Deneé Barracato was named Northwestern University's Deputy Director of Athletics for Operations & Capital Projects on July 10, 2019.
As Deputy Director of Athletics at Northwestern, Barracato leads and manages four areas for the Wildcats: Capital Projects & Operations, Events & Facilities Management, Equipment Services, and the Department of Recreation, Intramurals and Competitive Sports. Barracato also manages the Under Armour apparel partnership for the department and has served as a sport administrator for a number of programs during her time in Evanston. Internally Barracato serves as the liaison to Facilities Management, Operations and Risk Management and the Northwestern University Police Department.
Barracato leads and provides the strategic direction for Northwestern Athletics’ world-class facilities and its capital projects program, which includes the oversight, planning, design, and construction efforts for the $800 million Ryan Field Redevelopment Project.
In March 2023, Barracato was featured as the 2023’s VenuesNow Women of Live cover as it’s honoree. The 2023 Pollstar & VenuesNow Women of Live award honors women from across the industry impacting the live business in meaningful ways, elevating the business with innovative strategies, and finding success in what is a continuously evolving market.
In September 2022, Barracato was selected as a member of the LEAD1 Association Diversity Fellowship Program Class of 2022-23. The LEAD1 Association (LEAD1), which represents the athletic directors of the 131-member schools of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) aims to increase senior-diverse leadership throughout the FBS by providing athletics administrators of color and female athletic administrators with a year-long immersion program. Each class contains administrators who are deemed to be next in line to assume the athletics director position. Shortly after, in October 2022, Barracato was recognized as On3’s 2022 Rising Star College Sports Administrator You Need to Know List.
In 2020 Barracato was appointed to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee for a five-year term. The 12-member committee is responsible for selecting the 36 at-large teams and seeding the 68 teams that will be participating in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. The committee also is involved in site selection (first and second rounds, the regional round and Women's Final Four), championship operations and game management, championship misconduct issues and championship game official selection and advancement.
Before Northwestern, Barracato served four years as the Director of Athletics & Recreation at York College (NY), leading the Cardinals' 17 varsity programs in the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) as well as all campus recreation efforts. Barracato's York tenure followed a four-year stint as the Associate A.D for Finance & Administration at Queens College where she was responsible for the oversight of financial affairs, business operations, human resources, and external relations, and worked as a sport administrator for eight programs. Prior to Queens, Barracato served as Director of Partnership Strategy for the Madison Square Garden Company (MSG). In this role, Barracato led the strategic development, brand activation and partnership marketing for MSG's integrated sports, media, and entertainment partnerships, which included working with the NY Knicks, NY Rangers and NY Liberty teams to further advance the marketing/business objectives of MSG's business partners.
Barracato began her career in athletic administration at Adelphi University, eventually rising to Assistant AD/Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) for the Panthers. She then joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as the Associate Director of Division I Women's Basketball. In Indianapolis, Barracato was a liaison to the Division I Women's Basketball Committee and championship hosts sites, assisting with the planning and execution of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship and Women's Final Four.
A four-year basketball letterwinner at Hofstra University, Barracato led the nation in steals for Division I Women's Basketball and earned America East All-Conference honors. Following graduation, she played professionally in the Women's Professional League in Puerto Rico for The Saints of San Juan, as well as with the National Women's Basketball League as a member of the Atlanta Justice. In addition to her undergraduate degree from Hofstra, she earned a master’s degree in Exercise Science/Sports Management from Adelphi University.
Barracato has also served as an adjunct professor and instructor at both Adelphi and St. John's University in the area of Sports Administration. She has served on several NCAA committees, in addition to serving as an NCAA facilitator at several national conferences. Barracato is a proud member and graduate of the inaugural class of the Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute.
Barracato and her husband, Michael, have three children Grace, Michael (MJ) and Mia.
As Deputy Director of Athletics at Northwestern, Barracato leads and manages four areas for the Wildcats: Capital Projects & Operations, Events & Facilities Management, Equipment Services, and the Department of Recreation, Intramurals and Competitive Sports. Barracato also manages the Under Armour apparel partnership for the department and has served as a sport administrator for a number of programs during her time in Evanston. Internally Barracato serves as the liaison to Facilities Management, Operations and Risk Management and the Northwestern University Police Department.
Barracato leads and provides the strategic direction for Northwestern Athletics’ world-class facilities and its capital projects program, which includes the oversight, planning, design, and construction efforts for the $800 million Ryan Field Redevelopment Project.
In March 2023, Barracato was featured as the 2023’s VenuesNow Women of Live cover as it’s honoree. The 2023 Pollstar & VenuesNow Women of Live award honors women from across the industry impacting the live business in meaningful ways, elevating the business with innovative strategies, and finding success in what is a continuously evolving market.
In September 2022, Barracato was selected as a member of the LEAD1 Association Diversity Fellowship Program Class of 2022-23. The LEAD1 Association (LEAD1), which represents the athletic directors of the 131-member schools of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) aims to increase senior-diverse leadership throughout the FBS by providing athletics administrators of color and female athletic administrators with a year-long immersion program. Each class contains administrators who are deemed to be next in line to assume the athletics director position. Shortly after, in October 2022, Barracato was recognized as On3’s 2022 Rising Star College Sports Administrator You Need to Know List.
In 2020 Barracato was appointed to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee for a five-year term. The 12-member committee is responsible for selecting the 36 at-large teams and seeding the 68 teams that will be participating in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. The committee also is involved in site selection (first and second rounds, the regional round and Women's Final Four), championship operations and game management, championship misconduct issues and championship game official selection and advancement.
Before Northwestern, Barracato served four years as the Director of Athletics & Recreation at York College (NY), leading the Cardinals' 17 varsity programs in the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) as well as all campus recreation efforts. Barracato's York tenure followed a four-year stint as the Associate A.D for Finance & Administration at Queens College where she was responsible for the oversight of financial affairs, business operations, human resources, and external relations, and worked as a sport administrator for eight programs. Prior to Queens, Barracato served as Director of Partnership Strategy for the Madison Square Garden Company (MSG). In this role, Barracato led the strategic development, brand activation and partnership marketing for MSG's integrated sports, media, and entertainment partnerships, which included working with the NY Knicks, NY Rangers and NY Liberty teams to further advance the marketing/business objectives of MSG's business partners.
Barracato began her career in athletic administration at Adelphi University, eventually rising to Assistant AD/Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) for the Panthers. She then joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as the Associate Director of Division I Women's Basketball. In Indianapolis, Barracato was a liaison to the Division I Women's Basketball Committee and championship hosts sites, assisting with the planning and execution of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship and Women's Final Four.
A four-year basketball letterwinner at Hofstra University, Barracato led the nation in steals for Division I Women's Basketball and earned America East All-Conference honors. Following graduation, she played professionally in the Women's Professional League in Puerto Rico for The Saints of San Juan, as well as with the National Women's Basketball League as a member of the Atlanta Justice. In addition to her undergraduate degree from Hofstra, she earned a master’s degree in Exercise Science/Sports Management from Adelphi University.
Barracato has also served as an adjunct professor and instructor at both Adelphi and St. John's University in the area of Sports Administration. She has served on several NCAA committees, in addition to serving as an NCAA facilitator at several national conferences. Barracato is a proud member and graduate of the inaugural class of the Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute.
Barracato and her husband, Michael, have three children Grace, Michael (MJ) and Mia.