Beyond the Field had the opportunity to sit down with new Athletic Director, David Harris, to get know the new AD.
David Harris was named Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at UNI on February 24, 2016. Before coming to UNI, David served as a Senior Associate Athletic Director at Iowa State. There he was the sport administrator for football, men's basketball, and wrestling, while having oversight responsibilities for student-athlete development, compliance, athletic training, and strength and conditioning. Prior to Iowa State, David worked in the athletics department at the University of Wisconsin as the Associate Athletic Director of Student Services from 2002 until 2006.
Prior to his career of working in athletics, David played football at Ole Miss. David earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1993 and his MBA in 1995 from Ole Miss. David started working in athletics in 1998 at his alma mater, where he was hired in the Academic Support department. In this role, he was able to help student-athletes plan for life after graduation and their playing careers, something that David likes doing.
David always had the dream of becoming an athletic director, all that he needed was the right place and right opportunity. He wanted to find a university that had a strong focus on academics, had a fairly good athletic program, and was accepting of his family. He found the right fit at UNI. David mentioned that during his short time at UNI, he has met some amazing people and supporters and that the Cedar Valley is a great, safe place to raise his two children, Kaitlyn and Wesley.
So far, David has enjoyed his time at UNI. He noted that UNI has been most welcoming of him and his family and that the staff is enjoyable to work with. He also noted that people in the area want to contribute and want to be apart of a great program. The people that David have met are more about helping others than helping themselves and that gives UNI a blue collar feel.
David has many favorite memories of working in athletics and during his time as a football players at Ole Miss. "One of the memories at the top of my list would have to be being named as Athletic Director here at UNI." Other memories noted by David were playing football at Ole Miss and all of the relationships he made while being a player there. In his professional career he noted that being apart of Wisconsin's NCAA hockey championship and Iowa State's championships in the Big 12 Basketball Tournament.
Finally, David offered some advice for those looking to get into athletics. He said that you must understand the commitment and lifestyle of athletics. "It isn't just a 9-5 job, you work all day, nights, weekends, and holidays. You have to be ready to take on that kind of commitment and to try to be good in this area you must be willing to make that commitment." David noted that those who are willing to work in this type of job must improve themselves everyday in a very competitive environment. "You must be able to handle every challenge that comes your way and be all in to working hard."
Monday, April 11, 2016
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Behind the Scenes: Compliance
Beyond the Field sat down with Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance, Ben Messerli for a behind the scenes look at the Compliance Department the University of Northern Iowa.
Ben got his start working in compliance at the University of Tennessee, where he volunteered with the compliance office when he was in graduate school. He also volunteered within other departments during his time at Tennessee. Once Ben completed grad school, he applied for 150 jobs in three different areas: Compliance, Event Management, and Athletic Academics. He was offered a post-graduate position as a Compliance Assistant at the University of North Dakota and then earned his first full-time job at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. He then came to UNI almost two years ago to serve as the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance.
The Compliance Office at UNI provides guidance in regards to NCAA rules, regulations, and standards. The most important aspects are to educate, support, monitor, and enforce NCAA rules and regulations. The Compliance Office is in charge of monitoring and certification for initial eligibility in regards to practice, financial aid, and competition. The Compliance Office coordinates all facets of the National Letter of Intent program and departmental grant-in-aid offers to prospective student-athletes, as well as monitoring all aspects of student-athlete financial aid. The Office also approves prospective student-athlete official visits and monitors all official and unofficial prospective student-athlete visits.
One of Ben's favorite things about his job is working with all of the team/athletes and not just specific teams. Working at an FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) level school allows Ben to work with all the sports and get experience with all facets of the job. Most FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) compliance offices mix up how they are set up. They either work with specific sports or specific bylaws. Ben gets the opportunity to work with all sports and all bylaws at UNI.
There is a somewhat negative connotation that comes with working in "compliance." Ben noted that most people only hear of compliance when something negative happens with the NCAA. Other than this minor issue, Ben stated that he doesn't mind many areas of his job.
Ben always pictured himself working in the sports industry because he always enjoyed sports. He said that he never pictured himself doing anything else. He really enjoys watching UNI teams/athletes compete the most. No matter where he has been, it is always his favorite part to see athletes compete. He enjoys knowing what hard work has been done behind the scenes by all departments to make events at UNI have the best atmosphere possible.
Finally, Ben offered this advice for those looking to get involved within athletics. "My biggest advice is to be willing to get involved. If you don't know what exactly what you want to do, try different areas. Working in different areas of athletics helps you see how everyone works together. Volunteering is not bad, and infarct, normal. Get involved."
