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Do IT this week: Layering
Wistrcill aims to attract more sponsors, sell tickets to stadium
By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 10:02 p.m. EDT, Aug 25, 2009
Tom Wistrcill is destined to have a close relationship with the only two new Division I football stadiums to open in 2009.
That factor obviously weighed heavily in Wistrcill, 39, becoming the new director of athletics at the University of Akron.
Wistrcill (pronounced wist-er-cill) has served as senior associate athletic director for external relations at the University of Minnesota since May 2006.
His sales and marketing background was put to extensive use on Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium, a $288 million, 51,000-seat venue that will debut on campus Sept. 12, the same day that UA's $62 million, 30,000-capacity InfoCision Stadium opens.
''When you build a stadium, not unlike here, there are a lot of people that are part of it. I was certainly a cog in the wheel there of trying to get things done,'' Wistrcill said today at a Rhodes Arena news conference to announce his hiring. ''My responsibility was to assist in helping raise money, help the corporate sponsorship side and to help the parts of the athletic department that I oversaw, from media relations to marketing.
''It was all hands on deck for the stadium and I was involved in every bit of it. It was incredibly rewarding.''
For the record, every seat in TCF Bank Stadium has been sold for all seven Golden Gophers games in 2009.
Wistrcill was not involved in the planning stages of InfoCision Stadium, but he will be expected to bring his expertise in sales and marketing to sell tickets and attract sponsors in the future.
Before coming to Minnesota, he worked three years at the University of Wisconsin as general manager of Badger Sports Properties, where he was responsible for managing $8 million in sales and marketing ventures for the school's athletic department.
He also has been a commissioner of two Division II leagues — the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference — and was vice president of sales and marketing for VarsityOnline.com.
''With his experience in sports and marketing, being in the Big Ten, being commissioner of two conferences and his work in helping the University of Minnesota open its brand new, state-of-the-art football stadium . . . this is the type of experience we need to springboard the university to even greater excellence in all of its athletic programs,'' Luis Proenza, UA president, said at the news conference.
Wistrcill said he did plenty of homework about the university and the new stadium before becoming a candidate. When he became a finalist and came to campus, he took a formal tour of the stadium with UA employees, but failed in an effort to see it informally by himself before his interview.
''I tried to break into the stadium. Had no luck,'' Wistrcill said. ''The security staff should know. I got kicked out because I didn't have a hard hat on.''
Wistrcill said he welcomes the chance to be a part of an athletic department on the rise and to work to fill InfoCision Stadium.
''The president has a tremendous vision for what the university is going to achieve,'' Wistrcill said. ''In my discussions with him the last couple of weeks he led me to believe this is a time when things can happen.
''The proof is in the pudding. That brand-new stadium, just 100 yards away, is there and it is beautiful.''
Wistrcill will not start his duties with the Zips until the second half of September. But he said he will be at InfoCision Stadium on Sept. 12 for the opener against Morgan State rather than at TCF Bank Stadium for the Minnesota game against Air Force.
Wistrcill said facilities are important, but that a certain group of people will be his priority.
''It's certainly about the student-athlete. My goals are two. I want you to graduate and I want you to have a positive and meaningful athletic experience,'' said Wistrcill, addressing several of the UA players in the audience.
Wistrcill also said that he expects to manage self-starters, with a minimum of interference.
''I hope to do my job well enough that the coaches and staff can do what they do best,'' he said. ''The coaches can coach and the staff can help support the programs and the student-athletes. If we do that, we can have a lot of success.''
His wife, Kelly, and their children J. T. and Jack also attended the news conference.
Wistrcill, a native of LaCrosse, Wis., has a degree in media communications from St. Mary's University in Winona, Minn., graduating in 1992. He was captain and a four-year starter on the school's basketball team.
He also received a master's degree in educational leadership and athletic administration from the University of St. Thomas in 1996.
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Tom Wistrcill is destined to have a close relationship with the only two new Division I football stadiums to open in 2009.
That factor obviously weighed heavily in Wistrcill, 39, becoming the new director of athletics at the University of Akron.
Wistrcill (pronounced wist-er-cill) has served as senior associate athletic director for external relations at the University of Minnesota since May 2006.
His sales and marketing background was put to extensive use on Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium, a $288 million, 51,000-seat venue that will debut on campus Sept. 12, the same day that UA's $62 million, 30,000-capacity InfoCision Stadium opens.
