Pat Chun Has Led Both Sides of the Apple Cup
By James Moreau | 20 Sep, 2025

The first Asian American athletic director of a Power Four school is navigating changes in collegiate athletics while safeguarding the storied Apple Cup.

In March 2024 Pat Chun became the 17th athletic director of the University of Washington, an athletic brand valued as high as $970 million, 16th among all programs.  Chun is also the first Asian American athletic director of a Power Four school.  

Chun was poached from the other side of the Apple Cup where he spent six years as Washington State’s AD.   In 2021 he received a Wazzu contract extension at a $700,000 base salary, but was lured to Seattle by the Huskies with a 6-year contract starting at $1.3 million annually and going up to $1.7 million by year five.

At Pullman Chun was recognized for both athletic and financial success.  Annual fundraising for the Cougars increased significantly from $11 million to nearly $30 million.  That enabled completion of major projects including a $27 million indoor practice facility.

Washington and Washington State shared the same conference from 1917 until the Huskies left for the Big Ten in 2024.  The realignment puts in jeopardy the continuation of the Apple Cup, a game that has been played consecutively since 1945 minus a COVID year.  While with the Cougars Chun negotiated an agreement to extend the historic football series through at least 2028.

Shortly after joining the Huskies Chun was selected to serve on the NCAA’s House Implementation Committee, a ten-member group tasked with navigating the evolving landscape of college sports. Pat Chun was raised in Strongville, Ohio by parents who had emigrated from S. Korea in 1969.  Pat played baseball, basketball and football while growing up.  In 1997 he earned a BA in journalism at Ohio State and a masters in sports leadership from Duquesne University.   He joined the Buckeye’s athletic program as an intern fresh out of college and spent 10 years there.  His first athletic director role was at Florida Atlantic where he spent over 5 years.