Ben and the Compliance Office play a key role in the behind the scenes operations at UNI and many people do not understand the hard work that they do for the university. The Compliance Office is one of the hardest working departments at UNI and I cannot thank them enough for what they do.
Ben got his start working in compliance at the University of Tennessee, where he volunteered with the compliance office when he was in graduate school. He also volunteered within other departments during his time at Tennessee. Once Ben completed grad school, he applied for 150 jobs in three different areas: Compliance, Event Management, and Athletic Academics. He was offered a post-graduate position as a Compliance Assistant at the University of North Dakota and then earned his first full-time job at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. He then came to UNI almost two years ago to serve as the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance.
The Compliance Office at UNI provides guidance in regards to NCAA rules, regulations, and standards. The most important aspects are to educate, support, monitor, and enforce NCAA rules and regulations. The Compliance Office is in charge of monitoring and certification for initial eligibility in regards to practice, financial aid, and competition. The Compliance Office coordinates all facets of the National Letter of Intent program and departmental grant-in-aid offers to prospective student-athletes, as well as monitoring all aspects of student-athlete financial aid. The Office also approves prospective student-athlete official visits and monitors all official and unofficial prospective student-athlete visits.
One of Ben's favorite things about his job is working with all of the team/athletes and not just specific teams. Working at an FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) level school allows Ben to work with all the sports and get experience with all facets of the job. Most FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) compliance offices mix up how they are set up. They either work with specific sports or specific bylaws. Ben gets the opportunity to work with all sports and all bylaws at UNI.
There is a somewhat negative connotation that comes with working in "compliance." Ben noted that most people only hear of compliance when something negative happens with the NCAA. Other than this minor issue, Ben stated that he doesn't mind many areas of his job.
Ben always pictured himself working in the sports industry because he always enjoyed sports. He said that he never pictured himself doing anything else. He really enjoys watching UNI teams/athletes compete the most. No matter where he has been, it is always his favorite part to see athletes compete. He enjoys knowing what hard work has been done behind the scenes by all departments to make events at UNI have the best atmosphere possible.
Finally, Ben offered this advice for those looking to get involved within athletics. "My biggest advice is to be willing to get involved. If you don't know what exactly what you want to do, try different areas. Working in different areas of athletics helps you see how everyone works together. Volunteering is not bad, and infarct, normal. Get involved."
Ben and the Compliance Office play a key role in the behind the scenes operations at UNI and many people do not understand the hard work that they do for the university. The Compliance Office is one of the hardest working departments at UNI and I cannot thank them enough for what they do.
Friday, April 8, 2016
Behind the Scenes: Sarah Harms
Beyond the Field sat down with the Administrative Assistant to the Athletic Director, Sarah Harms, to get a behind the scenes look at UNI Athletics.
Sarah Harms came to work in athletics by accident. She started at UNI as a special events planner for academic events. This included guest speakers, conferences, seminars, etc. A position then opened within the athletic department for event management/game day operations. Sarah decided to take this position. She worked on the facilities side of athletics for six years before becoming the Assistant to the Athletic Director for the past four years.
Sarah has many things that she accomplishes on a day-to-day basis. To summarize her day-to-day duties, Sarah assists the Athletic Director, David Harris, with managing and prioritizing his calendar and coordinating staff meetings and track outcomes for Senior Staff. Sarah responds to all Open Records Requests that are sent to the department. Another duty is managing game contracts, game guarantees, the payment of game officials. Lastly, Sarah is the Event Manager for the annual Hall of Fame Ceremony.
Sarah noted that the favorite part of her job is that there is a great deal of variety. She gets the opportunity to do different things each day and gets to talk and work with several different people within the athletic department. Her job touches every smaller department within athletics so she isn't constricted to just one area, which she enjoys. She enjoys being behind the scenes helping the athletic director and others succeed in the department. Sarah said that the hardest part of her job is feeling that she is a "jack of all trades, master of none."
Her favorite memory of working in athletics is when she completed her first Hall of Fame Ceremony. The Hall of Fame Ceremony is a large-scale event and when she took it over there wasn't a lot of background on the event. It is an event where people are celebrated, and Sarah said it's fun to bring people together for a fun reason and that everyone is so thankful and it's a humbling experience, especially for Sarah.
Finally, Sarah offered some advice for those looking for a job, not just a job in athletics. "Remember that you have to start somewhere. Your first job-especially in athletics-will not be the job you expected. It's going to pay less and require more hours than you expected. Also, it is important to stay positive. People may not always remember how well you did a tasks, but they'll always remember your attitude."
