the WCC Tournament Championship each of the past two years.
Portland men’s soccer has enjoyed recent success under Nick Carlin-Voigt. Carlin-Voigt has led the Pilots to the NCAA Tournament five times in his eight seasons, including winning the WCC Championship in his first year. The Pilots have hosted six NCAA Tournament matches, earning their first home playoff win in 16 years over national powerhouse UCLA in 2018. The Pilots put together one of their best seasons ever in 2022, posting a 15-3-3 record overall and advancing all the way to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995. In 2023, they earned a first-round bye in the tournament for the first time since 1988, hosting the Oregon State Beavers at Merlo Field.
Portland women's soccer has seen a resurgence under head coach Michelle French. French, an alumna who played for the Pilots from 1995-98, led the Pilots to the NCAA Tournament in 2022, their first postseason berth since 2013. During the tournament, The Pilots beat Arizona State 3-0 at home in the opening round for their first NCAA Tournament win since 2013. In 2023, they posted their best overall win percentage (.676) since 2013 as well.
Men’s cross country has enjoyed unprecedented success under head coach Rob Conner. The Pilots have finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championship in five of the last 10 years, including a second place finish in 2017 and third place finishes in 2014 and 2018, and won back-to-back-to-back NCAA West Regional Championships from from 2017-19 (joining Stanford and Oregon as the only schools to accomplish that feat). Women’s cross country has been highly successful as well, with head coach Ian Solof helping the Pilots qualify as a team in both 2016 and 2018, earning a 12
th-place finish in ’18.
Volleyball experienced some of the best seasons in program history from 2015-18. Volleyball advanced to postseason play for the first time in program history, earning an invite to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship in 2018 and advancing all the way to the quarterfinals.
Facility Construction and Improvements
Leykam has capitalized on all three goals with facility construction and improvements that have benefited not only all 16 varsity sports, but campus club and intramural programs as well.
The newest addition to the Pilot Athletic facility portfolio is the 35-acre Franz Campus, located just below UP’s main campus on the banks of the Willamette River. The initial project of the game changing initiative - a varsity soccer practice facility and intramural/club sports facility - opened in July 2018. Since then, the Pilots have completed construction of an on-campus boathouse and dock for the varsity rowing team, one of just two on-campus boathouses on the West Coast. UP Athletics also opened the Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation Beach Volleyball Courts in 2024, successfully hosting their first home matches on the courts the same year.
The Franz Campus comes on the heels of numerous other capital projects that have benefited the UP Athletics community. The 72,000-square foot Beauchamp Recreation and Wellness Center, which opened to the entire UP Community on August 24, 2015, includes a practice facility that for the Pilot men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball programs.
A full-scale renovation to Joe Etzel Field (baseball) was completed in 2020. The new Etzel Field grandstand opened during the COVID-interrupted 2021 season and was formally dedicated in 2022. The grandstand was the final renovation in a process that began back in 2014, which included FieldTurf installation (replacing the previous grass surface), a new scoreboard, lights, grass berm seating down the right field line, and the addition of a player’s lounge in the Andy Pienovi hitting facility. Since home play opened on the renovated field in 2021, the Pilots have posted a 59-37 record at Joe Etzel Field.
The Chiles Center was the recipient of the next round of renovations. The 2022-23 academic year saw the gym, originally constructed in 1984, receive brand new seats and a new sound system. In the 2023-24 academic year, Pilot Basketball, as part of UP Athletics' partnership with the Rip City Remix, played on a brand new floor for the 2023-24 season.
Other major projects completed have included the construction of a Vancouver Lake Boathouse, Chiles Center Live Video Production Control Room, the Chiles Center Student-Athlete Academic Center, locker room renovations, office renovations, and training room and weight room improvements.
Academic and Service
The Pilots have managed great success both athletically and academically. In the 2022-23 academic year, Pilot student-athletes
In terms of notable individual accomplishments for Pilots, former women’s cross country runner Sofia Castiglioni was the University’s first-ever recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 award at the 2021 NCAA Women’s Cross Country Championship, which is given to the individual with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships. In addition, cross country/track & field student-athlete Lauren LaRocco was named a finalist for 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year.
Community impact continues to be a focus with extensive involvement in service initiatives. The pre-COVID summer of 2019 alone featured Pilot student-athletes logging over 500 hours of community service. The Department has been active with organizations such as Special Olympics and the Oregon Food Bank, and has regularly participated in the Portland Timbers/Thorns ‘Stand Together Week’ at locations throughout the metro area.
UP Athletics has also joined the national collegiate athletics focus on increased mental health resources for student-athletes. With the support of several benefactors, the Department has created a diverse a network of outside providers who come to campus on a weekly basis to offer support to UP student-athletes.
In partnership with the UP Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the Department created its inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee in the fall of 2020 to serve as a leader in the area on campus. The Committee centers its focus on change, justice, equality and education.
Branding and Partnerships
Leykam facilitated a partnership to bring the NBA G-League to the Chiles Center ahead of the 2023-24 season, working with the Portland Trail Blazers to bring their newly created G League squad to The Bluff. University of Portland Athletics and the Trail Blazers agreed to a multi-year contract to host home games for the Rip City Remix, Portland's first G League team and the record 31st team in G League history.
Leykam has put a significant emphasis on the continuous promotion of the UP Athletics brand. In 2022, UP and NIKE agreed to a seven-year agreement to have the company continue as Portland’s official footwear and apparel provider. Prior to the 2022 extension, Leykam negotiated a long-term deal with NIKE in 2014.
