Patrick Colbert joined the Patriot League staff as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer in September 2025. Colbert arrived at the League office after serving two years as Commissioner of the Conference of New England (CNE).
In his role with the League, Colbert will work closely with Patriot League Commissioner Jennifer Heppel to provide strategic leadership and operational oversight in the development and execution of League strategy. Colbert will be responsible for streamlining internal operations and fostering collaboration across all functions of the League office, including championships and sports management, external affairs, engagement initiatives and organizational leadership.
For two years, Colbert served as Commissioner of the NCAA DIII’s Conference of New England. He worked with the Conference’s Board of Directors to rebrand to the CNE, changing the name from the Commonwealth Coast Conference and introducing a new logo, while recognizing and celebrating the Conference’s first 40 years. Colbert implemented a new operating and governance structure, forming committees focused on student-athlete development, sport administration, championships and sports medicine. He also identified opportunities to sponsor additional sports, with the CNE adding women’s golf for the 2025-26 season and men’s volleyball for the 2026-27 season.
Prior to his work with the CNE, Colbert served as Deputy Commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). At the WAC, he was the Conference’s chief operating officer and primary administrator to the athletics directors. He oversaw all internal operations, helping lead office relocation efforts from Colorado to Texas. Colbert also worked with the Commissioner and conference leadership to enhance the television coverage opportunities with the conference’s broadcasting partner, ESPN.
Colbert spent more than nine years at the American Athletic Conference, rising to Assistant Commissioner of Sport Administration and Championships, where he served as the Tournament manager for the League’s men’s and women’s basketball tournaments at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. He was also the lead conference office sport administrator for men’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s lacrosse and softball.
He was a four-year men’s soccer student-athlete at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, N.H., where he earned a B.S. in sport management. Colbert also earned his M.S. in sports leadership from Northeastern University.
Colbert, a native of Medfield, Mass., lives with his wife, Lindsay, and their three daughters, Brooke, Paige and Reese.