Alumni Highlight
Graham Nugent
Graham Nugent
Director of Facilities and Events for Athletics at
The University of Northern Colorado
What is your current position and how long have you been in this position? Can you give us a brief overview of what it is you do in your work?
My current position at the University of Northern Colorado is the Director of Facilities and Events for Athletics. I have been in this position almost 2 years now this upcoming August. My current duties are to assist the assistant AD of facilities and events with capital projects for athletics. I am responsible for managing the set-up, and tear down for all athletic events. I assist with all facility and event operational planning and logistics for internal and external events. I manage, hire and train student event team staff of 40 employees in various areas, ticket takers, hospitality, score keepers, courtside monitors, parking, compliance pass gates and guest services etc. I work directly with campus health and safety to ensure safe and friendly events are being executed. I organize and assist with logistics for championships and post season tournaments. I assist with budgeting for facilities and events department for the current and upcoming fiscal years. I also help schedule athletic competitions and practices for all sports.
What would you say most motivates you to do what you do?
My motivation comes from working within a really enthusiastic, passionate and self-driven athletic department. I am always trying to better myself each and every day so I can provide our student athletes and spectators with the best experience here at Northern Colorado.
What are you most excited or passionate about?
My excitement is being able to see all of the hard work that’s done behind the scenes payoff, especially when we execute events to the highest quality and hear great feedback from visiting teams, officials, athletes and spectators.
What are the goals you most want to accomplish in your work?
One of my goals that I am looking to accomplish is to be able to better our athletic facilities with small projects and capital projects through the help of donors, boosters and the University. Another goal is to be able to win more hosting rights for conference play with all of our sports in the upcoming years. Also, I would like to continue to increase our attendance during home competition and post season play through the fall and spring of 18/19 by executing enjoyable events for all of our fans.
What are the goals that you hold personally?
A personal goal of mine is to become more well-rounded in the industry and excel to new levels each and every year, so that one day I can be an assistant AD of facilities and operations at the power 5 level.
What led you to this job?
After I graduated and was looking for jobs, I knew of a former graduate who had worked at Northern Colorado and I reached out to him about a position. I got an interview on campus and really enjoyed everything about the University and the people I would be working with.
What were you doing before you started at Northern Colorado?
Before I came to Northern Colorado I was interviewing around the country with different schools trying to find which one would be the best fit for myself and my career.
Did you have any key mentors or people who influenced you?
During my time at Wichita State I really soaked up a lot of information and skills from my former predecessor and mentor Aaron Meier, who is also a graduate of the sport management program at WSU. He has influenced me a lot into becoming a more driven and passionate person about the industry. I owe a lot to the WSU athletic department and graduate program. They were the ones who gave me an opportunity to start my career and graduate from one of the best organizations/universities in the United States.
Were there specific experiences you gained while studying in the Sport Management program that prepared you for the work you do today?
There honestly were too many experiences from the classes that I took during my time at WSU to call just upon one. My professors at WSU were first class in bringing in guest speakers to talk about the real-world sports industry. Those kinds of experiences listening to former graduates and people in the industry were priceless.
What advice or suggestions would you give to someone that wanted to pursue a degree in Sport Management?
Sports Management is an industry filled with so much fun and excitement. It’s very different to your regular 9-5 job and requires a lot of hours and hard work to be successful. If you enjoy sports and love being around fun a fun atmosphere, I highly suggest the Sports Management program at WSU.
How did your experience at Wichita State help you find your first position after graduation?
My experience at WSU helped me in so many ways to finding my first position after graduation. The knowledge and skills I gained from being around great professors and staff in the athletic department put me on the right path for success in the early years of my career.
How difficult was it to transition from college life to your professional life?
The transition was very easy to be honest because of everything I had learned through my time at WSU. The professors and co-workers made it ever so easy to prepare me for life after college. That’s the kind of experiences that WSU provides you with during your time as a sports management student.
And what advice would you give to students that are close to graduation?
Be patient with the interviewing process for jobs in the sports industry. It’s a very competitive industry to find the job you want right out of college. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your sport management career, so trust the process and seek advice from fellow graduates, mentors, etc. Especially on any upcoming opportunities to see what best fits your abilities and career.