Game day operations: the Sharks behind the scenes

By Isabella Fernandez De Cueto •

While leading the Sharks through a remarkable 2023-2024 season, the NSU game day operations staff is often invisible to the public, yet crucial for athletic success. From coordinating competitions and managing logistics, the game day operations staff manages everything related to NSU Athletics events.

“Our job is to make sure all of our on-campus sporting events are provided with the necessary equipment and follow the necessary procedures to run smoothly,” said Ashley Holt, athletic operations graduate assistant and previous student athlete at NSU.

Holt was on the track and cross-country team from 2018-2020 at NSU where she started off as a student worker to get involved with game operations. Tommy Barberi, athletic operations and event manager, also was a previous student athlete at NSU, playing baseball from 2014-2019. Barberi sought involvement within game operations as well, where he worked as a graduate assistant before landing his full-time position with the athletic department. This experience helped them tremendously in their work.

“Going from student worker to graduate assistant to my current job has given me a lot of experience and helped me really understand the system we have here for gameday operations. It helps even more when I have a coworker who’s also been a part of our system because we’re always on the same page,” Barberi said.

The operations staff highlights some of their pregame responsibilities.

“On game days, we arrive three hours early. We make sure whatever equipment that’s needed is functioning properly. We then set up our ticket booths, sound systems, and scoreboards to make sure they are ready for the game,” Barberi said. “We also make sure restrooms and concession stands are stocked up.”

There are also responsibilities outside of the physical set-up of a game or competition.

“We are also in charge of setting up uniforms and locker rooms, as well as meeting the visiting team and game officials to ensure they have everything they need,” Holt said.

The fast pace and vast obligations of gameday operations calls for those working in the field to have certain skills.

“Anything can go wrong at any given moment, so it’s important to be able to think quickly on your feet and overall have good problem-solving skills,” Holt said.

Game-day operations are crucial in providing a safe and enjoyable game-day experience for athletes, coaches and fans.

“All of the preparation we do is so the players and coaches can just focus on their game and not worry about anything else. By the same token, it also helps the fans enjoy the game without any distractions or concerns,” Barberi said.

Although they are unseen, the operations staff takes pride in the impact they have on NSU’s athletic program.

“We have a very successful athletic program here, and being able to help our talented athletes and coaches succeed by facilitating the areas they compete in is why we love our job,” Holt said.