RALEIGH, N.C. – Seasoned sports marketer Tim Utrup has been named general manager for NC State’s Wolfpack Sports Properties, effective Feb. 10, 2014. Concurrently, Brian Asbill, former long-time general manager assumes the associate general manager role to focus on expanded sales initiatives.
Utrup will relocate to Raleigh from Lincoln, Neb., where he most recently served 13 years as vice president and general manager for the Lincoln Saltdogs, a Central Division member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. During this time, the Lincoln Saltdogs were named “Organization of the Year” three seasons, and Utrup was honored as “GM/Executive of the Year” three times. Prior to his Saltdogs’ tenure, he spent seven years as the vice president and general manager for the Sioux City Explorers, another professional baseball team in the same league. Utrup, a former collegiate student-athlete, was a four-year letterman of the University of Findlay basketball team.
“I’m excited to start a new chapter in my sports career with NC State, clearly an outstanding university with a well-respected athletics program and athletics administration,” said Utrup.
Wolfpack Sports Properties, a joint venture of Learfield Sports and Capitol Broadcasting Company, develops corporate partnerships and manages the operations of NC State’s comprehensive rights program including signage, event marketing, radio play-by-play and coaches’ shows, television coaches’ shows and official athletic web site sponsorships.
“Tim is a proven professional who brings an arsenal of sports marketing and sales expertise to our endeavors at NC State, and we’re looking forward to him being here,” said Learfield Sports’ Senior Vice President Andrew Wheeler. “Brian has such deep connections here as a valued member of our property the last 17 years, and before that, serving six years inside the NC State Athletics Department. He will remain a tremendous asset and is well poised to transition into a position devoted to increased sales efforts.”