Luke Bolanos (bo-LAHN-yos) returns to Belmont University Athletics for his fifth year in 2025-26. He was promoted to director of athletic communications on Aug. 1, 2022.
Bolanos serves as the primary contact for Belmont women's basketball, men's soccer, men's and women's tennis, while also supporting cross country and track and field.
A 2014 graduate of Belmont's Master of Sport Administration (M.S.A.) program, Bolanos returns to Nashville after serving as the director of athletic communications at NCAA Division II Lincoln Memorial University. With seven years of experience as a sports information director at Division I and Division II members, Bolanos has worked in athletic communications and media relations at both the school and conference level.
"Luke is a talented communications professional who has earned the respect of his peers," said Associate Athletic Director for Broadcasting and Media Relations Greg Sage. "As our industry evolves and the job demands increase exponentially, a versatile skill set and a composed disposition are required. During our search process, Luke's character, enthusiasm and commitment to the highest-quality work shone through. Luke has elevated every aspect of our athletic communication efforts."
Heading to east Tennessee in July of 2019, Bolanos oversaw media relations efforts for the entire LMU athletic department, in addition to promoting all 25 intercollegiate Railsplitter programs. He also led all creative content efforts for the department and was responsible for LMU Athletics' social media strategies and branding. Bolanos handled external communication for LMU Athletics during the COVID-19 global pandemic and served as the primary sports information contact for the nationally-ranked men's basketball program, baseball, men's and women's volleyball and beach volleyball.
Prior to his time in Harrogate, Tennessee, Bolanos spent two years as an assistant director of athletic media relations at Division I Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas. During his time in Texas' oldest town, Bolanos handled all communication efforts for the FCS Lumberjack football program while also in charge of the promotion of the SFA softball and men's and women's golf teams. Additionally, he was the primary sports information contact for the national champion Ladyjack bowling team and was the media relations liaison for the 2019 National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC) Nacogdoches Regional.
Before his time at SFA, Bolanos held the same title at the University of Virginia's College at Wise in Wise, Virginia, from 2015-17. While working within Division II in Wise, Bolanos was responsible for all communication efforts of the Cavaliers' men's basketball, softball, volleyball, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's cross country programs.
For two seasons Bolanos was the radio/audio color commentator at Cavalier men's and women's basketball games. In the spring of 2017, Bolanos oversaw media relations for the NCAA Division II Softball Championship Atlantic Regional.
Bolanos has additional Division I experience after completing internships with the Southland Conference and the Ohio Valley Conference. While working as a communications assistant at the Southland, Bolanos was the primary contact for volleyball, softball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, and men's and women's tennis. He worked conference championships and assisted with the 2015 Southland Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament in Katy, Texas. Bolanos was with the conference when the Southland Bowling League was formed and took over as the league's director of communications.
While with the OVC in the spring of 2014, Bolanos was the media relations contact for men's and women's tennis - coincidentally during Belmont director of tennis Mauricio Antun's conference player of the year season - and handled the communication responsibilities at the tennis championships, while supporting social media at basketball and baseball.
Prior to his stop at the Southland and the OVC, Bolanos interned with Vanderbilt University Athletics in the Commodores' marketing and sales, and then communications department. While in graduate school at Belmont University, Bolanos served as a graduate teaching assistant where he taught six different undergraduate physical activity courses.
Throughout his career Bolanos has worked major collegiate sporting events, including serving as a media relations assistant at the 2015, 2018 and 2019 NCAA Division I Football Championship in Frisco, Texas, and assisting the NCAA media coordination team at the 2019 College Word Series in Omaha, Nebraska. He was a part of the media coordination team at the 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four in Nashville and worked as a communications assistant at the 2013 SEC Football Championship game in Atlanta, Georgia. Bolanos also has professional sports experience as a public relations assistant on game days with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2014-15 season and working as an intern in the Tennessee Titans' ticket office.
He is an active member of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA).
A native of DeBary, Florida, Bolanos was a four-year tennis letter winner at Palm Beach Atlantic University. As a student-athlete in West Palm Beach, Florida, he served as team captain during his junior and senior seasons and earned the Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sportsmanship & Leadership Award for the Division II Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) South Region in 2011 and 2012. The former Sailfish achieved a personal best ITA Division II national doubles ranking of No. 13.
Bolanos earned a bachelor's degree in business management from Palm Beach Atlantic in 2012.
