FULLERTON, Calif. – After more than a decade of dedicated service to Cal State Fullerton and Titans Athletics, Athletics Director Jim Donovan has shared his decision to retire, effective July 31, 2026. 

In recognition of his extraordinary leadership and enduring impact on Cal State Fullerton, President Rochan is naming him Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics.

"I want to express my profound appreciation for all that Jim has accomplished in service to Cal State Fullerton and Titans Athletics. His achievements are impressive," President Rochan said. " When Jim joined Cal State Fullerton in 2012, he led Titans Athletics into a new era that shaped our students' experience, transformed the campus and instilled a culture of pride in our university.

Throughout his 14 years overseeing Athletics, Donovan has been, and continues to, change lives. He refined and enhanced academic programs to keep student-athletes on track to graduate. Before he arrived, student athletes were graduating at a rate of 68%. Now, 80% complete their degrees within six years.

Outside the classroom, Titans Athletics has reached historic heights, claiming 33 Big West Championships across multiple sports. In 2018, Athletics brought home the prestigious Commissioner's Cup for best overall performance in all Big West sports. Titans Baseball returned to national prominence with two College World Series appearances, and Titans Softball built a dynasty, capturing seven conference titles. The momentum of their success led more people than ever to attend their games, and ticket sales increased 46%.

Donovan's steady leadership also inspired Titans to give more than $23 million in philanthropic support. He oversaw $28 million in capital improvements, including new facilities for baseball, basketball and aquatics, plus major upgrades for softball, tennis, and track and field.

Dovovan is highly regarded not just at Cal State Fullerton but beyond. Colleagues throughout the CSU and other institutions around the nation frequently seek his guidance. That is why in 2019, the organization representing more than 22,000 collegiate athletics leaders, National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), named him an Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year.

SUPPORT THE TITANS!
Fans can purchase tickets for various Cal State Fullerton athletic events by visiting FullertonTitansTickets.com. The Athletic Ticket Office can also be contacted by phone at 657-278-2783 or by email at athletictixs@fullerton.edu. The Ticket Office is located at the Titan Baseball ticketing office and is open from 10 am – 4 pm PT, Monday – Friday. 

FOLLOW THE TITANS!
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titan Athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook/FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans) Instagram (@FullertonTitans).

WATCH THE TITANS ON ESPN+
Titans fans can now watch home contests exclusively on ESPN+. Cal State Fullerton has built a top-tier production studio to give the viewers an ESPN quality production for Titans Athletics. Additionally, all schools in the Big West Conference are committed to producing ESPN quality streams which will allow fans to watch the Titans on ESPN+ for all road conference games.