Navigating Sports Business

Latasha Causey - President of Phoenix Raceway - discuses her transition from banking to the sports industry, and why she's so excited for the future of NASCAR. She highlights the creative activations that she's coordinated to increase excitement around her races, attract younger fans to the sport, and maximize value for sponsors.   Details  4:40 - How Latasha got involved with NASCAR 6:50  - Diversity in NASCAR 10:50 - The Phoenix Raceway 13:35 - Attracting younger fans 19:35 - Rapid Fire Questions   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Joe Moglia - Former Head Football Coach at Coastal Carolina, also formerly CEO of TD Ameritrade - on the possibility of the Power 5 football programs divorcing themselves from the NCAA, and why he thinks that's the logical next step for college athletics. He gives solutions for some of his plans' toughest challenges, including funding non-revenue sports if football dollars are no longer part of the same balance sheet. Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=3682fa61d7126eb5380a36a103fbadf5 For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Chris Davis - Chief Marketing Officer & Senior Vice President of Merchandising at New Balance - offers a great look into his philosophy for innovation and constant industry disruption. He explains how sports and culture have never been more intertwined than they are today, and what that means for brands like New Balance that are looking to establish themselves at that intersection.   Details 1:30 - Chris’s background 7:40 - Diverse perspectives 10:10 - The million dollar internship - Darius Bazley 12:30 - The ultimate challenger brand 21:25 - the 50-30-20 Strategy 30:25 - Recruiting athlete endorsers 37:20 - Marketing in baseball vs. other sports 43:55 - Recession-proofing 49:00 - Rapid Fire Questions   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Richard Lapchick – Director of The Institute for Diversity & Ethics in Sport (TIDES) and President of The Institute for Sport and Social Justice (ISSJ) – shares an incredible story about the power of sports, and his personal relationship with Nelson Mandela.   After being inaugurated as president of South Africa, Mandela chose to attend a soccer game, rather than the ongoing celebrations of his inauguration. He sat with Lapchick as his personal guest, and explained that he chose to attend the game in order to show appreciation for the sporting boycotts that helped free him from prison and supported his rise to the presidency.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=fe69ef5b370f9c8e6ae69e9cf2aebfcd   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Josh Brooks - the Director of Athletics at University of Georgia - sheds some light on the life of an SEC AD during an immensely successful period, including back-to-back national championships in football.   He details the highs and lows of the job, including the elation of victory, and then the reality that you are back to the grind within 24 hours. He also shares advice for the next generation of sports leaders hoping to one day sit in his chair.   Details 1:40 - What’s next after a national championship? 5:15 - A day in the life of an AD 17:30 - Josh’s career path 27:35 - Changes to collegiate athletics 36:40 - Rapid Fire Questions   Books: Unreasonable Hospitality The Creative Act: A Way of Being For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Terrell Jones - Head of Sports Strategic Partnerships at Flexpower - on how to be strategic with your endorsement budget with an economic recession looming, and how being smart with your money is crucial regardless of the situation.   He shares his preference for targeting up-and-coming athletes that "grow with the company," and gives some examples of deals he's seen go wrong due to the brand having insufficient information. We know that in a recession, brands that continue or increase marketing spend, see a 2.5x increase in sales, compared to competitors who cut back. Learn more in our guide to recession-proofing your sponsorship strategy: https://nvgt.com/blog/recession-proofing-your-sponsorship-strategy-2023/ Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast/?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=a6e9de81e68969273683f9a4960990ed   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Chris Pezman - Vice President for Athletics at the University of Houston - breaks down the transition to the Big 12, and the work that still needs to be done to compete at that level. He and AJ also discuss his first stint at UH as captain of the football team, the unlikely story of how he got a new stadium built as one of his first ever facilities projects, and the legend of Mattress Mack.   Details: 2:15 - Houston’s transition to the Big 12 13:50 - Standing out in the Power Five 22:55 - Chris’s start at UH as the captain of the football team 29:25 - Optimizing facility revenue 34:00 - Rapid Fire Questions Mattress Mack video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHPlVp2UfE8 For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

What percentage of a property's revenue will come from international sources in the year 2040? David Cipullo - Principal at Tigertail - believes the split will be close to 50/50. He gives his playbook for planning and pursuing an international revenue strategy for major U.S. properties, and explains why sponsorship is only one piece of that puzzle. Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=a5ef6413fc8618645b302e352140fc95 For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Joe Moglia went from being an assistant football coach, to being the CEO of TD Ameritrade, and then back to DI football as the Head Coach at Coastal Carolina, before transitioning to his current role as Chair of Athletics and Executive Advisor to the President. It's certainly an unorthodox career path, but Joe shares how his coaching experience made him a better businessman, and vice versa. Details: 2:20 - Key issues in collegiate athletics 14:00 - Joe’s background 27:15 - Transitioning from Wall St back to coaching 36:20 - The highs and lows of football and business 39:15 - Transfer rules 43:15 - Conference realignment 48:00 - Rapid Fire Questions   Joe was in inspiration for one book, and has written 2 himself: 4th & Goal: One Man’s Quest to Recapture His Dream (Joe's biography): https://www.amazon.com/4th-Goal-Quest-Recapture-Dream/dp/B00E8V5YZ8 The Perimeter Attack Offense: Key to Winning Football: https://www.amazon.com/Perimeter-Attack-Offense-Winning-Football/dp/0136572219 Coach Yourself to Financial Success: Winning the Investment Game: https://www.amazon.com/Coach-Yourself-Success-Winning-Investment/dp/0471719846   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

In celebration of the new movie, Air, which tells the story of Sonny Vaccaro and Nike's recruiting of Michael Jordan, we're featuring Sonny telling part of that story on our podcast in 2021. Sonny (played in the movie by Matt Damon), mentions Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), and David Falk (Chris Messina), and details his strategy for recruiting not just Michael Jordan, but Kobe Bryant and LeBron James as well. Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=2b610fe64ef86203d04d179f4fd5cb11 For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.