Nicole Kraft, director of The Ohio State University Sports and Society Institute, has been named the Summer 2026 Columbus Sports Community Champion by the Greater Columbus Sports Commission.

The recognition highlights Kraft’s work connecting students with opportunities in sports through education, mentoring, career preparation and hands-on experiences, as well as her contributions to the Columbus sports community as a journalist and educator.

As director of SSI, Kraft has helped expand the institute’s efforts to create pathways into the sports industry for students across disciplines. Through internships, career readiness programming, research opportunities, professional connections and experiential learning, SSI works to help students understand the many ways they can build careers connected to sports.

In an interview with Ohio State grad Rachel Villalobos of the Sports Commission announcing the recognition, Kraft said that student success remains at the center of how she measures the institute’s impact.

“If we were successful, then their dreams come true,” Kraft said.

She explained that many students arrive at Ohio State with a passion for sports but may not yet understand the range of careers available to them or how to prepare for those opportunities. SSI’s goal is to help students develop the skills, experiences and connections necessary to find their place in the industry.

Kraft also discussed the experiences that shaped her own career in sports. Her interest began at age 8 when her uncle took her to a Philadelphia 76ers game against the Boston Celtics. That experience sparked what became a lifelong career in sports journalism, education and mentorship.

Along the way, Kraft has covered events ranging from the NHL Stadium Series and Indianapolis 500 to the Little Brown Jug, while continuing to work professionally as a sports journalist alongside her teaching and SSI responsibilities.

That professional experience also shapes Kraft’s approach to preparing students for careers in sports. She emphasized that there is no single background, identity or path that determines whether someone belongs in the industry. Instead, students need opportunities to develop their skills, build relationships and gain confidence through real-world experiences.

That philosophy has become central to SSI’s mission as the institute works to make sports opportunities accessible to students with a wide range of interests and career goals.

Kraft said the legacy she hopes to leave is rooted in helping students believe those opportunities are possible.

“I really hope that they remember that I believed in them,” Kraft said.

The Columbus Sports Community Champion series recognizes individuals making an impact throughout the region’s sports community.

Read the full Columbus Sports Community Champion profile by Villalobos, who was formerly Kraft's student in Comm 3403: Sports Writing and Reporting.