Daphne Nwobike
Staff Writer
On Wednesday, September 25, the Babson Center of Global Commerce invited Boo Corrigan (P’ 25), the Bryan Viewpoints Speaker for the 2024 Advent Semester, to share his perspective on the many changes that have taken place within the field of college sports, especially where Division I sports programs are concerned. He gave The Purple an inside look into his passion for college sports and what he’s learned over the course of his career.
Hi Boo, thank you for speaking with me today. Could you tell me a bit about yourself and what drew you to the field of college sports?
Yeah, so I grew up around college sports. My father was a national athletic director, and my wife’s father was a national athletic director, too, so we were both raised on college campuses and really enjoyed that. An opportunity came up [to be an athletic director] at the United States Naval Academy, and we thought it would be a great way to raise a family and make a difference in young people’s lives.
What are some things you’ve enjoyed the most about working in college athletics?
I think it’s an opportunity to have an impact on younger people. 18 to 22 is a really dynamic age, and it’s an enormous growth period for young people. We had the opportunity to have a positive impact on them. I believe that every day on a college campus is better than no day on a college campus.
I agree! Thinking about the time you’ve spent doing this work, what does a typical day look like for you? Do you feel a lot of pressure, especially with being the director at a D1 school?
Well, a typical day is atypical. You’re never quite sure of what you’ll be dealing with, from donors to construction to compliance to travel—you just don’t know where every day will go. The pressure part is not that great, especially when you feel like you’ve prepared and studied. It’s important to relieve yourself of any sort of ego and focus on the issues at hand.
That’s a good point. So, how do you find ways to ground yourself when you’re not working?
Family is always really important. Seeing Trey’s experience at Sewanee has been great, and feeding off the other positives in my life, as opposed to just being consumed by one aspect of it, has helped. My wife and I do a lot of hot yoga together, and I enjoy cooking, getting away, and trying to find balance in my life.
You’ve mentioned that your son plays sports at Sewanee. Were you nervous about what his experience would look like, especially because Sewanee is not a D1 school?
It was never about playing D1 sports. Trey is following his passion, and everyone has their own journey. We just need to be there to support them. That being said, I’m more nervous when Sewanee plays than I am when NC State does because it’s a lot more personal when it’s your son.
I’m sure! On the topic of passions, how would you encourage students to do what they are passionate about?
The differentiator in this generation, in my opinion, is how hard you’re willing to work. That’s been around forever, and the people who worked the hardest find the passion and joy in what they’re doing because they’re working hard. Be proud of your job, maximize opportunities as they come forward, and understand that your first job is not your last job—and if you work really hard, it’ll create more opportunities for you.