Sebastian Burke enters his first year as Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations at Elizabeth City State University, bringing a wealth of experience across NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, and HBCU athletics. Burke has held communications roles at Norfolk State (DI), Alderson Broaddus (DII), Randolph-Macon, Virginia Wesleyan (DIII), and Ottawa University (NAIA), where he built a diverse skill set in media relations, publications, digital content creation, and live statistical operations. At ECSU, he will oversee all publicity efforts for Viking athletics, including media relations, publications, website administration, and creative content, while also managing official NCAA live sports statistics at home events.

Most recently, Burke served as a Sports Information Graduate Assistant at Ottawa University from 2021–2023 while completing his MBA with a concentration in Sport Management. He was the primary media relations contact for 10 intercollegiate programs, managed statistics, wrote press releases, produced creative content, and launched a new OU Athletics Instagram account that grew to nearly 2,000 followers in just two years

Burke’s most prominent role came at Norfolk State University, where he served as an Assistant Sports Information Director from 2019–2020. At NSU, he was the primary media contact for women’s basketball and men’s and women’s tennis, while also providing secondary coverage for football, men’s basketball, and the Spartans’ other sports.  He maintained NSUSpartans.com, produced press releases and promotion graphics, coordinated video production for live streaming, athletics’ social media and YouTube channels, as well as supervising student assistants.

During his time at NSU, Burke oversaw media relations of a highly successful women’s basketball team that featured Virginia Tech transfer Chanette Hicks. Burke covered Hicks’ historic year, with the player going on to win multiple accolades including: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year, MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, BoxToRow HBCU Player of the Year, as well as appearing on Dawn Staley’s Player Watchlist.

From 2018–2019, Burke worked as Assistant Sports Information Director at Alderson Broaddus University, serving as the primary contact for half of the school’s 24 athletic programs. He managed statistical operations using StatCrew, wrote press releases, maintained the GoBattlers.com athletics website, and assisted in game-day operations.

Burke began his career in athletics communications as a student worker in the sports information office at Randolph-Macon College, where he assisted with statistics, photography, social media management, and game-day operations from 2015–2017.

Upon graduating from RMC, he served as a Sports Information Assistant in 2017-18 at another Old Dominion Athletic Conference member, Virginia Wesleyan University.  At VWU he assisted the Sports Information Director with live statistics, press releases, graphic design, and supervision of student workers.

Following his time at Ottawa, Burke returned to his hometown of Virginia Beach, VA, where he engaged in marketing initiatives with local organizations and the real estate sector. He played a key role in organizing the 43rd Annual Pig & Oyster Fest, hosted by the Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum, an event that consistently draws 1000+ attendees and helped raise more than $50,000 through individual donations and corporate sponsorships. In addition, Burke dedicated his spare time to his alma mater, First Colonial High School, serving as the JV boys’ soccer coach and assistant coach for the varsity boys’ soccer team..

Burke holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Randolph-Macon College with minors in Journalism and Black Studies, a minor he decided to pursue after several courses from a study abroad trip to Ghana. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Ottawa University(KS), with a concentration in Sport Management. Burke maintains active involvement in the industry as a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and College Sports Communicators (CSC), two of the nation’s leading professional organizations for athletic administrators and communicators.