Eric Nichols serves as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Branding/Chief Marketing Officer at the University of South Carolina. Eric oversees Marketing, Digital and Social Media, and the University band and spirit programs as well as serving as the primary liaison for Licensing, merchandise sales, and outsourced entities including IMG for multimedia rights and IMG/Learfield Ticket Solutions for outbound sales.
Nichols came to Carolina following a ten year stint at Vanderbilt University, where he served as the athletic department's Director of Marketing and Promotions from 2004-2008.
He is a graduate of Leadership Vanderbilt, a member of the American Marketing Association, the United Way of Middle Tennessee Marketing Committee, has completed an Executive Leadership Class at Vanderbilt's Owen School of Business, and served on the NACMA Board of Directors from 2009-2016 and was the 2015 NACMA president.
Sports Industry Journey:
Education
Bachelor's Degree | Sports Management | University of Tennessee at Martin
MBA | University of Tennessee at Martin
Ph.D | Sport and Entertainment Management | University of South Carolina (Currently enrolled)
Career
Graduate Assistant Coach - Women's Volleyball | University of Tennessee at Martin
Assistant Director of Facilities | Vanderbilt University
Director of Events and Game Operations | Vanderbilt University
Director of Online Services | Vanderbilt University
Director of Marketing and Promotions | Vanderbilt University
Senior Associate AD/Chief Marketing Officer | University of South Carolina
LinkedIn: Eric Nichols Twitter: @ericnichols
What was your mindset in terms of progressing in your career when you were first starting out in the sports industry?
After I graduated with my MBA, I started working at Nike and was there for about six months. But I really wanted to get back into college athletics, so I contacted a friend of mine who was in the [sports] business. He let me know a spot opened in the mail room at Vanderbilt. I wanted to get back into college athletics so bad and knew I just needed a foot in the door, so I decided to take that opportunity.
While I was working in the mail room I was working three other jobs; I installed computers in the afternoon, I was a volleyball coach for a club team, and I was a waiter at a local restaurant.
How did you make the transition from working in facilities to marketing?
One day someone in the athletic department threw a project at me -- to create a website for the athletics department (before the internet and websites were what they are today). I had no experience creating websites, but I agreed and would figure it out.
What is the book (or books you’ve given most as a gift) and why or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?
I’m pretty sure I’ve never given a book as a gift. But three that have really impacted me personally or professionally are Wild at Heart by John Eldredge, Marketing Outrageously by John Spoelstra and Freakonomics by Steve Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.
What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)?
Recently I was turned on to this crazy thing called the library, and someone said you can download audio books for free so that’s what I’ve been doing and it’s been great.
If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere in the world with anything on it – and you could get a message out to millions or billions – what would it say and why?
“Live well, laugh often, love much.” You can’t be too unbalanced on any of these three things and I think they’re all necessary in life.
What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made? (Could be an investment of money, time, energy, etc.)
Education. I’m a big believer that there is a direct correlation between cultural, spiritual and financial growth and education. I just strongly believe that if you stop learning, you stop living. I’m currently receiving my PhD because I believe in education so much. I’m a big reader of trade journals, blogs, twitter, etc. Educating yourself on the social issues and different topics especially in this day and age is so important.
Is there an idea, belief, or trend in the sports industry that you feel strongly about, that others may not agree with and think you're crazy for thinking/saying it?
I’m bullish on the subscription based model. I give Zack Lassiter [at Oregon State] credit because he was the first to do this.
For our “GO Pass” at South Carolina, fans pay a flat fee and they can go to every home event we have. You can really use this model for tickets, merchandise, or really anything.
What are three to five tangible skills that a young person should have/develop in order to be successful in the sports industry?
Curiosity - If you don’t have curiosity, especially in marketing, you won’t last. Things are constantly changing and if you don’t adapt things will pass you by.
The ability to write and to be even more specific, you need to have the ability to communicate an idea. That’s a skill set that is hard but vitally important.
You also need to have genuine interest in the industry. If you go home after work and turn your mind off and watch Netflix, that's fine but if you’re thinking [about whatever field you’re in] past 9-5 about ways to improve it, that’s how you’ll be the best at what you do.
What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student who is looking to start a career in sports? What advice should they ignore?
I’d say get experience doing anything. It doesn’t really matter if it’s marketing, working on the grounds crew, etc. The most important thing is to have people that can vouch for your character and your work ethic. That will lead to them telling people you’ve done a good job.
Also differentiate yourself. Anything that can make you different from the 200 other people that apply for your position, will benefit you.
What are some tips you have for building and maintaining relationships in the sports industry? (It could be with a mentor, client, donor, co-worker, etc.)
This sounds nonchalant but never turn down a beer, coffee, or lunch. There have been at least dozens of times where I’m dead tired or in a bad mood and I’ll get invited for lunch, or a coffee or a beer and I really don’t want to go because I’m not in the mood. But I always say yes because it always turns out to be a positive experience.
When I was young in my career, I went to a convention and didn’t know a soul there. I got invited to a dinner and didn’t know anyone at the dinner. Fast forward to now and some of those people at the dinner are my closest friends in the industry. I truthfully don’t know where I’d be in my career if I didn’t accept that invite.
Was there a specific point in your career where you started handling tasks/projects that were outside of your comfort zone? If so, what was that specific point and how did you handle feeling overwhelmed?
I think it happens any time you move up or you get additional responsibilities. The first [promotion] is always the hardest one. Going from being an assistant to the head person, where you go from making suggestions to having to make decisions is the toughest transition. Every time you move up that ladder, it always gets a little more challenging.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to your 20-something year old self?
I’m not a guy that has a bunch of regrets, but I’d probably go do an internship with a finite time (maybe a year) in a place that’s a different culture. Whether it be New York, San Francisco, or international. I put a lot of value in diverse experiences. I would’ve enjoyed that.
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