The people spoke and UND hockey officials listened; Mark Lindquist will be singing the national anthem at every game this season.
The well-known actor, motivational speaker and vocalist has been a favorite at UND sporting events and said he couldn’t be happier with the job.
“In the national anthem universe … to get a full-time gig for a program as popular and as storied as UND men’s hockey is one in a million,” Lindquist said.
The agreement is rare, Lindquist said, as the majority of universities don’t hire one performer for all of their games.
David Primus, UND’s assistant athletics director of marketing and licensing, said the school received a lot of positive feedback on social media sites after Lindquist’s appearances last year.
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That made Lindquist an obvious choice to perform at every game, he said.
“It’s rare for an anthem singer to get a full time gig,” Lindquist said. “It’s like winning the national anthem lottery, so it’s an honor for me.”
The Ralph Engelstad Arena will pay Lindquist for the performances while UND provides other services, like a designated practice room before each game.
Lindquist appeared in ABC’s “Lost,” CBS’ “Hawaii Five-O,” the movie “Battleship” and sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at about six various UND sporting events last year.
“I do the national anthem to keep the arts and singing in my life,” he said.
Lindquist lives in Fargo and also works as a public speaker, which he will continue to do while singing at UND hockey games.