Sarah is a key part of what makes UNI Athletics successful and without her dedication to the athletic department, we would be lost. Sarah has been a key part of what makes working at UNI such a great experience for everyone involved.
Sarah Harms came to work in athletics by accident. She started at UNI as a special events planner for academic events. This included guest speakers, conferences, seminars, etc. A position then opened within the athletic department for event management/game day operations. Sarah decided to take this position. She worked on the facilities side of athletics for six years before becoming the Assistant to the Athletic Director for the past four years.
Sarah has many things that she accomplishes on a day-to-day basis. To summarize her day-to-day duties, Sarah assists the Athletic Director, David Harris, with managing and prioritizing his calendar and coordinating staff meetings and track outcomes for Senior Staff. Sarah responds to all Open Records Requests that are sent to the department. Another duty is managing game contracts, game guarantees, the payment of game officials. Lastly, Sarah is the Event Manager for the annual Hall of Fame Ceremony.
Sarah noted that the favorite part of her job is that there is a great deal of variety. She gets the opportunity to do different things each day and gets to talk and work with several different people within the athletic department. Her job touches every smaller department within athletics so she isn't constricted to just one area, which she enjoys. She enjoys being behind the scenes helping the athletic director and others succeed in the department. Sarah said that the hardest part of her job is feeling that she is a "jack of all trades, master of none."
Her favorite memory of working in athletics is when she completed her first Hall of Fame Ceremony. The Hall of Fame Ceremony is a large-scale event and when she took it over there wasn't a lot of background on the event. It is an event where people are celebrated, and Sarah said it's fun to bring people together for a fun reason and that everyone is so thankful and it's a humbling experience, especially for Sarah.
Finally, Sarah offered some advice for those looking for a job, not just a job in athletics. "Remember that you have to start somewhere. Your first job-especially in athletics-will not be the job you expected. It's going to pay less and require more hours than you expected. Also, it is important to stay positive. People may not always remember how well you did a tasks, but they'll always remember your attitude."
Sarah is a key part of what makes UNI Athletics successful and without her dedication to the athletic department, we would be lost. Sarah has been a key part of what makes working at UNI such a great experience for everyone involved.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Behind the Scenes: Athletic Communications
Beyond the Field sat down with the UNI Athletics Communication Department. We interviewed Assistant Athletic Director for Athletics Communications Colin McDonough, Assistant Athletic Director for New Media Michelle Van Dorn, and Assistant Director for Athletic Communications Jordie Lindley.
You might be wondering what exactly athletic communications is and what people in this position actually do. Colin, Jordie, and Michelle all have certain sports that they are in charge of for social media, act as a liaison between media and the teams, promotion of the programs, and game statistics.Colin oversees all communication for the volleyball, men's basketball, golf, and tennis teams. Jordie oversees football, women's basketball, track, and cross country, while Michelle oversees wrestling and the videos seen on unipanthers.com and other social media accounts.
Colin and Jordie both got their start in athletic communications while in college. Colin attended Northwest Missouri State where he majored in journalism with a minor in broadcasting. During his time at Northwest Missouri State, Colin served as a student assistant Sports Information Director. He graduated from Northwest Missouri State in 1998. He then continued his career by working as an assistant Sports Information Director/intern at the University of Akron in Ohio. He was responsible for women's volleyball and softball publicity. Colin then worked six years in the University of Northern Colorado's athletic media relations office. In 2004, Colin was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations.
The following year, Colin joined the UNI athletic department as the Associate Media Relations Director. During the 2009-10 basketball season, the men's team made a memorable run to the Sweet 16 where Colin was the primary contact. During the same year, the athletics communications staff was named the Missouri Valley Conference SID Staff of the Year. Colin currently serves as the Assistant Athletic Director for Athletics Communications. Colin's favorite part of his job is getting to know the student-athletes, coaches, and different members of the media. He noted that meeting these people creates lasting friendships that last longer just the length of a season. His favorite memory so far working at UNI is when the men's basketball team took down #1 Kansas to advance to the Sweet 16 in 2010. He said that this moment really put UNI on the map and was just cool to be apart of. Another thing is Colin is proud of is having the highest vertical jump in the UNI Dome Upper Northwest athletic offices.
With any job, there are difficulties. One of the hardest things for Colin is being away from his family. Colin has been married 15 years and has two children, Dalton (8) and Graham (4). One of the hardest times recently was when Colin traveled with the men's basketball team to Hawaii over the Christmas holiday. He said that being away from his family for a week, especially during Christmas was really hard.
