U.S. Army veteran and UF alumna Lindsay Hartig leads through service
U.S. Army veteran and recent University of Florida graduate Lindsay Hartig has dedicated her life to lifting others — from her 15-month deployment in Iraq to her current role with the Philadelphia Eagles.
As a game-day staff supervisor overseeing the FanDuel Lounge and the players’ entry and exit areas, her passion for helping others continues by serving Philadelphia athletes and fans.
“I fell in love with the bigger picture of sports and what it does in the world,” said Hartig, who earned a master’s degree in sport management in May from the College of Health and Human Performance. “Service is in our family’s hearts, and I do think that the foundation of the sports industry, too, is to serve.”
Navigating pivotal moments
Hartig’s military career began in 2001 when she was enrolled in the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School at West Point, the entry point into the U.S. military academy. Two months later, news broke about the World Trade Center attacks.
“I’m experiencing this life-changing event for our generation, and a lot of my friends, their dads were firefighters and policemen and actually passed away that day, so it was just very vivid and real to me at 18 years old, of what I was getting myself into,” Hartig said. “I knew on Sept. 11 that this is what I was meant to do.”
While at West Point, Hartig met her husband, and for the next decade, she served as a military intelligence and executive officer. During her service, the couple welcomed their first child, and her husband was deployed to Afghanistan shortly thereafter.
After returning from overseas, the family relocated to West Point, where her husband became a tactical officer leading cadets. As Hartig adjusted to life as a mother of three, she also served as a battalion senior adviser, supporting military families with life changes. But like many military households, the family was uprooted again – first to Kansas, and then to what felt like the assignment of a lifetime: Hawaii.
“After a decade of hardship, we finally felt like we were reaping the benefits of the military,” Hartig said.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic happened.
Far from family and everything familiar, Hartig homeschooled her children while reflecting on her future.
“Through COVID, diving into my children’s education made me realize that I wanted to go back,” Hartig said.
Pursuing her passions
As a lifelong athlete and former student-athlete, Hartig was drawn to the sport management program at UF.
“Sport management really spoke to me with the 2028 Olympics coming up and the whole business side,” Hartig said.
When looking at online programs offering high-quality education and flexibility, UF’s Online Master of Science in Sport Management and Sport Event Management Graduate Certificate programs were no-brainers.
“I always wanted to be a Gator,” said Hartig, who had moved to Florida at age 10. “UF was my No. 1 choice.”
Though she initially worried about missing the benefits of an in-person program, her decision was reaffirmed when her family received another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: a three-year assignment to Australia.
From halfway around the world, her family adapted to life as Aussies, and Hartig adapted to life as a graduate student.
While she had the option to complete her degree overseas, Alyssa Tavormina, Ph.D., director of the online sport management master’s program, encouraged her to delay her final semester until her family relocated back to the United States to gain in-person experience through a practicum.
Finding a fulfilling career
Back in the U.S. and in her last semester, Hartig joined the Philadelphia Eagles as a concierge ambassador, assisting fans in locating premium areas and supporting special events.
“We’re selling emotions, we’re selling feelings – that’s why fans come back,” Hartig said. “I just love that part.”
She recalls the excitement surrounding the 2025 Super Bowl playoffs between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders.
“The excitement of the playoffs is next-level – over-the-top excitement and energy,” Hartig said. “This is why I’m here. This is why I’m doing this.”
Earlier this month, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Hartig as their 2025 nominee for the United Services Automobile Association Salute to Service Award, an annual award that acknowledges the exceptional efforts by members of the NFL community to honor and support U.S. service members, veterans and their families.
Although her family awaits their next assignment, Hartig remains optimistic. She carries with her the lessons of military service, the education of a Gator graduate and the experience from the playing field.
“I tell my kids, ‘Bloom where you’re planted,’” Hartig said.