The 2014 agreement resulted in the department’s new primary log. The Pilot Wheel further recognizes the relationship of the University with the neighboring Columbia and Willamette Rivers and the region's vast history with riverboat navigation. In addition, it brings a modernized version of the ship wheel logo that has been a prevalent part of the University's athletics history. The secondary logo has continued a trend of increased licensing dollars for UP as revenue has increased by over 75% since the logo was introduced.
Leykam, who has been named to The Oregonian’s list of the 25 most influential people in the state of Oregon’s sports scene five times (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021), continues to build partnerships in the local sports community. The University of Portland helped host the PK80 Invitational with the Moda Center and ESPN in 2017. The groundbreaking event brought 16 of the top programs in the nation to the City of Roses for the highest-profile regular season tournament in college basketball history.
Five years later, University of Portland Athletics co-hosted the Phil Knight Invitational and Phil Knight Legacy Tournament in 2022, with the Chiles Center serving as one of three main host sites along with the Moda Center and the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum. The tournament ran during ESPN’s annual Feast Week from Thursday, Nov. 24 – Sunday, Nov. 27, featuring 24 different teams across four different brackets. Portland’s men’s team played in the PKI bracket along with Alabama, Iowa State, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oregon, UConn and Villanova. The Pilots battled both then-No. 1 North Carolina and Michigan State and earned a victory over the three-time national champions Villanova over the course of the tournament. The Chiles Center was the host site for all women's games leading up to the championship, including Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes' showdown against the Oregon State Beavers.
The University of Portland was also selected as a finalist to host the NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four in 2030. In a collaboration with Sport Oregon, the Rose Quarter, Travel Portland, and the City of Portland, Leykam played a critical role in the push to bring an NCAA Basketball Final Four to the Rose City for the first time
Some of the world’s premier sports franchises have utilized UP’s campus during Leykam’s tenure. Portland has played host to professional soccer powers Bayern Munich, Paris St. Germain and Inter Milan as well as several MLS and NWSL franchises at Merlo Field. In addition, numerous NBA teams have used the Beauchamp Recreation & Wellness Center for practices. The Pilots have played men’s basketball home games at the Moda Center (home of the Portland Trail Blazers), a men’s soccer home match on the NIKE campus, and baseball home games at Ron Tonkin Field (home of the Hillsboro Hops, a minor league affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks).
The Pilots also began a strong relationship with KOIN-TV and KRCW-TV, Portland’s local CBS and CW affiliates, during the 2021-22 academic year. The local networks broadcasted 20 events for UP Athletics this past year, with all production handled by the University’s in-house video department, Portland Sports Network. The partnership will continue into 2024-25.
Committees and Boards
Leykam was recently selected for a four-year term to serve on the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee, beginning a four year term in 2024. He will be one of 10 administrators responsible for organizing and executing the 64-team tournament, including the selection and seeding of all teams. Leykam served a four-year term on the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee through 2023.
He was also the President for the Division I-AAA Athletic Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA) for the 2019-20 season, after serving as Second Vice President in 2018-19 and as an executive committee member in 2017-18. Leykam is on the Board of Directors for Sport Oregon, Special Olympics of Oregon and Positive Coaching Alliance Portland Chapter. In the past, he served a six-year term as Chair of the West Coast Conference Basketball Cabinet, a four-year term and a four-year term on the NCAA Championships & Sports Management Cabinet.
Prior Work Experience, Education and Family
Leykam spent 13 years in the Stanford University Athletic Department in media relations and fundraising and four years as Senior Associate Commissioner for External Relations at the West Coast Conference.
At the WCC, Leykam oversaw the Conference's comprehensive national and regional television packages, its annual basketball championship, and all strategic marketing and exposure-driven initiatives. He also managed championships, community service, marketing, corporate sponsorship sales, men’s basketball officiating, and scheduling, while serving as a conference liaison to WCC men’s basketball, baseball, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s golf head coaches.
In 2011, Leykam played a key role in successful negotiations with both ESPN and regional television partners to command both the highest television rights fee and the most annual men’s basketball television exposures in Conference history. He was also an integral part of the WCC's efforts to bring BYU and Pacific into the conference, marking the WCC’s first membership changes in 30 years.
Prior to joining the WCC, Leykam served as the Director of Annual Giving and Co-Director of Media Relations during 13 years in the Stanford University Athletic Department. During his five-year tenure as the Director of Athletic Annual Giving on The Farm, Leykam managed the third largest annual fund on the Stanford campus, the Buck/Cardinal Club, and increased revenue by 157% in four years. Under his direction, the Buck/Cardinal Club saw fundraising efforts increase from $2.653 million in 2004 to a record $6.826 million in 2007.
At Stanford, he was responsible for the development and governance of the athletic annual giving budget, and merging 35 Sports Improvement Funds and the football premium seating fund into the Buck/Cardinal Club. He also served Chairman of the Stanford Stadium Seating Committee, a committee assembled by the athletic director to advise on seating, ticketing, and transition plans for the new Stanford Stadium.
Leykam began his career at Stanford in Athletic Media Relations, earning the title of Co-Media Relations Director. He managed football media responsibilities for the Cardinal’s Rose Bowl, Sun Bowl, Liberty Bowl and Seattle Bowl teams, in addition to working directly with women’s volleyball, men’s tennis, men’s swimming and diving, and women’s swimming and diving teams that won NCAA Championships.
Leykam received his bachelor's degree in Communications from Saint Mary's College in 1995. He later returned to his alma mater as a professor in the Department of Communication with a focus in News Writing and Reporting.
Leykam and his wife of 27 years, Amy, have three children: Austin (20), Tyler (16) and Allison (12). Austin is a football student-athlete at Linfield University.