As millions of fans watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 across North America, a team of Rice University alumni is helping ensure the tournament runs smoothly behind the scenes.
At Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas — one of the tournament’s premier venues and host of nine matches, including a semifinal — three Owls are playing critical operational roles in the massive effort required to stage the world’s biggest sporting event.
Brandon Nimmers, a current Rice MBA student and venue logistics manager for Dallas, helped assemble the logistics leadership team responsible for tournament operations at the site. Among those he recruited were fellow Rice alumni Chaundra Frank and Josh Obregon, both serving as deputy venue logistics managers.
Together, the trio is helping manage the logistical undertaking required to stage matches at Dallas Stadium while supporting broader tournament operations across the Dallas host city, which is also home to the tournament’s international broadcast center, making it one of the competition’s most important hubs.
“Working on the biggest event in the world — you know what FIFA is, and you know what the World Cup is — that opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Nimmers said. “The last time there was a World Cup in the U.S. was more than 30 years ago, so there aren’t a lot of people who can say they worked on an event like this.”
Behind the scenes, the logistics team coordinates everything needed to keep operations running smoothly. Their responsibilities include managing hundreds of pallets of equipment and materials, coordinating truck deliveries, overseeing storage and distribution operations and supporting tournament functions ranging from broadcasting and hospitality to medical services and team operations.
“There’s no room for delays. A big part of our job is constantly adjusting in real time to keep everything moving, even when conditions change,” Frank said.
For Frank, the assignment represents a full-circle moment. A two-time Rice graduate with degrees in economics, sport management and an MBA, she also competed in track and field as a student-athlete. After careers in energy trading, management consulting and nonprofit leadership — most recently serving as chief financial officer of the Houston Botanic Garden — she has found herself back in the sports world on one of its biggest stages.
“To witness something of this magnitude come together, the largest sporting event on the planet ... and to know that Rice is part of it is nothing short of remarkable,” Frank said. “This is uncharted territory, but it’s also the biggest stage in the world. That combination is what makes it truly extraordinary.”
The experience has also underscored the strength of the Rice network.
“When we find out there’s another Rice alum in the room, there’s an instant connection,” Frank said. “We share a common experience and a level of trust that goes a long way.”
For Obregon, the World Cup has reinforced the impact of the Rice community far beyond campus.
“Being part of the FIFA World Cup 2026 has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help deliver one of the world’s most iconic sporting events,” Obregon said. “What has made the experience even more meaningful is serving alongside fellow Rice alumni, all united by a commitment to excellence, collaboration and problem-solving.”
As tournament preparations transition into match-day operations, years of planning are giving way to execution. Much of the work performed by the logistics team will go unnoticed by spectators, but it remains essential to the success of every match.
“I’d like to continue carrying on the standard of excellence that’s got me into all of those positions and will continue to move my career forward,” Nimmers said. “We definitely want to be people where you can say, ‘He’s from Rice,’ and that reflects well on the university.”
And when the first crowds pour into Dallas Stadium, the payoff for months of preparation will become tangible.
“You walk into the stadium on match day and 73,000 people start yelling — and it’s chills,” Nimmers said. “You think, ‘Oh my gosh, this is amazing.’”