Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/181992
Under the Dome Five Questions With … Deputy Director Of Athletics Jim Fraleigh Deputy director of athletics Jim Fraleigh, a former Notre Dame student manager, is in his 22nd year as a member of the Irish athletics department staff. After time as the executive director of the Monogram Club and assistant athletics director for community relations and ticket operations, Fraleigh managed the corporate marketing, sponsorship and promotional efforts for Notre Dame athletics. Now his main job is to generate revenue for the university's athletic programs. He also serves as the sport administrator for the men's basketball team. Fraleigh, a son of a Notre Dame graduate and a 1988 Notre Dame graduate with a degree in accounting, returned to his alma mater in 1990. Blue & Gold Illustrated: Out of all of your responsibilities, which one is the most difficult? Fraleigh: "In different times of the year, there's difficulty in all the things I do. One of my primary responsibilities is to drive revenue into the department to help provide the resources necessary to support the 26 varsity sports, and that can be challenging based on what's going on in the economy." Blue & Gold Illustrated: In what ways do you generate revenue for the university's athletic programs? Fraleigh: "Through a variety of different sources. It could be business development, through corporate sponsorships, licensing, merchandising, marketing, ticketing, benefaction. There's a vast pool of different opportunities to go out in the local, regional and national communities to help drive revenue." ▼ Blue & Gold Illustrated: As a student here, you were a student manager. How has that helped you in your position today? Fraleigh: "It provided me an opportunity to get to know the culture within the athletic department and get close to athletics, get to work with the teams and coaches at the time, and also get to understand those who support the athletic endeavors, the administration side of things." Fraleigh Blue & Gold Illustrated: You worked with promotions and sponsorships in your position before your current one. Was it easy getting sponsorships for a university that is so well known, especially for their athletics? Fraleigh: "The one benefit of working for the University of Notre Dame is when you want to talk to a potential corporate partner or sponsor, for the most part they take your phone call. The brand of Notre Dame is as strong as any collegiate brand and professional brand out there. It certainly opens up a lot of doors in that regard." Blue & Gold Illustrated: What did you enjoy the most in the six years as the executive director of the Monogram Club? Fraleigh: "One thing that I prided myself on was the ability to oversee an organization that, in the right way, reaches out to our former athletes. Our job was not to raise money, our job was to keep that line of communication open [between the former student-athletes and the university]. "That two-way dialogue is something I cherish because it was an opportunity to hear from those who have built the history and tradition of this athletic department." — Staci Gasser Click here to listen to Blue & Gold Illustrated's complete interview with Fraleigh.