Pracht leaving Wichita State for Arkansas

{WICHITA, Kan.) — WICHITA, Kan. – Brian Pracht, senior associate athletics director at Wichita State, has accepted a position at the University of Arkansas as associate athletic director for marketing, Wichita State University Director of Athletics Eric Sexton announced today.
 
"We wish Brian and his family the best in their new opportunity,” Sexton said. “Wichita State Athletics are stronger and better as a result of his efforts and leadership in dealing with our corporate sponsors, media, and donors.  Over the past seven years, he was a part of incredible growth in revenues for the athletic department leading his external team to these accomplishments.  Total fund raising grew 246 percent, and advertising revenues grew 255 percent during those seven years.  We thank Brian for his service to Wichita State Athletics and wish him the best.”
 
Pracht, a native of Emporia, Kan., has worked at Wichita State, Long Beach State and the Southland Conference. His responsibilities at Arkansas will include overseeing marketing, promotions, ticket sales, licensing in addition to serving as the staff liaison with International Sports Properties (ISP) and Razorback Sports Properties (RSP).
 
As a member of the senior staff at Wichita State, he managed the marketing, development, media relations and ticket offices, and helped generate more than $11 million in annual revenue. He was the sport administrator for men’s basketball, managed corporate sponsorship accounts, licensing and merchandising programs, and directed advertising, promotional and community outreach efforts.
 
While at WSU, marketing programs helped the Shockers sell out 47 consecutive men’s basketball games in a 10,502-seat facility, helped the men’s basketball team record a streak of 90 consecutive regular season home games with an attendance of 10,000 or more, increased the average attendance of baseball to more than 4,000 per game and increased the average attendance of volleyball to more than 3,000 per match.
 
Under Pracht’s supervision, Wichita State earned several awards from the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators, including Gold recognition for women’s basketball single-game attendance promotions in 2008 and 2006, and Silver recognition for a sponsorship program in 2006, television commercial in 2006 and best radio commercial in 2004.
 
He graduated in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Emporia State in Kansas.  Brian and his wife, Amy, have two daughters, Caroline and Lily.
 
Wichita State will begin the process immediately for a national search to fill the position.