The connections that Gracie Gallagher forms as senior associate athletics director for revenue, partnerships, and marketing go beyond supporting Athletics. Gallagher remains connected to her faith and uses key values of Notre Dame’s Catholic mission to sustain her work.
“The Catholic mission value is the core of who Notre Dame is. It’s core to what we do and it is truly who we are, and I’ve always admired Notre Dame for how we embrace our Catholic mission and we don’t shy away from it. It allows us to be really unique and position ourselves differently from every other institution of higher education. I am really grateful to work at an organization that prioritizes that and is so clear on who it is and what we are.”
In her role, Gallagher leads strategy and revenue generation for Athletics, working closely with coaches, student-athletes, administrators, and partners on strategic priorities while fostering connections with area organizations and beyond.
“When I think of the relationships and the partnerships we’re forming, we want to make sure that those partners have values that align with ours. There are very, very few companies that are going to have Catholic mission as a value that isn’t a Catholic institution itself. I think about the mindset of this partner that we’re looking at trying to do good in the world, and how are they trying to do that good? And how does that align with what we’re trying to do at Notre Dame?”
At Notre Dame, staff can live out the Catholic mission regardless of the religion they identify with. Simple reminders of faith, like saying a prayer before a meeting or sharing a meal with colleagues, are tangible ways that Notre Dame employees live the Catholic mission daily, Gallagher said. And there are proactive ways, like making Notre Dame events more accessible, that outwardly express Catholic principles. In this way, the essence of Catholic mission shapes a shared human experience, regardless of each colleague’s personal faith tradition.
“Oftentimes Athletics can be a front porch for the rest of the University,” Gallagher said. “When I think about how we ensure that everyone feels welcome and that we are reaching everyone who wants to engage with Notre Dame Athletics, how do we do that in different ways that will allow us to bring those people in and then keep them here? Whether it’s our student-athletes that volunteer with local nonprofits, whether it’s doing special group sales or group events for local schools or organizations, bringing those places into Notre Dame and making it accessible via either a free ticket or special promotion, that’s a way for us to reach people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford coming to a Notre Dame event or a Notre Dame experience. When we get those emails about how impactful that is, that to me is what’s really rewarding and shows that Catholic mission coming to light in a very indirect way.”
Originally published by at ndworks.nd.edu on February 09, 2026.