Emporia State University alumni Ross Bjork and Brian Pracht brought Hornet pride to the national stage at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Atlanta.
Bjork (BS-95, Recreation) and Pracht (BSB-94 Business Administration) were familiar faces on campus whose paths frequently crossed during their time at ESU. Bjork, a Kansas native and former fullback for the Hornets, is now the athletics director at Ohio State University. Pracht, the associate athletics director for industry and campus engagement at the University of Notre Dame, is an Emporian who has worked in South Bend, Indiana, since 2013.
As undergraduates at ESU, Bjork and Pracht both worked as student assistants in the athletics department.
In a 2020 alumni student-athlete profile on ESU Athletics’ website, www.esuhornets.com, Bjork praised the mentoring he received from fellow student-assistants like Pracht. “Since I wanted to work in sports, there were two administrators who took me under their wings and gave me an opportunity,” Bjork said. “Danny Powell and Brian Pracht were instrumental in giving me great athletics administration experience during my senior year.”
Bjork's career has been on a steady rise since graduating from ESU. He began as a development officer at Western Kentucky University and later advanced to roles at the University of Missouri, the University of Miami, and UCLA. In 2010, he became the youngest athletic director among the NCAA’s 120 Football Bowl Subdivision institutions when he returned to WKU.
His leadership positions at the University of Mississippi and Texas A&M University eventually led to his hiring at Ohio State in January 2024. Dressed in a red sport coat and wearing an OSU national championship cap, Bjork was on stage during the Buckeyes’ televised trophy celebration following their 34-23 victory.
Similarly, Pracht has made significant strides in athletic administration since earning his ESU degree. In his current position at Notre Dame, he manages industry and campus partnerships and serves as a sport administrator. Prior to this role, Pracht held assistant and associate athletics director positions at the University of Arkansas and Wichita State University, and served as the assistant commissioner for marketing and business at the Southland Conference. Their journeys underscore the impact of an ESU education in shaping leaders in the world of collegiate athletics.