Scott Nelsen was named Director of Athletic Marketing & Community Engagement in September of 2019. In 2021 Nelsen as named an Assistant Director of Athletics and in 2023 was elevated to Senior Associate Director of Athletics overseeing Marketing and Communications. Additionally, he serves as the sport supervisor for the Maverick baseball and wrestling teams. He also co-chairs the Minnesota State Athletic Hall of Fame committee.
While at Minnesota State, Nelsen has spearheaded two major fundraising campaigns, including the Lifetime Letter of Intent, which has raised just over $20,000 in recurring gifts from former Maverick Student-Athletes as well as the MavWeek Challenge. In the four years of the MavWeek Challenge, over $500,000 has been raised to benefit athletic scholarships, including over $189,000 in 2025.
An active member of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA), Nelsen has served on three committees with the organization (2021-22 Fan Development; 2023-24 Revenue Generation; 2024-25 Brand Management). Additionally, since his return to Maverick Athletics, the Maverick Marketing team has received 17 NACMA "Best of" Awards, including Gold Awards in Revenue Generation (2022, Club Cambria), Promotional Poster (2022 in partnership with SpX), Intro Video (2020 for men's hockey in partnership with Bethany Lutheran College), Community Engagement (2025, Kiwanis Holiday Lights), Silver Awards in Fundraising Campaign (2023, MavWeek), Year over Year Revenue Increase (2023, Club Cambria), Viral Social Imitative (2024, Luc Wilson goal following his uncles passing, produced by Bethany Lutheran College), Membership Drive (2024, Senior Maverick Club) and Single-Game Sales Campaign (2020, Men's Hockey Five-Game Pack; 2024 Flash Sales Campaign for Minnesota State vs. UMASS Hockey), Viral Social Imitative (2025, CCHA Championship Recap, produced by Bethany Lutheran College), and Bronze awards in Membership Drives (2023, Senior Maverick Club), Hype Video (2022, men's hockey, in partnership with Bethany Lutheran College), Fan Giveaway Promotion (2021, Best Seat in Your House), Ticket Revenue Campaign (2024, Kwik Trip Five Game Pack), Funraising Campaign (2024, MavWeek), Static Promotion (2021, Maverick Ally shirt supporting diversity and inclusion) and Community Engagement/PR (2020, Trick or Treat with the Mavericks), Branded Statis Collateral (2025, Maverick Bus Wrap), Game Day Experience (2025, CCHA Championship Game), Sport Specific Brand Campaign (2025, Maverick Hockey in conjunction with Bethany Lutheran College), Ticket Revenue Campaign (2025, Maverick Hockey Group Sales).
Nelsen is on the Board of Directors for Kiwanis Holiday Lights where he serves as the organization's treasurer. Additionally, he also served on the Board of Directors for Feeding Our Communities Partners for six years, serving as board chair in 2021. He is a 2016 graduate of the Greater Mankato Growth Leadership Institute. In 2021 Nelsen was named the Greater Mankato Area YMCA Mentor of the Year for his work with the Maverick Pen Pal program.
A 2003 graduate of Peru State University (Neb.), Nelsen attained a master's degree from Minnesota State in 2007.
A native of Ringsted, Iowa, Nelsen and his wife Lisa reside in North Mankato with their children - Nolan and Rylie.
