SSAC

Duncan French - Vice President of Performance, UFC Performance Institute Deni Batchvarova - Senior Vice President, Strategy, UFC Forrest Griffin - Vice President of Athlete Development, UFC Performance Institute Matt Kenny (moderator) - Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions, ESPN   Observing the raw energy of a mixed martial arts match, one might assume that analytics don't have a place in the octagon. 10 years ago that might have been the case, but the UFC has revolutionized the use of analytics in the sport through their pioneering Performance Institutes. Bringing together a global pool of athletes, these facilities have devised new methods to create data where there was none before and deliver impact during development, training, and the matches themselves. This panel brings together UFC executive, performance scientist, and athlete perspectives to dissect how far the space has come and what the next opportunities are to deploy technology and analytics for knockout results.

Sue Bird - Point Guard, Seattle Storm Mike Zarren - Assistant General Manager, Boston Celtics JJ Redick - 15 year NBA Veteran and Co-founder of ThreeFourTwo Productions Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers Tom Haberstroh (moderator) - Analyst / Reporter, Meadowlark Media     This year marks the NBA's 75th anniversary. In the last three-quarters of a century, the game has evolved in such a way that even James Naismith might not recognize it. While there have been some massive overhauls – from the merger of the ABA and NBA in 1976 to the introduction of the three-point line in 1979 – the NBA product has changed each year, most recently with the play-in game playoff format. It is inevitable that the game will continue to change. But how? Is the 4 point line a realistic next step? Will teams have a spot for traditional centers? Will we continue to see the rise of international superstars like Luka and Giannis? Will the WNBA continue to grow at a historic pace? What will the competitive advantage of the next dynasty be? Will the mid-range shot be extinct? Join our panel of expert basketball minds as they opine on the future of the game.

Jeff Price, CCO of the PGA of America, David Marr, CEO of Acushnet, and Ken Lovell, SVP of Golf Technology at the PGA Tour, dive into the golf revolution driven by data. They discuss how data analytics has transformed player performance and fan engagement, making golf more accessible. The trio highlights technology's role in customizing experiences for golfers and attracting new audiences. They also explore the innovative ShotLink system, enhancing how fans experience the game and shaping the future of golf.

Val Ackerman - Commissioner, BIG EAST Conference Amy Privette Perko - CEO, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Elizabeth Lindsey - Managing Partner, Wasserman Michele Steele (moderator) - Reporter, ESPN   While 2020 saw college sports scrambling through the pandemic, 2021 brought about a flurry of changes that reshaped the landscape of college sports. Massive changes to the NIL rules have resulted in college football recruit Travis Hunter receiving $1.5M before he even enrolls at Jackson State, Texas and Oklahoma signaled they are going to make the jump to the SEC in another conference realignment move, and the new NCAA constitution enacted in January gives significantly more autonomy to divisions to develop their own policies. As a result of these changes, schools have an entirely different regime to navigate heading into the next decade. Will there be a super division? How will the concept of scholarships be altered? Which athletes will reap the rewards? Will we still see an overhaul of the college football playoffs? What will the NIL rules mean for the Olympics? This panel brings together the key leaders from different areas of the college ecosystem, including schools, conferences, agencies, and advocacy groups to discuss all of the massive recent changes, and to answer the ultimate question: What is the future of college sports?

Kristin Bernert - President of Business Operations, Columbus Crew Frances Traisman - Senior Vice President Sales, Seattle Mariners Jonathan Tillman - SVP Team Marketing & Business Operations, NBA Patrick Ryan - Co-Founder, Eventellect Shira Springer (moderator) - Journalist and Lecturer, Boston University and MIT Sloan   The world of ticketing has been front and center to the challenges and changes of live sports over the last two years. As fan preferences change and technology improves, the landscape for ticketing for all parties involved -- teams, leagues, and actual ticketing agencies -- is also rapidly evolving. With contactless and paperless ticketing becoming the norm, teams and leagues are now thinking more critically about their ticketing strategy, which has kicked open the door for deeper integration between ticketing and the fan experience before, during, and after games. This panel brings together executives across teams and leagues and ticketing strategists to discuss the lasting effects of COVID, how new technology will continue to foster innovation, and what ticketing will look like at the end of the decade.

