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General

Introducing Norse News with Mike Odom

Norse Nation,

It is hard to believe how quickly my first days at Northern Kentucky University have gone by. While my family will officially make the move to Kentucky in the coming weeks, we've already experienced an incredible welcome from the NKU community and people throughout northern Kentucky during our visit in July and throughout my first two weeks on campus. I was excited about the opportunity to serve as Vice President and Director of Athletics when I accepted this role, and these first few days have confirmed that I made the right decision. I can't wait to get to work alongside our student-athletes, coaches, staff and supporters as we build on the momentum of Norse Athletics.

I remain incredibly grateful to President Cady Short-Thompson for the opportunity and the trust she has placed in me to lead Norse Athletics. My first week included time with my fellow Cabinet members as we discussed many of the initiatives we will pursue together in the year ahead.

My focus early on has been simple: listen and learn.

I have spent these first days meeting with our coaches and staff, visiting with student-athletes, connecting with colleagues across campus and getting out into the community. I have attended practices and events, walked through our facilities and had countless conversations about what makes NKU special and where we have opportunities to grow.

One thing stands out: there is tremendous pride in being a Norse. You feel it from our student-athletes, coaches and staff, and you see it across campus and throughout northern Kentucky. There is also tremendous potential for what we can build together.

That brings me to this newsletter.

I believe strongly in communication and connection, and I want this to be a regular opportunity for me to communicate directly with Norse Nation. I'll use this space to share updates from around our department, celebrate our student-athletes and coaches, provide perspective on the rapidly changing world of college athletics and, occasionally, give you a look behind the scenes at what we are working on.

Just as importantly, I want the communication to go both ways. I want to hear your ideas, questions and feedback, and I hope you will introduce yourself when you see me at a game, on campus or in the community.

We have a lot of work ahead, but I couldn't be more excited about the opportunity in front of us. Our goal is to provide a best-in-class experience for our student-athletes, compete for championships and make Norse Athletics an even greater source of pride for NKU and all of northern Kentucky.

I'm grateful to be here, and I look forward to building what comes next together.

Norse Up!
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