INDIANAPOLIS – After a successful career as a student-athlete, student coach, SAAC President and position as an athletics graduate assistant with Concordia-St. Paul,
Blair Griffith has started a position with the NCAA in its 2020-21 Postgraduate Internship Program.
"The support received from various CSP professors accompanied by their constant effort to encourage success in all the things we did was the initial stepping stone. I had a number of professors at Concordia who made a significant impact in both my professional development as well as my personal development," said Griffith. He continued, "It was through CSP coursework and classroom collaboration that I became aware of my passion for collegiate athletics, but it was through the guidance provided by various professors in the sport management department that fostered my initial individual growth relative to my aspirations."
Griffith's position with the NCAA is Hearing Operations, Inclusion and External Engagement/Strategic Partnerships.
"I am excited t
o collaborate with prestigious and accomplished industry professionals, sharpen my professional attributes, and positively impact student-athletes as it aligns with their well-being and overall collegiate athletics experience," said Griffith of his position at the NCAA headquarters. "Short term, I hope to continue at the national office in a full-time capacity following my internship opportunity. Long-term, my goal is to become a Director of Athletics at an NCAA Division I institution, or take on a deputy role overseeing major gifts. I would also have a strong inkling to take on a Chief Diversity Office (CDO) role at a member institution in addition to other responsibilities."
A 2017 graduate with a degree in sports business, Griffith spent the previous two academic years in 2018-19 and 2019-20 pursuing an MBA degree while gaining valuable experience working as an athletics graduate assistant for the department.
In his role for CSP athletics, Griffith was in charge of the department's marketing efforts while assisting in corporate sponsorships, facility management and compliance. He also oversaw the efforts of the CSP athletics marketing internship program and was the department's SAAC Liaison.
"I was provided the opportunity to take on a multitude of responsibilities in various capacities (as a graduate assistant)," said Griffith. "Having the privilege to be heavily involved in the many administrative inner-workings at CSP while advocating for more opportunities pertinent to my professional growth made me a more marketable industry professional. As time went on, I developed skills that have now proven critical to my success at the national office."
Griffith came to Concordia as a football student-athlete from Green Bay, Wisconsin, playing defensive back for the Golden Bears early in his career. Following a career-ending injury on the gridiron, Griffith began his professional experience by making himself a valuable asset to the coaching staff as a student assistant coach, while also continuing to grow his well-rounded experience as a key contributor to Student-Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC).
From there, he continued to develop his career portfolio as he was named SAAC President as a senior and while landing an internship in the athletic department, with his body of work ultimately leading to the promotion to the graduate assistant role.
"I've been there. I know of the extensive challenges associated with being a collegiate student-athlete. Competing for your respective institution is a blessing in itself, but it's a grind accompanied with many hurdles. Having a full-circle understanding of that lifestyle has encouraged me to be an impactful catalyst for change every day. I want the next generation of collegiate student-athletes to have the best experience possible, regardless of the level. This will continue to be my motivation as I navigate this industry."
