07/23/2025
Since graduating from SUNY Cortland in 2022, Nicole Bellettiere’s career has taken her from New York to Florida and now has rewarded the former sport management major with championship gold.
An internship experience and alumni connections made the difference.
Alongside fellow Red Dragon Zoe Leonard ’18, Bellettiere coordinated event operational efforts during the inaugural season for Tampa Bay Sun FC, helping the first women’s professional soccer team in the Tampa Bay area capture the inaugural United Super League (USL) Super League Championship in front of a sold-out Riverfront Stadium on June 14.
Bellettiere’s journey began as a sport event manager under the leadership of Associate Director of Athletics Jaclyn Lawrence ’12, M ’14 while still perusing her sport management undergraduate degree. That relationship allowed Bellettiere to connect with Leonard, who at the time was the gameday operations manager for the Orlando City SC, and secure a role as matchday operations associate in February 2023.
“Every semester, I would sit down and have a meeting with Zoe, get some advice from her, and just kind of chat and update each other on what we’re doing,” said Bellettiere, a native of Slate Hill, N.Y. “So, in the back of my mind I thought, ‘maybe I’ll end up in Orlando. And one thing led to another.”
The one-year internship with Orlando fortified Bellettiere’s relationship with Leonard, leading to a full-time role with Tampa Bay after Leonard was named the director of facilities and event operations in May 2024. The role presented numerous challenges, as games were played at Riverfront Stadium, located on the campus of Blake High School. Luckily, Bellettiere was aided by her part-time staff, who helped during all facets of the 20-hour ritual that included set-up, actual gameday operations and breakdown.
The team’s 28-game schedule saw the Sun finish with a 12-6-10 regular season record, which secured a berth in the USL Super
League playoffs. A 2-1 win over Dallas Trinity FC in the semifinals set the stage for a home game in the league final against Fort Lauderdale United FC, which drew more than 5,000 fans to see the Sun secure a 1-0 victory.
“I’m big on being able to take a step back and appreciate everything coming to fruition and seeing my plan in action,” Bellettiere said. “Our home opener was a sellout; our final home game of the regular season was another sellout. And then the finals was the third sellout, which was great. It was the cherry on top of everything. All our fans, they are the ones who keep the team going.”
Bellettiere’s journey will continue with Tampa Bay Sun FC, following a July promotion into the role of senior coordinator for events and match operations. Her journey, which began at Cortland and has been fortified by others connected to the campus, has forged an incredible path that has allowed Bellettiere to pursue her goals.
“I had no idea what I wanted to do when I first arrived. There was a guest speaker on campus and basically talking about their career [in gameday event operations], and that for me was my ‘aha’ moment. When I originally connected with Jaclyn, one of her goals was just getting my resume filled up. And I think what sealed the deal was me having that connection with Zoe. It’s a great bond that her and I have built. And it all stems from Cortland.”