Sept. 13, 2012

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez announced Wednesday that Jay Vickers has been hired as the Senior Assistant Athletic Director for Advancement for the UW Athletic Department. Vickers who has five years of development experience at the Division I level, will serve as the department head for the Athletic Development Office and the Athletic Department liaison with the following organizations: Badger Sports Properties, UW Foundation and Wisconsin Alumni Association. In addition, Vickers will be responsible for oversight of the Athletic Ticket Office.

"The first thing you notice about Jay when you meet him is how enthusiastic and passionate he is about what he does," Alvarez said. "He's very charismatic and has a tremendous background and experience in the field. He competed at a very high level as a student-athlete at Notre Dame and that competitiveness carries over into his work. He's a great addition to our team, will bring some new ideas to our efforts and be a terrific fit with our donors."

Vickers spent the last two years at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as the Associate Athletics Director of Development. His primary responsibilities included identifying, cultivating and soliciting major gifts and high end annual giving prospects for the Rebel Athletic Fund.

"I'm extremely excited to be joining the Badgers," Vickers said. "It's a great opportunity to lead a dynamic team. I'd like to thank Coach Alvarez and his senior staff for this opportunity and I look forward to getting started."

Prior to UNLV, Vickers served as the Assistant Athletic Director for Development at the University of Arizona, where he played a role in major gift fundraising for the Wildcat Club. Before that, he served at Fresno State from 2007-09 where he had an instrumental role in major gifts fundraising for the Bulldog Foundation. Vickers was promoted in 2009 to Assistant Athletic Director of Development.

A native of Tallahassee, Fla., Vickers graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Marketing and Computer Applications, while also a student-athlete for the Notre Dame football team. Before entering collegiate athletics, he acquired more than seven years of professional experience as a sales marketing manager with an extensive background in customer service, sales, marketing, and management.