''When you build a stadium, not unlike here, there are a lot of people that are part of it. I was certainly a cog in the wheel there of trying to get things done,'' Wistrcill said today at a Rhodes Arena news conference to announce his hiring. ''My responsibility was to assist in helping raise money, help the corporate sponsorship side and to help the parts of the athletic department that I oversaw, from media relations to marketing.
''It was all hands on deck for the stadium and I was involved in every bit of it. It was incredibly rewarding.''
For the record, every seat in TCF Bank Stadium has been sold for all seven Golden Gophers games in 2009.
Wistrcill was not involved in the planning stages of InfoCision Stadium, but he will be expected to bring his expertise in sales and marketing to sell tickets and attract sponsors in the future.
Before coming to Minnesota, he worked three years at the University of Wisconsin as general manager of Badger Sports Properties, where he was responsible for managing $8 million in sales and marketing ventures for the school's athletic department.
He also has been a commissioner of two Division II leagues — the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference — and was vice president of sales and marketing for VarsityOnline.com.
''With his experience in sports and marketing, being in the Big Ten, being commissioner of two conferences and his work in helping the University of Minnesota open its brand new, state-of-the-art football stadium . . . this is the type of experience we need to springboard the university to even greater excellence in all of its athletic programs,'' Luis Proenza, UA president, said at the news conference.
Wistrcill said he did plenty of homework about the university and the new stadium before becoming a candidate. When he became a finalist and came to campus, he took a formal tour of the stadium with UA employees, but failed in an effort to see it informally by himself before his interview.
''I tried to break into the stadium. Had no luck,'' Wistrcill said. ''The security staff should know. I got kicked out because I didn't have a hard hat on.''
Wistrcill said he welcomes the chance to be a part of an athletic department on the rise and to work to fill InfoCision Stadium.
''The president has a tremendous vision for what the university is going to achieve,'' Wistrcill said. ''In my discussions with him the last couple of weeks he led me to believe this is a time when things can happen.
''The proof is in the pudding. That brand-new stadium, just 100 yards away, is there and it is beautiful.''
Wistrcill will not start his duties with the Zips until the second half of September. But he said he will be at InfoCision Stadium on Sept. 12 for the opener against Morgan State rather than at TCF Bank Stadium for the Minnesota game against Air Force.
Wistrcill said facilities are important, but that a certain group of people will be his priority.
''It's certainly about the student-athlete. My goals are two. I want you to graduate and I want you to have a positive and meaningful athletic experience,'' said Wistrcill, addressing several of the UA players in the audience.
Wistrcill also said that he expects to manage self-starters, with a minimum of interference.
''I hope to do my job well enough that the coaches and staff can do what they do best,'' he said. ''The coaches can coach and the staff can help support the programs and the student-athletes. If we do that, we can have a lot of success.''
His wife, Kelly, and their children J. T. and Jack also attended the news conference.
Wistrcill, a native of LaCrosse, Wis., has a degree in media communications from St. Mary's University in Winona, Minn., graduating in 1992. He was captain and a four-year starter on the school's basketball team.
He also received a master's degree in educational leadership and athletic administration from the University of St. Thomas in 1996.
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Akron, Oh
Posted 07:48 AM, 08/26/2009
The future is a quick escape from akron.
akron, oh
Posted 01:39 PM, 08/26/2009
Everyone was quick to criticize Mack Rhoades for leaving UA after only 3 years. Now Ua has hired another athletic director who has spent only 3 years in each of his last two jobs??? Looks like we hired another short timer.I hope I'm wrong!
Posted 04:37 PM, 08/26/2009
I hope you're right, Knight Rider.
If you hire some guy who is young and looking at moving up to bigger and better things it reflects in how he does his job. He'll move quickly to do things that a long-term AD would take years and possibly decades to do because he'll be concerned about getting a better job in the future, while the long-term guy is comfy because he's not going anywhere.
UA needs someone who reflects on the agressive growth the athletic department is undergoing. Maybe a few more short-termers that get things done and they'll be in a position to hire someone to stay for a long while, but now isn't that time.
Canton, Oh
Posted 12:28 PM, 08/27/2009
Well I hope he does something about that pathetic excuse of a soccer stadium. Its a bit embarassing to have such a highly ranked team yet play in such a poor facility.
