CHICAGO, Ill. – Chicago State University Athletics has announced the addition of
Melody McKnight as Assistant Director for Communications and Digital Content.
McKnight joins the Cougars after most recently serving as an NIL and Revenue Share Social Media Marketing Athletics Fellow at Old Dominion University, where she led digital marketing and social media strategy surrounding NIL and revenue-sharing initiatives. Her responsibilities included developing multimedia campaigns, overseeing content calendars and analyzing audience and platform performance to strengthen student-athlete branding, donor engagement and fan connection.
In her new role at Chicago State, McKnight will assist with the department's overall communications and digital content efforts, including social media strategy, content creation, brand development, storytelling and promotion of Chicago State's student-athletes, coaches and programs.
"We are excited to welcome Melody to Chicago State Athletics," said
Robert Vogel, Associate Athletic Director for Communications. "As we continue to expand our communications and digital presence, Melody brings valuable experience in social media strategy, content development and audience engagement. Her creativity and understanding of the evolving digital landscape will be tremendous assets as we continue telling the stories of our student-athletes and programs."
During her time at Old Dominion, McKnight spearheaded the social media launch and promotion of Monarchs+, developing messaging, content strategies and subscriber engagement campaigns that generated more than 128,000 engagements during the platform's first 30 days. She also directed multimedia content across Instagram, TikTok, X and emerging platforms.
Prior to Old Dominion, McKnight gained extensive experience at Indiana University. She served as a social media intern with the Mark Cuban Center for Sports Media and Technology, where she managed content strategy and digital communications across six NCAA Division I athletics social media accounts. She also provided live event and gameday coverage, evaluated audience analytics and worked with athletics departments and content creators to increase digital reach while maintaining brand consistency.
McKnight also served as a marketing intern with Indiana University Athletics, assisting with fan engagement, promotional campaigns and gameday operations across multiple sports, including football, basketball and volleyball. She previously spent more than two years as a football recruiting intern, supporting recruiting communications, database management and relationships between coaches, recruits and athletics staff.
In addition to her professional experience, McKnight has demonstrated a commitment to leadership and service. She served as president of the Women of Color Leadership Institute during the 2024-25 academic year after previously serving as the organization's Public Relations & Social Media Chair and Parliamentarian. She also served as Women's Liaison for the George Taliaferro Sports Association and as a College Ambassador for Future Black Leaders, Inc.
McKnight earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Marketing & Management from Indiana University in May 2025.
Her background includes experience in digital marketing, social media strategy, content development, brand management, campaign planning, audience analytics and project coordination, along with proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, Lightroom and Sprout Social.