Finally, Colin offered this advice to those looking to get involved in athletic communications: "Get as much experience you can in college and create connections with people who can help you advance your career."
The next member of the staff interviewed was Jordie Lindley. Jordie is entering her fourth year working for the athletic communications department. Along with serving as the primary contact for football, women's basketball, cross country, and track, she is also responsible for the UNI Athletic Communications Intern program. Jordie earned her bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and sports media from Oklahoma State University in 2010. She played varsity soccer for the Cowgirls before suffering a career-ending injury during her junior season. Wanting to stay in athletics, Jordie was introduced to the the sports information staff at Oklahoma State and began working for them. She was a post-graduate intern at Oklahoma State University working with women's soccer and wresting while being a primary feature writer for the athletics website and game programs.
Before joining the UNI staff, Jordie was an Athletic Communications Assistant at Oregon State University where she was the primary contact for women's soccer, track and field, corss country, and swimming. She was also the secondary contact for the nationally ranked wrestling program.
There are many different things that Jordie enjoys about her job. Her favorite part is getting the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people and be a story-teller for the student-athletes. The hardest part of her job at UNI is that since she is originally from Edmond, Oklahoma, she doesn't get too many chances to go home and be with family during the long athletic seasons.
Jordie said there have been a lot of awesome memories that she has had while working at UNI but her most favorite is when she traveled with the football team to Hawaii in 2014. During this trip, they had the opportunity to visit the Pearl Harbor memorial. She said that it was a memory that will stay with her forever.
Jordie offered some advice for those looking to get into athletic communications:"You must be willing to sacrifice parts of your life for your job. There is a lot of times during the year where I am on the road with the teams traveling to games. Sometimes these trips are long and tiring, but they are worth it in the end, especially when the athletes have fun doing what they do."
The last member of the staff to be interviewed is Michelle Van Dorn. Michelle joined the UNI staff in 2012 as UNI's first Director of New Media to help serve marketing and athletics communications. She was named UNI's Assistant Athletic Director for New Media in July 2015. She is the day-to-day athletic communications contact for Panther wrestling.
Michelle is a Cedar Falls native and earned her bachelor's degree in print and electronic media from Wartburg College in 1998. She then took a job at The Courier in Waterloo, Iowa as a copy editor. She then took over as the newspaper's first online editor. During her time with The Courier, she was on a team that helped the newspaper win national and state awards, covered the trial of Mark Becker, earned the Associated Press Managing Editors Association Online Convergence Award, and the the Iowa Newspapers Award for online coverage.
On a day-to-day basis Michelle oversees all social media platforms, assists in Monday's press luncheons, and handles requests for video of student athletes and sporting events. Her favorite part of her job is that everyday is different. There is always something new that comes up that she needs to do. She job encompasses a little bit of everything from marketing to athletic communications to video production. The most challenging part of her job is keeping up with all of the sports and what they need done during the week. She also noted that it is hard to keep to up with all the changing technology. She wants to make sure that UNI Athletics has the most up-to-date technology that will help increase the fan experience when using social platforms and videos.
Michelle's favorite part of her job is seeing how athletes handle themselves with the media. That was especially evident this past weekend when wrestling Dylan Peters interacted with national media at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in New York. Peters wrestling the majority of the season with a torn ACL and was still able to earn All-American honors for the second time in three years. She has the utmost respect for the student-athletes and enjoys being around them.
Lastly, Michelle offered this advice to those looking to work in athletic communications/new media: "Get as much experience as you can doing many different jobs. Take jobs that you think you will enjoy even if they don't relate to athletics because the skills learned can help you get a better job in athletics."
The athletic communications staff is a huge part of what makes UNI Athletics one of the best athletic departments in the country. Without their help, UNI sports teams wouldn't have any coverage and UNI wouldn't be as well know as it is today.
You might be wondering what exactly athletic communications is and what people in this position actually do. Colin, Jordie, and Michelle all have certain sports that they are in charge of for social media, act as a liaison between media and the teams, promotion of the programs, and game statistics.Colin oversees all communication for the volleyball, men's basketball, golf, and tennis teams. Jordie oversees football, women's basketball, track, and cross country, while Michelle oversees wrestling and the videos seen on unipanthers.com and other social media accounts.