Mark Walker - Head of Sports Business Development & Innovation, ESPN Marie Donoghue - Vice President of Global Sports Video, Amazon Dave Abbott - Managing Director, US Sports Media, Sportradar Stephanie McMahon - Chief Brand Officer, WWE Shelley Pisarra (moderator) - Executive Vice President of Global Insights and Strategy, Wasserman   “The game is on!” is a refrain that has rung out around the world for over a hundred years. The way in which we experience these contests has evolved dramatically - live viewing, radio, television, streaming - and new innovations promise to continue revolutionizing the viewing experience going forward. Cutting edge analytics and real time data feeds, including live sports betting content, add texture to the action while groundbreaking augmented and virtual reality displays promise to enmesh us in the experience in ways never before possible. Even more, it is not just the viewing that has evolved but also the nature of the contests themselves as sports content is continuously reinvented. Combine all this with increased engagement driven by the advance of legalized sports betting and there is a convergence of data, technology, and interest that promises to reinvigorate the fan experience and capture the imagination of new generations. Join us as key leaders in tech, media, content, and data discuss how their worlds are colliding and what it means for the future of sports business.

Dawn Aponte - Chief Administrator of Football Operations, NFL John Nisi - COO of Azure Data and Artificial Intelligence, Microsoft Dejan Mitkovski - VP, Analytics, FanDuel Yael Grushka-Cockayne (moderator) - Professor, Darden School of Business   Any type of organization in the sports world -- teams, leagues, and businesses -- needs to be strong in the face of change and adversity. The past few years have taught us how harnessing the power of data is a business imperative and differentiator. With 79 zettabytes of data produced in 2021, lack of data is not an excuse. How are leagues using data to ensure player safety? How are companies using data to develop competitive advantages? This panel will bring together critical thinkers from Microsoft, FanDuel, and the NFL to discuss the power of data in decision-making in the sports world.

Meredith McPherron - CEO & Managing Partner, Drive by DraftKings Mitch Lasky - Partner, Benchmark / Co-Owner, LAFC Jeff Ma - VP, Microsoft for Startups Bruce Smith - Founder & CEO, Hydrow Corbin Petro (moderator) - Co-Founder & CEO, Eleanor Health   The data doesn’t lie – 90% of start-ups fail, including 65% that raise VC funding, and only 5% of VCs return more than 3x to their LPs. Yet the allure of entrepreneurship and investing drive innovation across industries and sectors, including sports and analytics. This panel brings together successful entrepreneurs from Microsoft and investors and venture capitalists from ARod Corp and Drive by DraftKings to discuss building companies, burgeoning investment trends, and their best advice for emerging founders.

Mark Abbott - President and Deputy Commissioner, Major League Soccer Jordan Solomon - Partner, Arctos Sports Partners Benjamin Hesse - COO, J.P. Morgan's Asset & Wealth Management Ben Fischer (moderator) - Staff Writer, Sports Business Journal   Returns in sports ownership have outpaced public market indices by ~4-6% per year over the last decade. And just recently, leagues have begun allowing institutions to acquire interests in sports teams. These rule changes paved the way for a banner year for sports private equity investments in 2021. Firms invested nearly $2 billion into acquiring stakes in professional teams; namely, Sixth Street Partners and Dell took a 30% stake in the San Antonio Spurs, and Arctos Sports Partners acquired 10% of the Minnesota Wild. This panel convenes titans from JP Morgan and Arctos, NBA ownership in NBA Champion Wes Edens, and the MLS President who opened the league to more diverse ownership structures. This will be a lively discussion on what makes sports teams an attractive investment opportunity, the private equity plan for ownership, how primary team ownership has evolved, and where investors will be looking for alpha in the future.

Calvin Johnson, Co-Founder, Primitiv Bomani Jones (moderator) - Host and Commentator, ESPN   On the football field, Calvin Johnson took the world by storm; his nine-year career in Detroit ended with his donning a gold jacket in Canton. But since retirement, Calvin has also stood out in the business world, launching a cannabis company and partnering with Harvard to research its impact on CTE. Join Calvin as he sits down with Bomani Jones for a deep-dive into the world of cannabis and athletes' role in its proliferation; how Calvin's football career helped him succeed in the business world; and a reflection on his Hall of Fame career.