Case Studies Intercollegiate Athletics

On a raw February afternoon over three decades ago, a young student trainer stood on the sideline of a Waynesburg University practice field, taping ankles and wondering if he could picture himself doing the same job at fifty. The answer, quietly and without fanfare, was no. That small moment of self-reflection would end up rerouting […]

On game days, most fans notice the scoreboard, the crowd, and the action on the court. Few notice the storage room removed to make way for premium space, the scorer’s table reconfigured to meet new conference rules, or the months of planning required to support a brand-new varsity sport. Athletic Facilities and Operations staff notice […]

Craig Zakrzewski’s path at Wake Forest University is defined by steady growth that mirrors the evolution of collegiate athletics. From his early days as a student manager to his current role as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Capital Projects and Operations, his career reflects both continuity and adaptation. In a landscape shaped by NIL, revenue […]

A career that began behind ticket windows and stadium gates has carried Drew Auguste into one of the most demanding operational seats in collegiate athletics. As associate athletic director for facilities and game operations at Florida International University, he operates in a landscape reshaped by NIL, constant roster and coaching turnover, and a fan base […]

Gerald Jordan’s career in college athletics has been shaped by constant adaptation, but nothing has matched the pace and complexity of the current era. As deputy athletic director for competitive excellence at Louisiana Tech University, Jordan operates at the intersection of facilities, operations, revenue strategy, and student-athlete experience. In a landscape transformed by NIL, conference […]

“College athletics is no longer the industry it was a decade ago. The rise of name, image and likeness — NIL — has rewritten the financial and cultural contract between institutions and student-athletes, leaving athletic departments scrambling to keep pace. Coaches leave. Rosters turn over. Fan loyalty, once built on watching the same players develop […]

Davidson College’s approach to athletics has never followed the conventional Division I script. Tucked just outside Charlotte, the institution has built a national reputation rooted not in scale or spending power, but in academic rigor, continuity, and a clearly defined identity. For Scott Applegate, deputy director of athletics, that identity has shaped both his career […]

A master electrician by trade, Jason Brummett did not arrive in college athletics through a traditional administrative track. He built his career running his own electrical contracting company and solving problems on job sites across Kansas. Today, as senior associate AD for facilities at Kansas State University, he applies that same practical mindset to one […]

Carl Reed’s career has unfolded alongside one of the most turbulent periods in collegiate athletics history. From NIL-driven recruiting battles to constant roster turnover and rising expectations for fan engagement, the operational playbook has been rewritten. As Senior Associate Athletics Director for Facilities, Operations, and Capital Projects at Sacramento State, Reed now sits at the […]

Brock Rydecki does not define his career through titles, but through the evolution of Murray State University’s athletics footprint and the pressures shaping collegiate sports today. As senior associate athletic director for facilities and capital projects, he operates at the intersection of infrastructure, revenue strategy, and student-athlete experience, navigating a landscape reshaped by name, image, […]