Colin and Jordie both got their start in athletic communications while in college. Colin attended Northwest Missouri State where he majored in journalism with a minor in broadcasting. During his time at Northwest Missouri State, Colin served as a student assistant Sports Information Director. He graduated from Northwest Missouri State in 1998. He then continued his career by working as an assistant Sports Information Director/intern at the University of Akron in Ohio. He was responsible for women's volleyball and softball publicity. Colin then worked six years in the University of Northern Colorado's athletic media relations office. In 2004, Colin was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations.
The following year, Colin joined the UNI athletic department as the Associate Media Relations Director. During the 2009-10 basketball season, the men's team made a memorable run to the Sweet 16 where Colin was the primary contact. During the same year, the athletics communications staff was named the Missouri Valley Conference SID Staff of the Year. Colin currently serves as the Assistant Athletic Director for Athletics Communications. Colin's favorite part of his job is getting to know the student-athletes, coaches, and different members of the media. He noted that meeting these people creates lasting friendships that last longer just the length of a season. His favorite memory so far working at UNI is when the men's basketball team took down #1 Kansas to advance to the Sweet 16 in 2010. He said that this moment really put UNI on the map and was just cool to be apart of. Another thing is Colin is proud of is having the highest vertical jump in the UNI Dome Upper Northwest athletic offices.
With any job, there are difficulties. One of the hardest things for Colin is being away from his family. Colin has been married 15 years and has two children, Dalton (8) and Graham (4). One of the hardest times recently was when Colin traveled with the men's basketball team to Hawaii over the Christmas holiday. He said that being away from his family for a week, especially during Christmas was really hard.
Finally, Colin offered this advice to those looking to get involved in athletic communications: "Get as much experience you can in college and create connections with people who can help you advance your career."
The next member of the staff interviewed was Jordie Lindley. Jordie is entering her fourth year working for the athletic communications department. Along with serving as the primary contact for football, women's basketball, cross country, and track, she is also responsible for the UNI Athletic Communications Intern program. Jordie earned her bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and sports media from Oklahoma State University in 2010. She played varsity soccer for the Cowgirls before suffering a career-ending injury during her junior season. Wanting to stay in athletics, Jordie was introduced to the the sports information staff at Oklahoma State and began working for them. She was a post-graduate intern at Oklahoma State University working with women's soccer and wresting while being a primary feature writer for the athletics website and game programs.
Before joining the UNI staff, Jordie was an Athletic Communications Assistant at Oregon State University where she was the primary contact for women's soccer, track and field, corss country, and swimming. She was also the secondary contact for the nationally ranked wrestling program.
There are many different things that Jordie enjoys about her job. Her favorite part is getting the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people and be a story-teller for the student-athletes. The hardest part of her job at UNI is that since she is originally from Edmond, Oklahoma, she doesn't get too many chances to go home and be with family during the long athletic seasons.
Jordie said there have been a lot of awesome memories that she has had while working at UNI but her most favorite is when she traveled with the football team to Hawaii in 2014. During this trip, they had the opportunity to visit the Pearl Harbor memorial. She said that it was a memory that will stay with her forever.
Jordie offered some advice for those looking to get into athletic communications:"You must be willing to sacrifice parts of your life for your job. There is a lot of times during the year where I am on the road with the teams traveling to games. Sometimes these trips are long and tiring, but they are worth it in the end, especially when the athletes have fun doing what they do."
The last member of the staff to be interviewed is Michelle Van Dorn. Michelle joined the UNI staff in 2012 as UNI's first Director of New Media to help serve marketing and athletics communications. She was named UNI's Assistant Athletic Director for New Media in July 2015. She is the day-to-day athletic communications contact for Panther wrestling.
Michelle is a Cedar Falls native and earned her bachelor's degree in print and electronic media from Wartburg College in 1998. She then took a job at The Courier in Waterloo, Iowa as a copy editor. She then took over as the newspaper's first online editor. During her time with The Courier, she was on a team that helped the newspaper win national and state awards, covered the trial of Mark Becker, earned the Associated Press Managing Editors Association Online Convergence Award, and the the Iowa Newspapers Award for online coverage.
On a day-to-day basis Michelle oversees all social media platforms, assists in Monday's press luncheons, and handles requests for video of student athletes and sporting events. Her favorite part of her job is that everyday is different. There is always something new that comes up that she needs to do. She job encompasses a little bit of everything from marketing to athletic communications to video production. The most challenging part of her job is keeping up with all of the sports and what they need done during the week. She also noted that it is hard to keep to up with all the changing technology. She wants to make sure that UNI Athletics has the most up-to-date technology that will help increase the fan experience when using social platforms and videos.
