As the Carolina Hurricanes compete for a chance to bring the Stanley Cup to Raleigh, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS) alumna Natalie Gore is helping to fuel the excitement surrounding the team’s playoff run. 

As a senior marketing coordinator for the Hurricanes, she works behind the scenes to engage the team’s passionate fan base, elevate the organization’s brand and create memorable experiences during one of the most anticipated moments of the season.

Whether promoting game-day experiences, supporting fan engagement initiatives or helping execute marketing campaigns, the 2024 communication graduate plays a role in connecting thousands of Hurricanes fans to the team they love. Each initiative helps ensure fans feel engaged throughout the highs and lows of a demanding NHL season.

While at NC State, Gore interned in public relations for the team during the 2022–23 season, became lead intern the next season and secured a full-time digital marketing coordinator role before graduating. She was promoted to her current role in November 2025.

Gore’s role reflects how a CHASS education can translate into a career in professional sports marketing. The communications skills, audience awareness and storytelling foundation she developed at NC State continue to shape her work in a fast-paced environment where connecting with people is central to everything she does.

We caught up with Gore to break down her daily playbook, how she navigates the high stakes of the Stanley Cup Finals, her time at NC State, and her advice for students who aspire to work in sports communications and marketing.

Briefly describe your role, including your daily responsibilities.

My role as senior marketing coordinator touches a little bit of everything, which is what makes it so exciting. While people often say no two days at their job are the same, I really mean it. Priorities can shift quickly depending on the time of year or what’s happening on the ice.  

A large part of my role focuses on digital marketing initiatives, including but not limited to email, SMS, paid advertising, and our mobile app. The easiest way to explain what I do is anything in digital marketing that isn’t social, editorial, or managing our website. I also work with several departments across our organization, often serving as the bridge between the information they need to communicate and the fans they want to reach (e.g. ticket sales). 

One day, I may be building an email campaign, and the next, I could be managing a retail photoshoot for Carolina Pro Shop or supporting a completely different project.  

How has your role changed during the Hurricanes’ playoff run?

During the playoffs, everything becomes much more fast-paced and reactive. There’s a very heightened level of excitement from our fans, which means our communication and marketing efforts ramp up significantly as well. 

Turnaround times get shorter, priorities and plans can change within minutes depending on game results, and there’s a much bigger emphasis on timely messaging and fan engagement. My role becomes even more focused on making sure fans are informed, excited and connected throughout the entire playoff experience.

It’s definitely a high-energy environment, but that’s also what makes playoff hockey such a fun and rewarding time to work in sports. 

What would fans be surprised to learn about what goes into creating a game day experience?

I think fans would be surprised by just how many people and departments are involved in creating a game day experience, and how much planning happens long before fans ever walk through the doors. 

So many moving pieces have to come together seamlessly, from marketing and creative to game presentation, retail, ticketing, partnerships, communications, operations and more. 

Even things that may seem small to fans, like a pregame email or a giveaway, require a lot of coordination behind the scenes. I also think fans would be surprised to learn which responsibilities fall to which departments, because while marketing is involved in many areas, there are many parts of the game day experience that are led by other teams across the organization. 

What skills did CHASS help you develop to prepare you to work in a fast-paced sports environment?

The writing and communication training was especially important, but just as valuable was learning how to think critically, manage multiple projects at once, and adjust quickly when priorities shift. It also pushed me to become more intentional in how I approach storytelling and audience engagement, which is a big part of marketing in sports. 

On top of that, CHASS gave me a lot of experience collaborating with others and working through feedback, both of which are essential when you’re moving quickly and constantly coordinating across departments. 

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my much-dreaded but incredibly helpful public speaking class with Dean Phillips. That class and the lessons learned will stick with me for the rest of my career!

What advice would you give students who aspire to work in sports marketing or with pro teams?  

My biggest advice would be to say yes. Stay open to every opportunity, even the ones that don’t look exactly like what you think you want to do. So much of your growth comes from saying yes, being reliable, and being willing to jump in wherever you’re needed. 

The industry moves fast, so being adaptable, detail-oriented, and calm under pressure goes a long way. I’d also say don’t underestimate the value of strong communication skills and relationships. People remember who makes their job easier and who they can trust in high-pressure moments.

Finally, remember to consider your why. Learn why you’re doing what you’re doing, not just the task itself. Apply your why when you make decisions, and it’ll get you far.