June 10, 2026
Contact: Eric Stann, StannE@missouri.edu
Photo courtesy of Taylor Ashford
Taylor Ashford, BS ’13, was on his lunch break when his phone rang. Minutes later, he was blinking back tears. The call carried life-changing news: He’d been named a Host City Volunteer Manager for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Kansas City.
This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity would bring him back to his hometown and place him near the center of one of the world’s largest sporting events.
“It felt like something out of a movie,” he said. “I was honored. I was emotional. It was a dream come true.”
For the University of Missouri alumnus, the moment represented more than a career milestone. It was the convergence of a lifelong love of sports, years of professional preparation and the academic foundation he built with a degree in parks, recreation, sport and tourism from Mizzou’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
Finding a home at Mizzou
Long before the FIFA World Cup call, Ashford knew where he wanted to start his journey. During his senior year of high school, he applied to several universities — but only one felt right.
“Mizzou felt like home,” he said.
That sense of familiarity wasn’t accidental. Growing up, Ashford regularly traveled to Columbia for state basketball tournaments and other events, experiences that quietly rooted the campus into his personal history.
When he arrived as a student, that connection deepened.
A lifelong athlete who played multiple sports, Ashford wanted to understand the game beyond the field of play. Mizzou’s sports management program offered that perspective and quickly reframed how he viewed both college and his future.
“For the first time, the classroom came alive,” he said. “What I was learning matched the future I was trying to build.”
That alignment proved pivotal. Today, Ashford credits Mizzou’s program with providing both the technical foundation and the confidence to pursue a career in the sports industry — lessons reinforced by mentors who emphasized professionalism, communication and leadership.
In one course, reading “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell left a particularly lasting impression.
“It changed how I thought about work and opportunity,” he said. “It showed me what’s possible when you put in the time.”
Trusting the process
Ashford spent several years working with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and the NFL’s Houston Texans, gaining experience in high-pressure, professional sports environments. Like many professionals, he encountered moments of uncertainty and self-doubt.
Instead of viewing those detours as setbacks, Ashford learned to see them as part of the process.
“You have to be willing to take risks,” he said. “You have to try new things.”
Eventually, one unexpected moment brought his journey full circle after he returned to Kansas City to help a fellow Mizzou alumnus with a community event.
“I started paying attention to local opportunities,” he said. “That’s when I decided to apply for the FIFA role.”
When he called his mother with the news that he’d been selected, the emotion was immediate.
“She answered and asked what was wrong,” he said. “I told her, ‘Mom, I’m coming home.’”
The magnitude of that decision became real the moment he landed at Kansas City International Airport. As he passed a countdown clock marking the days until kickoff, travelers around him were already wearing FIFA World Cup gear.
“That was the ‘wow’ moment,” he said. “I realized this was really happening. The world is coming to Kansas City, and I get to help open the door.”
As a Host City Volunteer Manager, Ashford will help lead and support thousands of volunteers responsible for bringing the event to life across the region. The role demands constant collaboration, communication and leadership — skills he traces directly back to his time at Mizzou.
Now working on a global stage, Ashford’s advice for current and future students is simple but hard-earned.
“You can write your own story,” he said. “Sometimes it just unfolds differently than you planned.”