Michelle's favorite part of her job is seeing how athletes handle themselves with the media. That was especially evident this past weekend when wrestling Dylan Peters interacted with national media at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in New York. Peters wrestling the majority of the season with a torn ACL and was still able to earn All-American honors for the second time in three years. She has the utmost respect for the student-athletes and enjoys being around them.
Lastly, Michelle offered this advice to those looking to work in athletic communications/new media: "Get as much experience as you can doing many different jobs. Take jobs that you think you will enjoy even if they don't relate to athletics because the skills learned can help you get a better job in athletics."
The athletic communications staff is a huge part of what makes UNI Athletics one of the best athletic departments in the country. Without their help, UNI sports teams wouldn't have any coverage and UNI wouldn't be as well know as it is today.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Behind the Scenes: Ticketing
Today we take a behind the scenes look at the UNI Ticket Office. Beyond the Field sat down for an interview with Assistant Athletic Director for Ticketing, Kyle Osgood.
Kyle Osgood serves as the Assistant Athletics Director for Ticketing at UNI. He got his start working in ticket sales at Wichita State University, where he served as an assistant director of ticket operations. During his time at Wichita State, Kyle reconciled nearly $2.8 million in annual athletic ticket sales. He had the opportunity to lead ticketing efforts for the Shockers during the 2013 and 2014 NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments, which included the 2013 Men's Final Four in Atlanta. Kyle earned his BA in sports administration from Wichita State in 2007.
Kyle came to UNI last year to serve as the Athletics Director for Ticketing. He oversees all ticketing operations for UNI Athletics. On a day-to-day basis, his job duties vary depending on the season. During the off season, he is mostly building the ticketing system, working with renewal of season tickets, sending out invoices, and reaching out to potential new season ticket holders. During the season, he works with handling customer service issues that may arise from those at athletic events and working to fix the issues that ticket holders may have. Kyle most recently had the opportunity to oversee the UNI ticket sales for the NCAA basketball tournament in Oklahoma City, where the men's basketball team advanced to the Round of 32.
Kyle noted that his favorite part of working in ticketing is the customer service interaction. Being in ticket sales requires you to communicate with season ticket holders, single game ticket holders, and other potential ticket holders to try and build a lasting relationship that keeps them coming back to UNI athletic events. One of Kyle's favorite memories from his time at UNI was when the men's basketball team beat #1 North Carolina in November.
As with any job, there are things that can be very difficult. For Kyle this is season ticket renewals. This is especially hard during football season where Kyle has to send out nearly 12,000 invoices to those who have purchased season tickets.
Finally, Kyle offered some advice to those looking to go into ticket sales at any level. "Don't limit yourself geographically. You must be willing to go wherever the jobs are and not be set on working at one particular place."
Kyle Osgood serves as the Assistant Athletics Director for Ticketing at UNI. He got his start working in ticket sales at Wichita State University, where he served as an assistant director of ticket operations. During his time at Wichita State, Kyle reconciled nearly $2.8 million in annual athletic ticket sales. He had the opportunity to lead ticketing efforts for the Shockers during the 2013 and 2014 NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments, which included the 2013 Men's Final Four in Atlanta. Kyle earned his BA in sports administration from Wichita State in 2007.
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| Photo from the 2013 men's basketball Final Four. Photo Credit: photos.oregonlive.com |
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| Fans cheering on the men's basketball team in Oklahoma City. Photo Credit: University of Northern Iowa. |
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| UNI fans storm the court after the men's basketball team defeated #1 North Carolina. Photo Credit: University of Northern Iowa. |
Finally, Kyle offered some advice to those looking to go into ticket sales at any level. "Don't limit yourself geographically. You must be willing to go wherever the jobs are and not be set on working at one particular place."
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Behind the Scenes: Panther Sports Properties
Beyond the Field sat down with General Manager and Manager for Business Development for Panther Sports Properties, Brian Gabel and Kelsey Motley.
You may be thinking what is Panther Sports Properties? Well first we have to take a look at what Learfield, formally known as Learfield Sports, is to fully understand Panther Sports Properties. Learfield is the multimedia rights holder for 120 Division I schools. They handle everything corporate sponsorship related which includes: in-venue signage, radio and television advertisements, on court promotions, and hospitality. Panther Sports Properties is a property of Learfield and a partner of UNI Athletics. Like Learfield, Panther Sports Properties handles all of the in-venue signage, radio and television advertisements, on court promotions, and hospitality. Panther Sports Properties has been a partner of UNI Athletics for 8 years.
