Brian Nystrom is entering his 15th year with the UMD athletic department staff and currently serves as the Deputy Director of Athletics. Nystrom oversees the Bulldogs annual revenues, corporate sponsorship, branding, events, marketing/promotions, communications, and creative services while serving as the sport administrator for numerous Bulldog athletic programs.
In 2024-25, UMD athletic sponsorship and ticket revenue topped the $3 million mark for the eighth consecutive year (not including COVID-19 in 2020-21). Nystrom oversees all aspects of the Bulldog game day and fan experience along with suite and hospitality sales and services for football and men's/women's hockey at AMSOIL Arena. Over the last several years, he has been a member of the budget executive team that is responsible for crafting UMD athletics annual budget. He also oversees the Bulldogs partnership contracts with Under Armour and CCM (Hockey) as well as all local, regional, and national multimedia rights partnerships. He was responsible for creating and launching Bulldog Productions, the improved umdbulldogs.com website and the creation of the Bulldogs NIL (name, image, and likeness) program.
During the course of his time at UMD, Nystrom has led the installation of over $2,000,000 in technological upgrades to UMD facilities which include HD LED Daktronics video boards at multiple venues, production control equipment and the creation of an in-house broadcast network for Bulldog events. He was also instrumental in the creation of Bulldog Productions and an on-campus centralized production room that has led to a 100% increase in on campus events being televised. In addition, he was a key member in the university's rebranding of athletics which involved updated athletic marks and licensing partnerships. Nystrom has led the reorganization of the Bulldogs marketing and communications department -- creating a streamlined model to effectively incorporate all aspects of digital, social and external media platforms.
Nystrom joined the Bulldogs following a two-year stint with the Illinois State University athletics department. At ISU, Nystrom assisted in corporate sponsorships and the development of marketing and promotions for volleyball, football, basketball, and softball. Before that, he was employed as an account executive for the Quad City Flames (top affiliate of the Calgary Flames) of the American Hockey League from 2008-09. With Quad City, his responsibilities included the solicitation of season tickets, mini-plans, and group tickets while assisting with box office duties, promotions, and game day activities. Nystrom's resume also includes internships with the Normal Cornbelters of the Frontier Baseball League, the Iowa High School Athletic Association and assisting the NCHC (National Collegiate Hockey Conference) at their conference tournament.
In the summer of 2015, Nystrom was accepted into the prestigious Sports Management Institute, which features athletic administrators from around the country. He spent a week at the University of Michigan developing leadership and teamwork skills and completed the program in January 2016 at the University of Texas in Austin.
Nystrom currently serves on the board of directors for the Kolar ALS Fishing Tournament (hosted annually at Island Lake) as part of Never Surrender Inc.
A native of Boone, Iowa, Nystrom graduated from Buena Vista University in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science. While at Buena Vista, he was a student-athlete for the football Beavers. Nystrom also owns a Master's degree in sport administration from Illinois State and resides in Duluth with his wife, Taylor, sons, Lincoln & Myles.
