Cameron Wilson made an impressive ascent in the collegiate athletics industry after receiving his master of arts in business with a specialization in intercollegiate athletic administration (MAIAA) from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2016. Recently named the director of events and facilities at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota, he is the first MAIAA graduate to reach a director level position in a collegiate athletic department.
 
The first funded hybrid business and intercollegiate athletic administration program of its kind, the MAIAA program prepares its graduates to make a name for themselves in the competitive sports industry. Wilson worked for a year with the Marshall University Department of Athletics in Huntington, West Virginia, as an assistant director of events and facilities. 
 
“It seemed like the flood gates opened for me in terms of getting callbacks and job interviews after getting my master’s degree,” said Wilson. “I felt prepared to go out and get a job in collegiate athletics due to all the training and experiences the MAIAA program provided. The résumé building, interview preparation and networking opportunities aided my confidence in the job searching process.”
 
As the director of facilities and events at South Dakota, he is the liaison between the events department, facilities department and teams. Wilson communicates with coaches to coordinate facility usage and practice times in addition to coordinating all athletic events. Even with all his duties to keep him busy, he realizes he should never take the fact he was prepared and able to get the position for granted.
 
After he graduated from Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, with a degree in sports management, he worked odd jobs for the Lincoln Saltdogs and Omaha Stormchasers. However, his goal of getting a full-time position in athletics motivated him to apply for the inaugural class of the MAIAA program, which he started in the fall of 2014.
 
“The reason I got the job at South Dakota is because I had a connection from working a graduate assistantship during my time at Nebraska in graduate school. That person’s reference helped me land an interview. All students need to get involved and help with anything they can. Whether it is in facilities, sports information or coaching, there is endless opportunities to build relationships. You never know who you will meet,” said Wilson.
 
He encourages all MAIAA students to take part in all the experiences they can in athletics while in graduate school.
 
“There are so many different ways to make the most out of your time at Nebraska,” said Wilson. “I am thankful for the MAIAA program in giving me an opportunity to chase my dreams in collegiate athletics.”
 
Applications for admittance into the 2018 MAIAA cohort are due by February 1, 2018. For more information, visit: http://business.unl.edu/maiaa. Published: November 19, 2017