Event Recap: Gopher Athletes Explore Life After College Sports at the United Center
NOVA Foundation team and Gopher athletes in front of the Michael Jordan statue at the United Center.
NOVA Foundation hosts the University of Minnesota CORE Tour for a career exploration event featuring a behind-the-scenes United Center tour and a panel on careers, NIL, and life after graduation.
Last month, 12 University of Minnesota Gopher athletes visited the United Center to explore what comes next with the NOVA Foundation, learning about our Next Game programs for graduating college athletes and diving into career exploration together.
Behind the Scenes at the United Center
The visit kicked off with a tour of the United Center, including exclusive looks inside the Chicago Bulls' and Blackhawks' locker rooms, a fitting backdrop for a conversation about what it takes to build a career in and around sports.
Minnesota athletes inside the Chicago Bulls locker room.
A Career Panel Built for Student-Athletes
The heart of the afternoon was a career panel featuring Katie Savarise, Alex Versen, and Annika Altekruse, each bringing a different perspective on life after college athletics:
Katie Savarise shared the story of founding the NOVA Foundation and what she's learned about building a team from the ground up.
Alex Versen offered advice for college athletes from two vantage points — as a professor and through his work with the NOVA Foundation.
Annika Altekruse walked athletes through the world of NIL merchandise and previewed the upcoming launch of Campus Ink and the NIL Store at the University of Minnesota.
The conversation ranged from entrepreneurship to NIL opportunities to the practical steps of translating athletic experience into a professional career.
We were delighted to connect with such a thoughtful and engaged group of student-athletes — with refreshments generously provided by Poppi and Yerba Madre.
Katie showcasing the 1901 project sitemap and explaining NOVA’s role in the project.
Partner With the NOVA Foundation
It was a great afternoon with the Gopher Athletics CORE Tour, and exactly the kind of connection the NOVA Foundation loves building with collegiate athletics departments and programs across the country.
Interested in bringing a career exploration event like this to your athletes? Complete our contact form to partner with the NOVA Foundation on one of your programs.
