Jay Vickers is the Chief Operating Officer for UNLV’s Sports Innovation Initiative providing direction and leadership to position UNLV as the hub of the global intellectual capital of sport and entertainment, Las Vegas!
Vickers, is a senior leader with more than 20 years of ex- perience in the areas of management, fundraising, sales, marketing, and customer service, with a proven record of measurable outcomes.
A graduate of Notre Dame, Vickers was a member of the Fighting Irish football team from 1996-2000 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
He is a founding member of Game Changers United, the U.S. Soccer Federation Board for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging and leads the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee internship program partnership with UNLV.
As a results-oriented leader, Vickers has had success at two Mountain West programs, Fresno State and UNLV, in the PAC 12 at Arizona, in the BIG 10 at Wisconsin, and in the MAC at Northern Illinois University. He has a comprehensive understanding of the role of higher education external divisions aligning with institutional priorities while increasing private philanthropy.
Vickers has worked for Learfield | IMG UNLV Sports Properties where he served as a Business Development Manager. At Northern Illinois University he was the Senior Associate Athletic Director and oversaw Huskies’ sports performance, equipment operations, and revenue generation units. He also served as the sports administrator for the NIU football program and led the charge for the Huskies’ strategic planning process.
At Wisconsin, he was the Senior Assistant Athletic Director for Advancement for two years
and managed the Wisconsin Athletic Development and Ticket Operations units that generated a combined annual revenue of $60 million. Under Vickers’ guidance, the UW Development office increased revenue, brand awareness and loyalty through a new website, an annual giving campaign, and a revamped endowment program. His cultivation efforts resulted in the growth of Wisconsin’s annual fund to well over $12.5 million.
Prior to that, Vickers held athletic development and fundraising roles at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, the University of Arizona, and Fresno State University, significantly increasing revenue for each of those athletic departments.
Before working in intercollegiate athletics, Vickers acquired several years of experience as a marketing manager with extensive background in customer service, sales, marketing, and management at numerous major corporations, including Pfizer and Hershey’s.