Posted on November 5, 2026 by Wendy Frost
Growing up, team sports like baseball and basketball were always a part of Mike Setser’s, ’97 life. But, he never imagined they’d also become part of his career.
Mike Setser
As the vice president of corporate sales and retention with Spurs Sports & Entertainment, Setser found a way to combine his love of sales and passion for athletics into a 23-year career.
Setser entered college playing baseball at Howard Payne University. He returned home after his freshman year and enrolled at UT San Antonio.
“When it came time to choose a major, my advisor asked about my interests,” said Setser. “I’ve always played sports, and I love talking to people. So, I chose psychology to get a better understanding of human interactions.”
Working full time as a bellman at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort while also attending school full time, Setser was unsure of his future. He remembers looking up to the sales team at the Hyatt envying their roles.
“I shadowed the Hyatt sales team to better understand what characteristics were important in this field and realized that one of the basic fundamentals was being able to connect with people — something in which I’ve always excelled.”
Much like sports, sales can be a competitive industry. And Setser’s experience leading teams was useful in this pressure-filled environment. After graduation he continued working as a bellman at the Hyatt because he loved their corporate culture, while he gained sales experience at a computer training company.
When an entry level sales role opened at the Hyatt, he jumped at the opportunity. In addition to prospecting for new business, he was responsible for managing trade accounts, which included the Spurs’ account. After 18 months he was promoted to a large market sales role; however, he chose to keep the Spurs’ account because of the relationships he’d built with their team.
“I managed the Spurs account for five years and became good friends with Joe Clark, who was their vice president of sales at the time,” said Setser. “I’d gotten to a point in my career with the Hyatt that I’d have to move to advance. And, my family and my roots were here in San Antonio.”
Setser heard about an opening with the Spurs and reached out to Clark, who set up an interview with Spurs leadership. He interviewed for the role on a Monday, and by Friday of that week he was offered the job.
“It was a heck of a time to start,” said Setser. “My official start date was June 1, and one month later, I’m floating down the River Walk celebrating their championship win.”
His first role with the Spurs entailed selling premium seats, suites and boxes. Currently he is responsible for overseeing the sales and retention efforts for suites and premium boxes; while also managing business development and strategic planning for the premium team. Setser works closely with the Frost Bank Center’s food and beverage partner and assists with sales and retention efforts at the private membership Spurs Club. In addition to his core responsibilities, he also collaborates with the procurement team.
“We put a plan together to encourage the procurement partners that we were investing with to also invest back into the team,” he shared. “And that launched the next phase of my career as a vice president.”
With the Frost Bank Center hosting over 90 events a year, Setser works a lot of nights and weekends visiting with clients, assisting the premium team and continuing to build on longstanding relationships.
“I love what I’m doing, who I’m doing it with and who I’m doing it for,” he said. “The Spurs organization has such a strong culture and values. They’ve allowed me to grow my career without leaving the organization. They also encouraged me to give back to this community.”
For Setser, he’s chosen to lean in and support the university that established his business foundation. Football drew him back to UT San Antonio. He and his wife, Victoria, are inaugural season ticket holders.
From there he served eight years on the Alumni Association board. He later joined the college’s Dean’s Advisory Council, a role he still holds.
“I joined the council when my son was a business student there,” he shared. “It let me see how the business community supports the college, what additional help is needed and how important the university is to the business community.”
Serving now as the president of the Roadrunner Foundation, he felt it was a natural fit given his connection to sports.
“I’ve never been in a leadership role with a board, so it’s been a great learning experience,” he said. “The majority of these student athletes are going into the workforce when they’re done. It’s not only about making sure they have the right resources while they’re here; but finding them a place within the business community when they graduate.”
Because of his extensive ties to the university, Setser was recognized this year as a distinguished alumnus by the Alumni Association. “Individual awards are hard for me to accept,” he said. “I am extremely appreciative and humbled by the Alumni Association’s recognition.”
Finding joy in the growth and successes of his team members, Setser strives for continual personal growth as well.
“One way to do that is by expanding your network and supporting other organizations,” he said. “And fortunately, the Spurs have always given me that opportunity. My experience with UTSA has been the same.
“UTSA provided me with the foundation that I needed to be successful.”
— Wendy Frost
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