• SBJ announces Champions Class of 2026 [Jan. 21, 2026]
• Champions 2026: Chris Plonsky [Aug. 3, 2026]
• Champions 2026: The Chris Plonsky File [Aug. 3, 2026]
• Champions 2026: What They're Saying About Chris Plonsky [Aug. 3, 2026]
• Champions 2026: Colleagues laud Plonsky’s career of service and sincerity [Aug. 3, 2026]
• College Athletics with Chris Plonsky, Matter of Sports [Feb. 7, 2026]
• Seize & elevate your opportunities | Chris Plonsky | CSC Voices, Beyond the Scoreboard [Nov. 14, 2024]
• Texas Sports Hall of Fame Inductee (2025)
• Plonsky’s Decades of Dedication to Texas Athletics to be Honored in Sports Hall of Fame (2025)
• Waco Tribune (2025)
• Greater Austin Sports Foundation Hall of Honor Inductee (2024)
• Honorary Referee 2024 Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays presented by Truist (2024)
• 2023 WBCA Administrator of the Year
• 2023 Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Women’s Basketball
• College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame [Feb. 22, 2021]
• First Tee of Greater Austin Nine Core Values Respect Award [Sept. 2, 2020]
• Women Leaders in Sports Podcast [2018]
• NACDA AD Spotlight: Chris Plonsky [2016]
• Plonsky receives Taylor Award as Kent State journalism alumnus of the year [October 2015]
• NAAC selects Dodds, Plonsky for Organizational Leadership Award [June 21, 2010]
• Plonsky receives Texas Exes Top Hand Award [April 3, 2009]
• Plonsky named NACWAA Division I-A Administrator of the Year [Sept. 8, 2004]
• NACMA Hall of Fame Induction 2003
Chris Plonsky has worked in college athletics since 1976. The 2025-26 year is her 38th overall at The University of Texas, which she has served in two eras (1982-86 and currently since October of 1993). She is executive senior associate athletics director/chief of staff and UT’s senior woman administrator for Southeastern Conference and NCAA governance.
She supervises athletics staff leaders in student services (academics/learning/4EVER TEXAS career readiness/leadership development/personal branding), sports medicine (athletic training/strength/performance nutrition/behavioral health/applied sport science) and compliance/risk management.
Plonsky served 28 years (1997-2024) on the USA Basketball board of directors and is an emeritus board member of the National Football Foundation/College Football Hall of Fame. She currently chairs the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Trustees and is a member of the WBHOF Board of Governors. She is a former USOPC Collegiate Advisory Council member and former president of NACDA, NACMA and Women Leaders in Sports (formerly NACWAA). She is a past member of the NACDA board and executive committee, a past board member of the FBS ADs Association (formerly LEAD1/Division 1AD Association) and has served NCAA committees on Academic Performance, Women’s Basketball Competition and NCAA Commercialization activities. She chaired the NCAA Division I Management Council in 2003.
At Texas, she was women's athletics director from April 2001-December 2017. From 1993-2017, she supervised Texas men’s and women’s athletics revenue areas in multimedia rights, sponsorships, marketing, TV and trademark licensing. Plonsky also worked in communications/media relations at Iowa State University (1979-81), Texas (1982-86) and The BIG EAST Conference (1986-90). After three years in administration at The BIG EAST as associate commissioner (1990-93), she returned to Texas in October 1993 as associate AD for external services.
Born in Pittsburgh and raised in Greensburg, Pa., and northeast Ohio, Plonsky earned a B.S. Journalism degree in 1979 at Kent State University, where she was a three-year basketball student-athlete, undergraduate KSU athletics media relations assistant and editor of The Daily Kent Stater. In Austin, Plonsky is a member of many University campus committees and serves as a volunteer on the University Federal Credit Union supervisory committee.
(November 2025)
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ORGANIZATIONS SERVED
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Southeastern Conference
SEC | ESPN Content Board (October 2025-present)
Senior Woman Administrators (2024-present)
Big 12 Conference
Senior Woman Administrators (1998-2024, Chair, 2001-02)
Administrative Committee (2015-18)
Championships and Awards Committee (2007-12)
Game Management/Officiating Committee (2005-07, 2014-18)
Finance Committee (2005-07)
NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics)
Learfield Directors’ Cup Committee (2021-present)
President (2016-17)
Executive Committee (2002-04; 2014-20)
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Inc.