The Panther Sports Properties team is made up of three full time employees and two interns. Brian has been serving as the General Manager for the past three years, Kelsey joined the team as Manager for Business Development in July 2015, and in December, Ryan Randall was hired as Coordinator of Sales Operations. All three are alumni of UNI. Kelsey and Brian are deeply involved in the community with Kelsey being involved with her church as long as being a good sub for any sports team in the Cedar Valley.
On a day-to-day basis you would find the Panther Sports Properties team connecting with local and national business oweners, prospecting potential new clients, and working with different vendors to ensure that their game day, television, radio, and website needs are met to the highest standard. During game day you will find the PSP team talking with game sponsors, socializing with clients in attendance, making sure the radio crew has all the promotional reads they need, and taking photos of all the digital signage that is used during the game to send to clients. A lot of what PSP does during the game is make clients happy, shake hands, and kiss babies while wearing 3 inch heels as in Kelsey's case.
One of the best things about working for Panther Sports Properties according to Kelsey is meeting new people everyday because everyone has a cool story to tell, is at a different place in their life, and its exciting to help give people the opportunity to promote their company at the Division I level. She also noted that she has had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people from Learfield, where her favorite memory so far has came from. In October, Kelsey had the opportunity to attend sales training at the Learfield headquarters in Plano, Texas. During this, she was the only female in attendance along with 30 males. The sales training gave her the opportunity to not only work on her sales skills but to connect with other workers in the Learfield network. She noted that it was a great opportunity to see what other schools around the country are doing and how she could bring those ideas back to UNI.
The most difficult part of working in corporate sponsorship is rejection. Rejection can come from both sides of a sale. A client may not be a good fit for UNI or their needs may be better satisfied in doing a different type of advertising. There is also rejection from a potential client. A potential client may not be interested in doing business with Panther Sports Properties or may not think that it is the right time to do so. "Rejection will come. It is important to know that when you get into a sales job," Kelsey noted. She mentioned that you must have a way to cope with rejection and stress. For her, it's going to the gym to workout. It is important to deal with rejection and stress in a positive way and not let it effect your daily life.
You may be thinking what is Panther Sports Properties? Well first we have to take a look at what Learfield, formally known as Learfield Sports, is to fully understand Panther Sports Properties. Learfield is the multimedia rights holder for 120 Division I schools. They handle everything corporate sponsorship related which includes: in-venue signage, radio and television advertisements, on court promotions, and hospitality. Panther Sports Properties is a property of Learfield and a partner of UNI Athletics. Like Learfield, Panther Sports Properties handles all of the in-venue signage, radio and television advertisements, on court promotions, and hospitality. Panther Sports Properties has been a partner of UNI Athletics for 8 years.
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| Brian and Kelsey with friends from Indiana State University |
On a day-to-day basis you would find the Panther Sports Properties team connecting with local and national business oweners, prospecting potential new clients, and working with different vendors to ensure that their game day, television, radio, and website needs are met to the highest standard. During game day you will find the PSP team talking with game sponsors, socializing with clients in attendance, making sure the radio crew has all the promotional reads they need, and taking photos of all the digital signage that is used during the game to send to clients. A lot of what PSP does during the game is make clients happy, shake hands, and kiss babies while wearing 3 inch heels as in Kelsey's case.
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| General Manager Brian Gabel and game sponsor from the Eastern Iowa Airport |
The most difficult part of working in corporate sponsorship is rejection. Rejection can come from both sides of a sale. A client may not be a good fit for UNI or their needs may be better satisfied in doing a different type of advertising. There is also rejection from a potential client. A potential client may not be interested in doing business with Panther Sports Properties or may not think that it is the right time to do so. "Rejection will come. It is important to know that when you get into a sales job," Kelsey noted. She mentioned that you must have a way to cope with rejection and stress. For her, it's going to the gym to workout. It is important to deal with rejection and stress in a positive way and not let it effect your daily life.
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| General Manager Brian Gabel presenting the Cedar Falls Parks and Recreation Department with a check from Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Without Panther Sports Properties, many local companies may not be able to be promoted to a larger audience. Panther Sports Properties helps these local companies get their name out to those who may not know who they are. Panther Sports Proprieties helps to generate money for the athletic department and overall helps the whole university.
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Monday, February 15, 2016
Behind the Scenes: Facilities/Operations
Beyond the Field sat down with Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations Trent Ames.
Trent got his start working for UNI Athletics during his first semester at UNI. He was hired in 2002 as a UNI-Dome Student Worker to assist with game day parking. He eventually worked his way up to working security by the time he graduated from UNI in December of 2005. He fell in love with working in facilities and operations the moment he started.
