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FROM WVU TO THE WORLD CUP

Sport management alum takes the lead behind U.S. Soccer’s biggest matches

By West Virginia University

December 12^th, 2025

John Terry is a name synonymous with football. For many around the world, it’s a name recognized as one of the defensive giants in Premier League and English football history.

For us at West Virginia University, and for the Atlanta-based United States Soccer Federation, there is another John Terry who is synonymous with what we call the game — soccer — and overseeing its events around the country.

JT, as his WVU classmates and Daily Athenaeum coworkers will forever refer to him, is a two-time graduate of WVU — receiving both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sport management — and is the vice president of events at U.S. Soccer.

What does that mean? Well, we went to Washington, D.C. to catch up with the alumnus during a United States Women’s National Team friendly against Canada to find out exactly what he does for the federation.

Arrival Day

With the USWNT playing Canada in a friendly on July 2, 2025, Terry and his team got to Washington, D.C. on June 30 — their seventh city in 32 days — which is when we met up outside of Audi Field to get an initial walkthrough and scout a location for the next day's interview in the stadium, as seen in the video above.

This was also our first glimpse at a common sight on-site — Terry leading the way while talking on the phone to iron out details.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry walks the sidewalk to Audi Field on June 30, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry walks through Audi Field on June 30, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

“Our national team is actually our national team.”

Training Day

Seven cities over 32 days in an international window seems like a lot of travel (and it is) when you look at other international programs who may have a single home base, or a stable of home stadiums, but it’s part of what gives U.S. Soccer its unique identity.

“We don’t have a home stadium, so we’re traveling around the country. We play in 15 to 25 different stadiums a year. And so what’s cool is our national team is actually our national team,” Terry told us during an interview as the national teams took turns training in the nation’s capital.

This seventh stop was the final over that window and it was evident among the staff as they prepared for the next day’s match. They joked about who was the true “iron man” of the international window and compared ‘National Caps’ just as broadcast teams will when highlighting a player’s number of appearances.

“There’s some months that we spend more time with each other than our families, and so we have to figure out a way to like each other,” Terry said smirking about his team.

“And we always have those moments where we have been on the road a lot and we do act like a family, but at the end of the day we get everything done and we have a bunch of really, really talented people who just want to make it happen and put on a show for our fans.”

One of the really impressive things to note here is that this traveling family “circus,” as Terry joked about the way the team moves in and out of cities, is that a lot of the really hard work comes before game day.

And, indeed, the day before the game is filled with stadium walks, branding checks, meetings, phone calls, and, of course, coffee.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry works on his computer at Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry walks the Audi Field grounds with his team members on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry listens in on a media production meeting at Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry discusses production details at Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry finds a pocket of sunlight during a meeting at Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry heads back to his team's headquarters in a locker room at Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry leans against a pallet of drink sponsors Coca-Cola and Powerade products, at Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry laughs during a meeting at Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry laughs while working on his computer at Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry is silhouetted on the pitch at Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry drinks a coffee while reacting to the camera at Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry discusses activation locations outside of Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry walks into the stands at Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry talks on the phone while walking the stands at Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry checks his positioning and posture in a phone before being interviewed at Audi Field on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

“In a perfect world, by the time the game rolls around, we’re really bored because we’ve done everything in the preparation to get to where we need to be.”

Game Day

Terry’s team negotiates and schedules these matches, and handles the fan experiences like installations, activations and fireworks. They oversee ticketing, make credentials, handle the corner flags and manage officials and their equipment.

So, when it’s game day, it truly, hopefully, is a chance to take a breath, watch the organized magic come to fruition and watch the, literal and figurative, fireworks.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry talks with team members before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry prints a press credential before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry laughs while working behind-the-scenes before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry poses for a photo on the pitch before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry works on his computer before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry takes a call from the field before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry meets in the broadcast truck before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry looks out of wall-to-wall windows in a VIP space before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry points out broadcast camera locations before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry takes a break while walking the stands before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry smiles as he looks out at the fan experiences before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry looks out at the pitch from the Insiders Lounge before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry watches as the Women's National Team arrives before they take on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry talks with team members before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry walks to the pitch with a team member before the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry talks pitch-side as the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry meets with a friend as the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry talks pitch-side as the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry watches from a pitch-side hospitality section as the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry walks back to the locker space as the Women's National Team takes on Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry talks with a coworker following the Women's National Team's 3-0 win over Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry laughs on the pitch following the Women's National Team's 3-0 win over Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry talks with coworkers following the Women's National Team's 3-0 win over Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry watches fireworks with friends following the Women's National Team's 3-0 win over Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry watches the fireworks with coworkers following the Women's National Team's 3-0 win over Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry watches the fireworks with coworkers following the Women's National Team's 3-0 win over Canada at Audi Field on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

“[I’m] so very thankful that I happened to wander into Morgantown and attend WVU.”

Terry’s journey is more than the sum of WVU and U.S. Soccer. His career started in sport management at the WVU College of Applied Human Sciences and his hard work since has led him to a vice president position at U.S. Soccer, with the United States on the verge of a joint-hosting of the 2026 World Cup — an unbelievable chance to grow soccer in this country through Terry-led events around the country, including the U.S. Open Cup.

It was at WVU that he first learned how to, and how difficult it can be, to manage people through his work with WVU Athletics and his six years at the Daily Athenaeum — real world experiences he took advantage of during his time in Morgantown that he now uses daily in his career.

And he made some of his best friends there to this day.

The next time you’re watching the U.S. men or women, keep an eye out for this Mountaineer on the pitch.

U.S. Soccer Vice President of Events John Terry poses for a photo with DA coworkers at Milan Puskar Stadium. (The Daily Athenaeum/Matt Sunday)

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Footnotes

Story and photos by Matt Sunday. Video by David Ryan and Hunter Given.

FootNotes

Story and photos by Matt Sunday. Video by David Ryan and Hunter Given.

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