HAMILTON – Since arriving on the Colgate scene in an official capacity two summers ago, Kenny Copps truly has become the man about town for Raider Athletics.
 
Colgate's Director of Ticket Operations and Assistant Director of Marketing and Promotions also occasionally handles public address, play-by-play or game management responsibilities. And no one belts out the Canadian and American national anthems before a big Raiders hockey game better than Copps.
 
The Syracuse native transitioned easily into the Colgate game-day atmosphere after having contributed the previous three years as a part-time public address announcer for several venues.
 
Before arriving on campus, Copps served one season as director of ticket and group sales for the Syracuse Silver Knights of the Major Indoor Soccer League before coming to Colgate. He also aided the soccer franchise as summer camps manager, social media manager and public address announcer.

A 2011 communications and history graduate from Le Moyne College, Copps has worked for The Virtucom Group in Syracuse, Coyne Textile Services in Syracuse, and Global Phoenix Computer & Technology Services Inc., in Ithaca.

Copps lives in Manlius with his fiancée, Ashley. They are planning to be married in summer 2017.
 
"Kenny has been such a wonderful addition to our team ever since his arrival," Colgate Director of Athletics Victoria M. Chun '91, MA'94 said. "He is enthusiastic, passionate and ambitious. His energy is contagious and Kenny is fully committed to providing our staff, fans and our student-athletes with a first-in-class gameday experience."
 

Get to Know Kenny Copps
 

• An Idea or Invention I Wish I Had Thought of: Besides sliced bread? And besides mobile ticketing? Probably cell phones. Or the Internet. Or maybe a mobile device on which you can use the Internet? Oh right, those are called smart phones. Foiled again!
• What I Like About My Job: I love working with our student-athletes – they are the reason we're here, after all. I like that no two days are the same, and there's never a dull moment. I also enjoy selling our athletics brand to the public, whether in the form of tickets, group experiences or sponsorship.
• What I Like About Competing: The ticketing world is very competitive. I'm always trying to print tickets faster than the competition, while the ticket printers get smaller and smaller!
• What I Would Like to Change: Sometimes I'd like to have a clone for when we have events going on simultaneously, but then again I wouldn't want to subject the world to two of me!
• A Talent That Would Surprise Those Who Know Me: In addition to singing, I can play four instruments (guitar, bass, viola, and violin). I was a member of the Syracuse Symphony Youth String Orchestra as a teen and performed in three states.
• Something I Like that Would Surprise Those Who Know Me: History! I love history. In college, I was actually a double major – communications and history, though not quite by choice ... long story. My favorite historical eras include the Age of Exploration, Bolshevik/Soviet history, and World War II.
• What I Like About Myself: I've always been able to make people laugh. Also, I'm quick to learn new things/skills.

 
Miscellaneous Favorites
 

• Professional Sports Teams: San Francisco Giants, Montreal Canadiens, Manchester United
• Venue: AT&T Park (bias granted)
• Memento: I have the ticket stubs from nearly every professional sporting event I've ever attended. Clearly, a job in ticketing was meant to be!
• Magazines, Hardcopy or Online: Sports Illustrated, ESPN, National Geographic
• Gadget: My new car! Her name is Madeline and she's a 2016 Mazda crossover. And yes, I've named all my cars. And cell phones. And laptops. And guitars.
• App: The Weather Channel. I check it compulsively.
• Music Type, Singer or Group: Classic rock in general with Led Zeppelin as my favorite. I'm also a big fan of Ben Folds, Beyoncé, the Black Crowes, Garth Brooks, Lady Gaga, and Portugal. The Man.
• Books: Classic literature (Dickens, Dumas, Dostoevsky, Twain), non-fiction (history, baseball, soccer), and mystery (Sherlock Holmes, James Bond)
• Food: Way too many favorite foods, which shows up in my waistline. But if I had to pick a favorite restaurant, then Dinosaur Bar-B-Que for sure. I'd eat there every day for a year, no regrets.
• Movies: Comedies. Too many to pick just one favorite, but Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silver Streak, Caddyshack, and Office Space are in the conversation.
• Quote: "Never, never, never give up." – Winston Churchill