Northwestern AD who resigned amid criticism hired by Rosemont to do marketing work

Rosemont has hired a marketing guru who was Northwestern University's athletic director for 10 days before stepping down amid fallout over his handling of sexual harassment allegations.

Mike Polisky was among those named in a lawsuit against the school filed by a former cheerleader who alleged he didn't take her concerns seriously. Polisky, the school's deputy athletic director for 11 years, was promoted to head the department May 3, 2021, but he resigned May 12 as criticism over his appointment grew from among some students and faculty.

He is now executive vice president at Intersport, a Chicago-based marketing firm whose claim to fame was trademarking the term “March Madness” in 1989.

Rosemont's village board inked a contract with the agency this week, paying the company $33,000 a month for additional marketing and sponsorship sales support at village-owned entertainment venues. Those include the Allstate Arena, Rosemont Theatre, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and Parkway Bank Park entertainment district.

Polisky will be the account manager handling Rosemont projects, assisted by two other Intersport employees, according to Mayor Brad Stephens.

Stephens and Pat Nagle, executive director of the arena and theater, discussed the Northwestern controversy with Polisky.

“I said I wanted to know what happened,” Stephens said.

But in the end, Stephens said he believes Polisky was a “scapegoat.”

Polisky worked for two of the Rosemont stadium's tenants before his hiring at Northwestern: eight years as president and general manager of the now-defunct Chicago Rush arena football team, and a stint as president of business operations for the Chicago Wolves.