Written by Matthew Meier '16
In March of 2013, I was accepted into the MBA/MSA program at Ohio University. I was conditionally accepted into the program, knowing that I would have to fulfill a yearlong fellowship before arriving to Athens in 2014. I was fortunate enough to work close to home at the institution where I earned my Bachelor’s degree, Old Dominion University.
I was hired as a Marketing Coordinator under Jason Chandler ’08 who is the Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Promotions. Immediately after I was hired, I felt the impact of Ohio’s network and family-like Sports Administration program at ODU. In the Athletic Department alone, six Ohio graduates work in some capacity for the University, including Athletic Director Dr. Wood Selig. I was able to seek advice and leadership from a few of them in various departments. My immediate boss, Jason, quickly became a mentor and has played a critical role in my professional development.
I started my fellowship on August 1, 2013 as one of the two marketing coordinators in external relations for ODU. It was a unique experience stepping into a position with the ODU Athletic Department during the 2013-2014 year because of the move to Conference USA. It was important to not only help brand ODU, but also brand Conference USA and develop new rivalries within the conference.
Initially, our priority was the Monarch Maniacs, which is the student fan group on campus. Without any of our marketed sports in season, I had the task of increasing Monarch Maniacs memberships before students arrived on campus (a daunting task at a University where student engagement at athletic events is diminishing).
Additionally, I had the opportunity to develop the Women’s Basketball marketing plan that was submitted to the Conference USA. Creating the marketing plan was one of my side projects before the Football and Men’s & Women’s Basketball seasons were underway.
The real fun began when the football season started. At each game our main responsibility was to execute in-game promotions, sponsorship activation, and contests. We worked closely with ODU Sports Properties to ensure each sponsorship element was executed correctly and efficiently to enhance the in-game atmosphere.
Along with Football, I worked Men’s & Women’s Basketball, Men’s & Women’s Soccer, Baseball, Wrestling, Field hockey, and Lacrosse. At each event, I had various responsibilities ranging from social media and music coordination to in-game promotions. Outside of athletic events I was responsible for designing graphics for flyers, e-blasts, and posters, and distributing these print materials. I also managed the ODU Athletics social media sites and webpage and utilized campus networks, such as Monarch Link, to disseminate the information for each promotional athletic event. Lastly, I was responsible for creating script for Men’s & Women’s soccer, Men’s & Women’s basketball and baseball.
Contact Matt on Twitter and/or by email.
Class of 2016 Fellowship Summmaries
Mallory Glazier, Kappa Kappa Gamma National Headquarters
Eric Mayer, Ohio Center for Sports Administration