Upon graduation Trent was hired as a Facilities/Operations Assistant where he assisted with day-to-day operations. He served in this role for a year until he hired full-time as Facilities Coordinator. In 2012 Trent was promoted to his current role as Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations.
On a day-to-day basis, Trent is responsible for many different tasks. The facilities staff is responsible for setting up rooms for film sessions for football, setting up suites for football and basketball, arranging student security and police for game day, game day parking coordination, court/field setup, and making sure that game timing is right.
One thing that Trent likes most about his job is that everyday is different. Trent and his staff are constantly planning, organizing, and setting up for many different events that come to UNI. Another thing Trent enjoys is meeting all the different coaches, student athletes, and outside performers that come to campus.
The month of February is one of the busiest times of the year for the facilities staff. One big event that the facilities staff had to get ready for was the UNI Dome Softball Classic. This event draws six teams from around the Midwest to play softball games in the UNI Dome for a weekend. The event started on Friday, February 12 and lasted until Sunday, February 14.
What goes into an event like this? A lot of hours spent on setup and planning. Many people do not understand what does into setting up for this softball tournament. One of the most important tasks is putting the turf down over the track. This process takes the longest amount of time and the most man hours. The turf has to be velcroed together and made sure that it will not be too loosely connected. Other tasks include setting up are the backstop, outfield fencing, benches, scoreboard/videoboard elements, field markings, and batting cages. This setup required facilities staff to work over night on Thursday due to the fact that the track team had practice that day.
Trent got his start working for UNI Athletics during his first semester at UNI. He was hired in 2002 as a UNI-Dome Student Worker to assist with game day parking. He eventually worked his way up to working security by the time he graduated from UNI in December of 2005. He fell in love with working in facilities and operations the moment he started.
Upon graduation Trent was hired as a Facilities/Operations Assistant where he assisted with day-to-day operations. He served in this role for a year until he hired full-time as Facilities Coordinator. In 2012 Trent was promoted to his current role as Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations.
On a day-to-day basis, Trent is responsible for many different tasks. The facilities staff is responsible for setting up rooms for film sessions for football, setting up suites for football and basketball, arranging student security and police for game day, game day parking coordination, court/field setup, and making sure that game timing is right.
One thing that Trent likes most about his job is that everyday is different. Trent and his staff are constantly planning, organizing, and setting up for many different events that come to UNI. Another thing Trent enjoys is meeting all the different coaches, student athletes, and outside performers that come to campus.
The month of February is one of the busiest times of the year for the facilities staff. One big event that the facilities staff had to get ready for was the UNI Dome Softball Classic. This event draws six teams from around the Midwest to play softball games in the UNI Dome for a weekend. The event started on Friday, February 12 and lasted until Sunday, February 14.
What goes into an event like this? A lot of hours spent on setup and planning. Many people do not understand what does into setting up for this softball tournament. One of the most important tasks is putting the turf down over the track. This process takes the longest amount of time and the most man hours. The turf has to be velcroed together and made sure that it will not be too loosely connected. Other tasks include setting up are the backstop, outfield fencing, benches, scoreboard/videoboard elements, field markings, and batting cages. This setup required facilities staff to work over night on Thursday due to the fact that the track team had practice that day.
Once the softball tournament was finished on Sunday, the facilities staff was there to tear everything down and get ready for track practice the very next day. This required the staff again to stay overnight to get everything back to normal for track.
Another big event that is occurring is a Luke Bryan concert. The concert is Saturday, February 20 but planning for this event started months ago. This required meeting with the promoter and Luke Bryan staff to get the stage dimensions, when stage parts will be coming in, when stage parts will be leaving, and many other important details. One of the most important planning issues is the amount of staff needed for this concert. The last time Luke Bryan came to UNI he sold out the UNI Dome. That is over 20,000 people in the Dome at one time. This required a lot of police, student security, and professional staff on hand to make sure the concert went successfully.
The final question I asked Trent was if he had any advice for those who are looking to work in Athletic Facilities. "You have to be flexible, adapt to every thing that comes your way, get along well with others, and have the ability to communicate effectively. Communication is key to every operation, not just in facilities. Just telling someone something one time isn't enough. You may need to tell them five different times just to ensure that they know what's up."
Overall, the facilities and operations department at UNI plays a huge role in all that goes on. Whether it be a football game or a concert, the facilities staff is there to make sure any event is a success. Without the facilities staff, many of these great events may not even happen.
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