Florida Gulf Coast University began offering classes in the fall of 1997. Intercollegiate athletics got their start at FGCU in 2002 when it became an independent member of NCAA Division II — and then in 2006 FGCU began the process of becoming a Division I school and officially became a full Division I member in the fall of 2011.
All of this adds up to FGCU still being a relatively new institution compared to most colleges and universities in the United States — and when it comes to athletics Florida Gulf Coast University is still in its early days, relatively speaking.
Earlier this year FGCU named its new Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Colin Hargis, to take over the role after the past director, Ken Kavanaugh, stepped down in December, 2023 after serving about 15 years in the role.
Hargis comes to FGCU after spending about a decade at North Carolina State University, where he worked his way from associate athletics director for ticket sales and operations to senior associate athletics director for external relations.
For comparison, NC State was founded in 1887 and its athletics programs date back to the turn of the last century, so Hargis is taking the helm of a young athletics program with 15 intercollegiate athletics teams and about 300 student athletes. And he brings with him his knowledge of the world of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) which he managed at North Carolina State University, and part of what he’ll focus on here at FGCU.
Guest:
Colin Hargis, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Florida Gulf Coast University
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