The Georgetown community mourns the loss of Paul Tagliabue (C’62), who passed away on Nov. 9, 2025, at the age of 84. Tagliabue served as the chair of Georgetown’s board of directors from 2009 to 2015 after serving as the commissioner of the National Football League for 17 years. He is survived by his wife Chandler, his daughter Emily, his son Drew and his husband Mark Jones, and three grandchildren.
“Paul Tagliabue was a consummate Hoya and carried our Catholic and Jesuit values everywhere he went, from right here at Georgetown to the NFL,” said Georgetown Interim President Robert M. Groves. “Georgetown is a better place because of the service and leadership Paul provided for many years. I offer my deepest sympathies to Paul’s family, friends and loved ones.”
Tagliabue was a member of the Georgetown community for over 60 years. A captain of the men’s basketball team, class president and Rhodes Scholarship finalist, Tagliabue graduated with honors from Georgetown in 1962 before pursuing a career in law that led him to the NFL commissioner’s office.
Bringing the NFL to the 21st Century
After working 20 years at the law firm Covington & Burling, where he focused on sports business law, Tagliabue was elected as the seventh commissioner of the NFL in 1989.
Under his leadership, the league expanded from 28 to 32 teams and supported the construction of more than 20 new stadiums. He also expanded the league’s media footprint and secured some $25 billion in television contracts. Tagliabue led the growth of the NFL’s gross revenue from $1.1 billion in his first year as commissioner to $5.8 billion in 2006.
In 1993, Tagliabue oversaw a seven-year collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association that expanded pensions, health and other benefits for current and retired players.
He cemented his legacy in the sports industry when he was one of 15 players, contributors and coaches elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Centennial Class of 2020. He was also inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2012.
Service to Georgetown
In 2006, Tagliabue began his service on Georgetown’s board of directors. He was elected chair in 2009, stepping down in 2015 while continuing his service as a vice chair until 2018.
In his role, Tagliabue was a trusted advisor to university leadership, especially on athletics issues. He played a pivotal role in the construction of the John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletic Center, which opened in 2016.
“It was an honor to work alongside Paul for many years as he served on our board,” said President Emeritus John J. DeGioia. “He helped push Georgetown to reach new heights under his leadership, and I will always remember his generosity, kindness and friendship through the years.”
Tagliabue was a longtime advocate for the LGBTQ community at Georgetown. While he was serving on the board, Georgetown opened the LGBTQ Resource Center in 2008, the first of its kind at a Catholic, Jesuit institution in the U.S.
In 2011, Tagliabue and his wife, Chandler, contributed a $5 million gift that provided need-based undergraduate scholarships, scholarships for student-athletes and funding for many strategic initiatives. The gift also founded the Tagliabue Initiative for LGBTQ Life: Fostering Formation and Transformation, which provides programmatic support through the LGBTQ Resource Center.
