Business Matters

Jeff Lulay ‘16 always knew he wanted to work in athletics.  

His first plan was to play football at a small West Coast college. Then, while he was finishing high school and figuring out his next steps, he decided it was time to hang up his cleats and make sports his occupation.  

That focused his college selection to the two universities he’d applied to: Oregon and Oregon State. 

All it took was one visit to Corvallis – ”maybe one hour of walking around campus,” he said – for him to know it was home.  

“It’s the most corny thing,” he said, “but it is truly what happened. I was standing in the middle of the Memorial Union, and I realized how welcomed and comfortable I felt. I knew it would be a place where I could be myself while pursuing my professional goals.”  

At the time, the College of Business was expanding rapidly, so he wound up in the right place at the right time, he said. He participated in the Weatherford Accelerator Program, and Austin Hall opened while he was a student. He even met his wife, Brittany Lulay ‘16, in the Weatherford Business Series, though they didn’t start dating until after they’d both graduated.  

His interest in sports first led him to focus on events. He worked with Beaver Athletics in a variety of roles throughout the four years he spent in Corvallis. He and his friends started a basketball tournament in his backyard that over the years grew to 60 participants and hundreds of spectators.  

When he was selected for a competitive summer internship with Nike Football, he began to see the grander possibilities available to him.  

“I realized I wanted to be somewhere big and bold,” he said, somewhere that gave him the ability to really connect with a consumer, beyond a single event.   

The internship led to a job offer, and he’s been at Nike ever since.  

Earlier this year, he moved into a role in Global Brand Marketing for Men’s Sport, which includes golf, tennis, baseball and American football. He sees a lot of potential for the future of Nike and their athletes in these sports. 

Since graduating, Lulay has continued to stay involved with the College of Business, visiting classes to talk about his career journey and meeting with and mentoring students who are interested in working in sports marketing.  

Earlier this year, the College of Business recognized him with the Distinguished Graduate of the Last Decade award, which is given to alumni “with less than 10 years of professional experience who have shown significant contributions to their community, their profession or the college through early career roles, leadership and/or volunteer service.” Lulay checked every box. 

“I know a lot of people from Oregon State who are doing amazing work,” he said. “To know that I was selected from amongst that group – a group with many people deserving of an award like that – means the world to me.”  

His focus on service has been with him since he was a child growing up in Wilsonville. 

“In my family, inclusivity and belonging are just built in. My parents absolutely shaped my perspective,” he said, his face lighting up. “I am this way because of them.” 

“Giving back was just something my family did,” he added. “It was ingrained into our daily routines.”  

Lulay’s brother and sister both experience developmental disabilities, and his family has been involved in a variety of organizations that provide services and programming for kids and adults who experience disabilities. Lulay said he hopes to one day help run a permanent space for athletes who experience disabilities to practice and play sports. His brother plays in a baseball league, and Lulay has seen first–hand the high cost and limited availability of rental space.  

“These programs and leagues do so much for so many,” Lulay said. “Cost and access to a facility should never be a barrier to sport.” 

“I want to build something that is sustainable and accessible to more kids,” he added. “I would love to be the champion of something like that.”  

Lulay said he always intended to stay connected with the university after graduating. What he didn’t expect, though, is just how much he enjoys helping today’s students. 

“The college thinks they benefit from me visiting classes and mentoring students,” he said, “and I suppose they do. But it’s so fulfilling for me, it fires me up, to meet these students and follow their successes.”  

He said he was surprised to discover how happy it makes him to help out in this way, but it seems of a piece for someone so driven by connection, someone who wants more people to feel like they have somewhere to belong, like he has. 

“I’m so proud of where I’ve been and where I’m going,” he said. “I get emotional when I talk about it. Oregon State is an incredible institution, and I really value the culture of connectivity I found there.”  

-Story by Jess Kibler