Colorado University Athletics

Jon Burianek, Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame

Jon Burianek, Administration

 

  • 38-Year Service To CU Athletic Department
  • Tenure With Department Ties Most All-Time For Non Coaches
  • "Honorary C" Member
  • Past president, Collegiate Athletic Business Management Association

Jon Burianek faithfully served the athletic department for 38 years, retiring in 2006, though he recently has returned on a part-time basis working home football games; he was truly one of the athletic department's "home grown" veterans ... The last 24 years of his tenure he served as the associate athletic director for internal affairs; he was named a senior associate AD on July 1, 1999, with the added responsibility of facilities development to his role ... His first job was a student assistant in the business office while attending CU in the late 1960s; he was named CU's athletic ticket manager in 1970, a position he held until 1987.

His duties were expanded in 1979, as he became an assistant athletic director, which included the role of business manager ... He attended the University of Colorado and was a chemistry major, and also attended the University of Oslo (Norway) as a junior in 1966-67, studying in the same field ... When he returned to Boulder that summer, he began working in athletics, and the following year, he became basketball ticket manager while still an undergraduate ... In fact, his 38 years of full-time service to the department tied for the most all-time among non-coaches at the University and third overall ... CU's first athletic director, Harry Carlson, spent 38 years with the program; Frank Potts, who coached the cross country and track teams for 41 years, is the only other person to serve CU athletics longer.  In 1984, Burianek was awarded the GÇ£Honorary CGÇ¥ for his contributions to CU athletics ... He finished his career working 415 consecutive CU football games (home, road and neutral), as the streak started with ColoradoGÇÖs 49-19 win at Air Force in 1970 (he worked 432 overall) ... He stopped counting long ago how many menGÇÖs and womenGÇÖs basketball and volleyball games he has worked... after reaching 1,000 (the number likely was over 1,500) ... He was the tournament manager for the 1985, 1989 and 1996 NCAA West Regionals, hosted by CU and held in Denver, and served in a similar capacity for the 1990 Final Four ... He was a past president of the Collegiate Athletic Business Management Association, and was an officer in the organization for nearly 20 years.