GREENVILLE, Pa.-- Thiel College’s Vice President for Enrollment Management and Financial Aid Ashley Josay Zullo and Director of Athletics Jason Fautas presented to the largest high school athletic league in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at Acrisure Stadium.
Having arrived at Thiel in September, Fautas began by introducing himself to the 150 athletic directors from Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League schools. He discussed the recent $3 million in athletic facility upgrades at Thiel College, the unique inflatable dome that covers the football field in the winter and the techniques and programs that have allowed Thiel College to grow enrollment while nearly every college or university in western Pennsylvania has seen its enrollment shrink over the last three years. According to a recently published article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, undergraduate enrollment in the state of Pennsylvania has seen an overall decrease of 7.2 percent since 2020. Thiel’s undergraduate enrollment grew by 1.6 percent from 2021, and the College’s overall enrollment grew by 7.5 percent in 2021 and 10 percent in 2020. First-year student enrollment this fall was lower than in 2021 but strong retention numbers and graduate program increases offset that decrease. This year’s incoming class is also 35 percent larger than first-year enrollment in 2017.
Fautas spoke about the “New Thiel” and the College’s commitment to the student-athlete experience. Fautas urged the athletic directors to reach out should they have any questions about using the Rissell-Schreyer Dome, Thiel’s new competition-certified track or its other facilities.
Before coming to Thiel, Fautas spent 15 years in intercollegiate athletics, most recently working at Walsh University, where he served as Interim Vice President of Athletics/Athletic Director, Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Associate Director of Athletics, Assistant Director of Athletics/Director of Compliance, and Head Men's Lacrosse Coach. Fautas earned a bachelor’s degree in management at Hartwick College and a master’s degree in sports leadership at Northeastern University.
The WPIAL was founded in 1906 to provide a set of eligibility rules and regulations that would ensure a level playing field for interscholastic athletic competition among the schools in western Pennsylvania. According to its website, the WPIAL comprises 140 high schools and 148 junior/middle/intermediate schools.
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