From Locker Room to Boardroom: Jett Sutton’s NxtSzn Prepares Athletes Beyond College

By: Marissa Burian

For Jett Sutton, being a student-athlete at UND has always meant more than competing on the field. It is about staying prepared, thinking ahead, and helping others succeed. Now he is taking that mindset off the field with NxtSzn, a platform designed to help collegiate athletes navigate the transition from sports to careers.

Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Jett is a UND football safety pursuing his MBA with a concentration in Data and Analytics. Alongside academics and athletics, he co-founded NxtSzn to provide student-athletes with the tools and guidance needed to launch their careers once college sports end.

Building NxtSzn

The idea for NxtSzn came from Jett’s own experiences and conversations with teammates. He noticed that while many college graduates were finding jobs and internships quickly, student-athletes often faced longer timelines and fewer opportunities. To confirm this, he surveyed 100 recent or soon-to-be UND graduates across all sports. The results highlighted a clear gap. Fewer athletes had completed internships or secured post-graduate positions quickly compared to their non-athlete peers.

This insight led to the first version of NxtSzn. Jett and his partner worked to refine the concept through direct feedback from student-athletes, building a platform centered on real needs. Today, NxtSzn allows student-athletes to build resumes, connect with alumni, and access career opportunities in one centralized location.

A Unique Perspective

Jett’s experience as a student-athlete has played a critical role in shaping how he approaches the platform. Balancing practice, travel, competition, and academics has given him a clear understanding of the challenges his peers face.

“Student-athletes live an abnormal schedule,” he said. “You are constantly juggling practice, travel, competition, recovery, and academics all at once.”

Most athletes are not skipping networking events or ignoring their resumes because they do not care. They are doing it because they are exhausted and stretched thin, and the resources available to them are often built for students with a completely different reality. That gap is something you can speak to with real credibility, and it shapes the way you think about what tools and support actually make a difference.

The Role of Nistler

Jett credits his experience at Nistler College for playing a key role in turning NxtSzn from an idea into a working platform.

“The mentorship program through Nistler (Pancratz) gave me a clear blueprint for how a similar program should be structured and what that looks like in practice. I was able to learn so much from the people around me, whether it was professors willing to have real conversations outside of class or peers building their own projects. Those relationships ended up being just as valuable as the coursework itself,” he said.

Through programs like the Pancratz Mentor Program and access to engaged faculty, Jett was able to apply what he was learning in real time. The collaborative environment at Nistler encouraged him to test ideas, ask questions, and refine his approach with input from both professors and peers.

His coursework has also played a direct role in shaping how he approaches NxtSzn. With a strong foundation in business principles and exposure to multiple areas of study, he is able to think more strategically about growth, operations, and long-term impact.

Looking Ahead

As NxtSzn continues to develop, Jett’s focus remains on building a strong foundation at UND before expanding to other universities and athletic programs. The goal is to create a model that effectively supports student-athletes in their career development and can be replicated at scale.

“Ideally we do. We are currently focused on building as strong of a connection for our own alumni and employers here at UND and then will look to expand to other athletic departments that are looking to support their own student-athletes through career development,” he said.

The platform is already active, with plans to expand beyond its pilot phase and reach a wider audience of student-athletes and alumni.

Advice for Student-Athletes

For student-athletes interested in pursuing their own ideas or ventures, Jett emphasizes the importance of focus and sustainability.

“Pick one idea and go deep on it. Spreading yourself too thin usually means finishing nothing,” he said.

He also encourages athletes to take advantage of their unique skill set. “The best part is that the skills you have developed through sports, the discipline, the coachability, and the ability to perform under pressure, will carry over in ways you might not expect. Most people in business have never pushed through the kind of intensity you deal with regularly, and that experience gives you a definitive edge.”

Most importantly, he stresses the value of surrounding yourself with the right people. “Surround yourself with people who bring different strengths to the table, and find a mentor who has already walked the path you are on. The right person in your corner can help you avoid mistakes that would otherwise cost you months of progress. And when things do go wrong, treat it like a bad practice. It hurts, you learn from it, and you move on,” he said.

Jett Sutton’s journey reflects the evolving role of student-athletes, not just as competitors, but as innovators and leaders. Through NxtSzn, he is creating opportunities for others while building something that extends far beyond his time at UND.

Contact Jett Sutton

Current student-athletes, alumni, or local businesses interested in partnering with NxtSzn can reach him at jett@nxtszn.net.