Nancy Cross teams with Mike Bobinski, Jason Butikofer, Ed Howat and Calvin Williams in the office of sports administration for Purdue Athletics. Cross oversees five programs - women's basketball, men's and women's golf, and men's and women's tennis - and is the athletics department senior woman administrator. She also manages a portfolio of department donors.

Cross has held numerous positions in the athletics department, including associate athletics director for marketing and development (1999-2004), director of the John Purdue Club (1993-99), assistant director of the John Purdue Club (1988-93), promotions coordinator (1984-88), head field hockey coach (1981-88) and assistant women's basketball coach (1979-84).

During her tenure as field hockey coach, Cross led the Boilermakers to a 66-60-16 record. She was honored as the Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year in 1987. She served as sport commissioner for field hockey for the 1987 Pan American Games and on the WGC local organizing committee in 1991.

Cross joined the Purdue staff as assistant field hockey and assistant women's basketball coach in 1977 while earning her master's degree in physical education. After successfully completing her master's in 1978, Cross returned to her alma mater, Ashland (Ohio) College. At Ashland, she was head coach of both the women's basketball team and women's tennis team.

A native of Walpole, Massachusetts, Cross has been very active in campus and community service. She has been the recipient of many campus honors and awards, including Outstanding Advisor by the Purdue Foundation Student Board and Outstanding Woman (sports category) by Greater Lafayette.