The UW-Fond du Lac and UW-Fox Valley campuses of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh will have a newly created shared athletic director to manage student athletics and wellness opportunities at the two-year access campuses.

Jeremiah Hoffmann, currently the athletic director for the UW-Fond du Lac campus, also will serve as athletic director for the UW-Fox Valley campus beginning May 1. Previously, each campus had a separate athletic director.  With the two part-time positions combined into one, efficiencies and opportunities can be more readily identified, especially related to sharing athletic and wellness resources across all three campuses of UW Oshkosh.

The UW-Fond du Lac Falcons and UW-Fox Valley Cyclones athletic programs fielded nine teams this year. The Falcons competed in men’s basketball, women’s basketball, golf, soccer, tennis and volleyball. The Cyclones competed in men’s basketball, soccer and volleyball. Hoffmann hopes to expand the number of teams in future years.

“I want our student-athletes to have the best experience possible while participating in college athletics. There are just so many things that our student-athletes learn that are vital to their success after college. Important values, such as hard work, teamwork, dedication, commitment and leadership, just to name a few. While it’s true many of these things are taught and learned in school, athletics offers an experience that is almost impossible to simulate in the classroom,” Hoffmann said.

He adds that many students who come to either the Fond du Lac or Fox Valley campus of UW Oshkosh to participate in athletics might never have attended college otherwise and build lasting friendships that have led to success in the classroom and beyond. Hoffmann’s goal is to build on what he’s learned as athletic director at UW-Fond du Lac and improve the student-athlete experience at both campuses.

“Becoming a part of UW Oshkosh is nothing but positive for us,” Hoffmann said. “We have access to so many more resources that will only help our programs.”

Hoffmann started his own college career as a student at UW-Fond du Lac and then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from UW Oshkosh. He has been an active high school and collegiate coach in the area for 15 years. He is a certified member of the PGA (Professional Golfers Association).

UW-Fond du Lac and UW-Fox Valley joined with UW Oshkosh on July 1, 2018, as part of a UW-System restructuring process.