Race to Success

If you spot a slender man with sandy hair laboring along the Fox River Trail, it’s probably Cam Fuller, St. Norbert College’s new director of athletics and physical education. Fuller tries to run 100 miles every month. “Why 100 miles, I am not sure,” he says, “but, as a competitor, having a goal helps me stay motivated.”

Fuller, who joined SNC in June after spending the previous eight years as the Horizon League’s assistant commissioner for competition, branding and sponsorship, has set plenty of lofty goals for himself on the job as well.

Why did the job appeal to you? For any individual to be successful there must be a fit and a similar ethos. From the first conversation I had with the leadership team at St. Norbert College, I knew that there was a strong value alignment.

What do you see as your biggest challenge? We are joining a new athletic conference – the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference – for the majority of our sport programs. In addition, the NCAA is evaluating how the organization should operate in the future.

What changes do you envision for St. Norbert athletics? During the interview process, I had over 100 meetings with our head coaches, support staff, partners on campus, supporters in the community and others. The key themes allowed our staff to develop our strategic priorities, which include our core values and 17 goal areas that tie to our four athletic pillars: athletic success, academic success, community success and student-athlete experience.

You’ve already instituted a few changes. Our sponsorship base has increased from 11 to 17 partners, and we have seen multiple new endowments. In addition, we will be announcing a partnership with Nike that will see nearly every student-athlete don the swoosh on their jersey. Aligning with a nationally recognized brand will help as we build excitement for our programs and connect with recruits. We’ve put an early emphasis on social media, [our] website, and streaming, to tell the story of our student-athletes.

Who has had the greatest influence on you? I grew up in a strong household, and my parents and my brothers taught me the value of working hard and being a good teammate. As the youngest of three boys, I also had to have tough skin. I am also fortunate to have a strong supporter in my wife, Kaylee.

What keeps you awake at night? The complexity of overseeing 23 sports programs and nearly 600 student-athletes in an evolving college sports world can be difficult. We will compete in nearly 350 events this year. (But) if something is keeping me up at night, it is usually getting home late from an event!

Nov. 5, 2021