This summer, UTSA Athletics will be profiling its numerous areas to provide an inside look into how each unit serves Roadrunners’ student-athletes.
In this edition, we sat down with Brian Fox, Assistant AD/Ticket Manager, to discuss the Ticket Operations unit.
Q: How does your department service UTSA student-athletes?
Brian Fox: “Ticket operations is a behind-the-scenes support area. We’re supporting the ticket sales representatives, the development team, the marketing team and the coaching staffs. We do a lot of back-of-house things to help make the events run smoothly. We’re trying to help with the revenue production of the department, which goes to support the student-athlete experience, but part of that experience is also the atmosphere at the games. The more atmosphere there is, the more fans in the building, the more everyone enjoys it.”
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Brian Fox: “For me, personally, I like big events. I like that San Antonio hosts Final Fours and I like when UTSA hosts big events. When we fill the Convocation Center, it’s a great atmosphere. It’s rewarding when there’s a big event that fans have marked on their calendars, they’re all fired up for it, they’re there early and packing the house. Those events are always fun.”
Q: You first joined UTSA in 2007. What has it been like to be part of the growth of UTSA Athletics?
Brian Fox: “It’s very rewarding. UTSA and UTSA Athletics specifically have grown tremendously in the time that I’ve been here. What’s good for UTSA Athletics is helping UTSA, the University, and what’s good for UTSA is good for San Antonio as a city. I believe UTSA and UTSA Athletics are making the San Antonio metro area a better place to live. It is helping the community in numerous ways. That’s important and that’s gratifying. That’s where you want to work. You want to work at places that are making the community a better place.”
Q: Do you have a favorite memory during your time with UTSA Athletics?
Brian Fox: “The first football game certainly is one but I would say that my favorite event to have been at was the UAB football game in 2021. We hosted that at the Alamodome and needed to win to host the conference championship game. UAB was two-time defending champion at that point and that game was electric. It was an unbelievable atmosphere. Anybody, even if you’re not associated with UTSA, just being at that game and in that atmosphere, I can’t imagine what event could have been better.”
Q: What advice do you have for students or student-athletes who may be interested in going into your profession?
Brian Fox: “If you want to work in sports, the ticket office, to me, is one of the best avenues to do that. Every organization has to sell tickets. That’s a good entry point. Even if someone was more interested in the ticket operations side, it would probably be good to start in ticket sales. Almost everybody has done ticket sales. You start there and learn the business. A lot of development people come from ticket sales, marketing people come from ticket sales and ticket operations people come from ticket sales. You can branch out into other areas from there, but I think the ticket office is a great place to start. In college, and maybe even more so in pro sports, the ticket office is the No. 1 area of the revenue side. The sponsorships and the donations don’t happen without selling tickets. Everything is built off of getting people to the games.”
Q: What type of educational background is required for your role?
Brian Fox: “A lot of people major in sports management type fields, but it’s totally not necessary. I think it just takes some people skills – you have to be good on the phone and good at customer service. On the ticket operations side, you have to be detail-oriented, there’s lots of spreadsheets, handling money and deposits and the reconciliation of funds. It’s really just about being willing to put in the hours and learn the different software. It’s about the character that you have – doing things the right way, being willing to help and treating customers the right way. Those types of traits are what it takes to be successful.”