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Sana Merchant-Rupani of the NFL on Sports as the Fabric of Fans' Identity
Providing community, purpose and a sense of belonging
Now in her 11th season with the National Football League, Sana serves as the senior director of club and college marketing. She supports the NFL’s 32 teams and 110+ collegiate partners, driving the game of football through engaging and relevant social content. Efforts include the College Social Program, tapping into the passion of fans to turn school spirit into long-term NFL support.
Sana began her career at Burson. She also worked in marketing for the Empire State Building, where she drove social media strategy and messaging. In this role, she supported high-profile campaigns, including #WhosGonnaWin with Verizon, the 50th anniversary celebration of the Ford Mustang and the first live projection onto the iconic NYC skyscraper for the Oceanic Preservation Society.
We spent two minutes with Sana to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she’s admired.
Sana, tell us …
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Carrollton, Texas, which is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
What is your earliest sports memory?
Growing up in an Indian family, my dad would often talk about cricket matches. He wasn’t an avid fan, but always followed during key moments.
Who are your favorite sports team(s)?
I’m a fan of all of the Dallas teams, including my SMU Mustangs.
Favorite athlete(s).
Luka Doncic, Dirk Nowitzki, Troy Aikman, Serena Williams and Peyton Manning.
What is your favorite sports movie and/or show?
Friday Night Lights and Ted Lasso. Very different shows, but both do a great job of highlighting the emotional depth that surrounds sports.
What is your favorite sports podcast or news show?
I listen to SBJ’s Morning Buzzcast daily. Others on my list include SBJ’s Sports Media Podcast, Bloomberg’s Business of Sports and Good Morning Football. And of course, who doesn’t love New Heights?
What is a recent project you’re proud of?
I’ve been extremely fortunate to be a part of some of the NFL’s most unique executions—from our 100th anniversary programming to printing tweets on Super Bowl confetti. We streamed live games on Netflix in December, reaching viewers from 218 countries and territories. The games amassed over 1 billion impressions across Netflix and NFL global social handles. To play a part in such a massive execution has been a career highlight.
Someone else’s work that you admired recently.
Through the Clios, I came across Saucony’s “Marathumb Challenge,” and I was impressed by both the creativity and strategic thinking behind it. Instead of shaming people for their phone use, they flipped it into something fun and motivating.
What sports can do that nothing else can.
Sports are so much more than something fans have a casual interest in. They become the fabric of one’s identity. A team’s logo is often on the first onesie a newborn wears, or a tattoo that a fan gets to commemorate a championship. Sports have this ability to provide community, purpose and a sense of belonging that few other things in life can replicate.
What you’d be doing if you weren’t in the sports space.
I worked in the travel and tourism space prior to my current role, so I’d be exploring more of that industry.
The 2025 Clio Sports Awards are open! Enter your most creative work HERE by Sept. 5.
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
