UNI Athletics and its multimedia rights holder, LEARFIELD’s Panther Sports Properties, have appointed Seb Gearhart as their new Manager of Business Development. Gearhart will be responsible for developing and selling creative sponsorship packages, building relationships with companies, and maintaining partnerships with corporate partners.
Mike Murray, general manager of Panther Sports Properties, expressed excitement for Gearhart to apply his experience and education to help grow the organization. Gearhart is a Cedar Falls native and 2022 UNI graduate who returns to his alma mater after working as a Partnership Service Coordinator for Appalachian State University’s LEARFIELD team in North Carolina.
In his role at Appalachian State, Gearhart served as a liaison between corporate partners, property staff, and athletic department staff, managing and tracking partnership advertising inventory. Now back at UNI, Gearhart is eager to showcase the value of partnerships with UNI Athletics to businesses and contribute to the growth of both the university and corporate partners.
Gearhart holds Bachelor’s degrees in Marketing and Business Administration from UNI with minors in Sports Administration and Entrepreneurship. He interned for Panther Sports Properties during his time as an undergraduate student and was also a member of UNI’s track and field team, contributing to their 2021 Missouri Valley Conference indoor championship in the 4×400-meter relay.
Living in Cedar Falls with his wife, Olivia, Gearhart is excited to leverage his experiences to benefit UNI Athletics and the community through his new role as Manager of Business Development for Panther Sports Properties.