Board of Trustees (chair 2024-present, vice chair 2021-23)
Board of Governors Executive Committee (2020-present)
LEAD1 Association (formerly D1A Athletic Directors' Association and now FBS ADs Association)
Board of Trustees member (Sept. 2016-17)
Communications and Advocacy Committee (Oct. 2016-17)
NACMA (National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators)
Board of Directors (1993-2000; President 1999-2000)
Women Leaders in College Sports (formerly National Association of Collegiate Women’s Athletics Administrators)
Member (1998-present; Board member, 2012-15; President, Oct. 2013-Oct. 2014)
National Football Foundation/College Football Hall of Fame
Emeritus Director (2015-present)
Board of Directors (2005-15)
Awards Committee (2005-15)
Digital Media Committee (2010-12)
Partnerships/Sponsors Committee (2010-12)
Play It Smart Board of Directors (2010-12)
Intercollegiate Relations Committee (2010-12)
NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association)
Volleyball Committee (September 2021-August 2024)
Women's College Basketball Officiating Competition Committee (2010-17)
Presidential Task Force on Commercialization (2008-09)
Task Force on Use of Student-Athlete Imagery (Chair, 2006-07)
Academics Incentives/Disincentives Task Force (2005-07)
Committee on Academic Performance (2007-09)
Division I Management Council (2001-06; Chair, 2003-04)
Task Force on Women's Basketball (2005-07)
The University of Texas
Associate VP Council (2021-present)
Internal Audit Committee (2015-present)
Executive Compliance Committee (2009-present)
UT Libraries Advisory Council (2008-25; Chair 2010-12)
Advisory Committee on Ethics (2019-20)
VP Council (2008-16)
President's Sustainability Steering Committee (2013-23)
Campus Culture Subcommittee (2015-18)
Texas Exes Board of Directors (2015-16)
Neighborhood Longhorns Program Advisory Board (2010-present)
Distinguished Young Texas Exes Selection Committee (2008-09; 2015-16)
Operational IT Committee (2010-12)
UT Cares Committee (2020-25)
Texas Exes HookedIn Executive Committee (2020-22)
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee
Collegiate Advisory Committee (2017-22)
Collegiate Advisory Committee Legislative Task Force (2019-22)
USA Basketball
Board of Directors (1997-24)
Finance Committee (2013-17)
Women's National Team Steering Committee (2013-16)
Executive Committee and VP for Women's Programs (1996-2008)
Women's Collegiate Committee (Chair, 2000-04)
Women's Basketball Coaches Association
Finance Committee (2015-present)
Community Service
Honda Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards Board of Directors (2008-10)
University Federal Credit Union Supervisory Committee (2003-present term extends to 4.6.29)
Capital Area Crimestoppers Board of Directors (2005-14)
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THE PLONSKY CHRONOLOGY
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• Executive Sr. Associate AD/Chief of Staff/Senior Woman Administrator, The University of Texas: September 2018-present
• Women's AD/Executive Sr. Associate AD Men's/Women's Athletics External Services, The University of Texas: September 2010-2017 (Total years: 7)
• Director of Women's Athletics and Men's/Women's External Services, The University of Texas: September 2002-September 2010 (Total years: 8)
• Senior Associate AD for Men's and Women's Athletics, The University of Texas: April 2001-August 2002 (Total years: 1); also served as Texas' interim women's athletics director during this time
• Associate AD for External Services, The University of Texas: October 1993-April 2001 (Total years: 8)
• Associate Commissioner for Administration, The BIG EAST Conference: Summer 1990-October 1993 (Total years: 3)
• Public Relations Director, The BIG EAST Conference: Summer 1986-Summer 1990 (Total years: 4)
• Women's SID, The University of Texas: January 1982-Summer 1986 (Total years: 4.5)
• Women's SID, Iowa State University: Summer 1979-December 1981 (Total years: 2.5)
• Graduated magna cum laude from Kent State in 1979 with a B.S. degree in journalism (news-editorial sequence)
• Women's SID (as undergraduate), Kent State University: Fall 1976-Spring 1979 (Total years: 3)
• Graduated from Tallmadge (Ohio) High School in 1975
• Born January 15, 1958 in Pittsburgh, Pa.; raised in Greensburg, Pa. (1958-66), and northeast Ohio (1966-75)
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