Love of Griz Athletics Leads to Alum's Career in Sports

Kenny Dow of Billings grew up loving sports – especially Grizzly Athletics. It’s not hard to imagine then, when it came time for college, UM was at the top of Dow’s list.

“Really it was my only option that I was considering when applying to colleges,” Dow admitted.

His passion for sports continued to grow at UM as the football team won the 2001 national championship in his freshman year. Dow also spent years as a cheerleader for Griz Athletics, traveling to another championship game in 2004.

“It was a really exciting time to be a part of the athletic department,” he said.

Dow studied history and political science with a secondary education certificate and spent time student teaching, but when a marketing role became available in the UM Athletic Department he decided to take a shot at a career in sports.

He has fun memories of his time working at UM, from traveling to North Carolina to watch the Griz men’s basketball team take on Duke to overseeing Monte’s schedule and public events.

In 2009, Dow accepted an athletics marketing role at Portland State University. He also took on the added responsibility of coaching the cheer team. Dow stayed at PSU until 2014, when he moved to Seattle to work for the Storm, the city’s WNBA team.

After nearly a decade with the Storm, Dow worked his way up to senior vice president of marketing and communications. The Storm won championships in 2018 and 2020. Dow also went to a championship game in 2024 as the cheer coach for the University of Washington.

“I was very busy,” Dow joked of his time in Seattle.

Last year he moved back to Portland, this time to manage marketing for the Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer team. He oversees all aspects of the team’s marketing efforts, from brainstorming video ideas and ad campaigns to showcasing the team’s history. With the FIFA World Cup heading to North America in 2026, Dow believes there are plenty of opportunities to grow the sport.

“It’s an exciting time for MLS,” he said.  “We think it will be a great momentum pickup for soccer in America.”
For Dow, getting to see the impact of his work on teams and the fans is one of his favorite things about working in sports.

“Sports just unites people in a way that most industries can’t,” he said.

For anyone looking to forge their own career in the world of sports, Dow said, building relationships and making the most of opportunities is incredibly important.

“Get any experience you can,” he urged. “Don’t be afraid to go anywhere.”