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to help pay for a new indoor training room. Individual donors might give several million dollars to help build new facilities, and the school staff wants to make sure they feel valued. Fundraising also means seeking much smaller donations by sending out letters and making calls to thousands of people. Members of the AD’s staff also seek money from corpor- ations, as they buy ads in the arenas or sponsor contests during breaks in the game. The companies promote their goods and services while associating with an institution with devoted fans. In another part of the athletics department, members of the communications department gathered information on their school’s players to share with the reporters and broadcasters covering the game. Kyle Muncy, former sports information director (SID) at the University of Connecticut (UConn), said that when sports fans hear TV broadcasters reciting details about a player, “It is the SID staff pulling that information together and providing it to the TV people.” Even before the season started, people behind the scenes were working toward getting that fall football game underway. Recruiting the best athletes is a major part of a coach’s job in any sport, but athletic directors play a role, too. They meet with top-level recruits and their parents to make sure the school

12 C areers O ff the F ield • Working in College Sports