Cal has been working for WKU Athletics since September of 2024 and serves as the GM of Ticket Sales and Operations.
He comes to The Hill from South Carolina where he served as an account executive for the Retention team at the University. The program was started by Cannestra. That team went from two to eight people in less than a year and every Gamecock Club member had a representative they could contact, leading to record membership numbers.
Prior to his stint at South Carolina, Cannestra served as an account executive for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins and was there for one season.
Cannestra got his start in the athletics world at The Citadel as the Associate Director of Ticket Operations and Sales in the fall of 2019. Due to the effects of COVID-19, Cannestra was there for about 11 months.
He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina where he graduated from in 2018 with a degree in Sports and Entertainment Management. Cannestra also received his masters degree from South Carolina in 2019 with a specialization in Sports and Entertainment Management.
While he was an undergraduate at South Carolina he was a Capstone Scholar and Most Outstanding Senior Award recipient (given for high academic success, community engagement, and leadership in college).
Cannestra grew up in San Jose, California and his parents and brother currently reside in Scottsdale, Arizona. In his free time, Cannestra loves to play golf, enjoys going to the movies, and is an avid sports fan.
