Navigating Sports Business

Gene Smith has been Director of Athletics at Ohio State for 17 years. He joins the show with AJ Maestas to discuss the current state of college athletics, plus the impact that NIL and a possible CFP expansion will have on the landscape.   Gene also shares lessons he learned from his parents at a young age that helped him overcome adversity early in his career.   Details: 2:00 - Gene's career path 14:55 - Diversity in sports 26:00 - Changes in college sports 35:30 - CFP expansion 39:25 - Rapid Fire Questions   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/

Ryan DeVos - VP, Shareholder Engagement for the Orlando Magic - on the importance of keeping the Magic brand fresh and continuing to innovate while also paying homage to the team's history. He also touches on how a commitment to data and analytics is helping the team succeed from a business perspective.   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/

Julie Uhrman - Co-Founder & President of Angel City FC - joins Jeff Nelson to discuss the powerful mission behind the club, and the reasons why they're poised for success on and off the pitch. Julie shares stories from her career, including the entrepreneurial drive that motivated her to buy and operate the campus laundry service while she was an undergrad at Washington University in St. Louis. She also talks about overcoming challenges like COVID-19 and the recent string of scandals across the NWSL.    Details: 1:45 - The founding of ACFC 11:35 - Julie’s background 18:45 - The impact of COVID-19 21:45 - Tips for hiring  28:15 - The crowded LA sports marketplace 30:40 - NWSL Scandal  35:05 - Rapid Fire Questions For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/

Peter Feigin - President of the Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum - on the experience of winning an NBA Championship, and what it means for the business side of the franchise. He also shares what it was like to plan events like the championship parade without feeling like he was jinxing his team's chances.    Listen to the full interview here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-feigin-milwaukee-bucks/id1544529117?i=1000538442989   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/

Amiel Sawdaye is the SVP & Assistant General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He joins AJ Maestas for an in-person interview to discuss what goes on in an MLB front office, and the experiences and connections he collected early in his career that lead him to his current role. Amiel also explains why he's optimistic about his club's future, despite having roughly half the payroll of the other teams in their division. Details: 3:05 Amiel’s lifelong passion for baseball 18:15 - The importance of a strong farm system 28:25: Signing marketable players 34:20 - Attracting younger fans to baseball 37:15 - Rapid Fire Questions   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/

Green Bay Packers CEO & President, Mark Murphy on the team's unique perspective as a publicly owned sports franchise. He also gives his thoughts on why the NFL has maintained its status as the country's most popular league. At the time of publishing, the Packers are 7-1 and are leading the NFC North. Listen to the full episode from March here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mark-murphy-green-bay-packers/id1544529117?i=1000514197920

Ryan DeVos joins Jeff Nelson to give us a behind-the-scenes look into the world of family business within professional sports.   As the VP, Shareholder Engagement for the Orlando Magic, and a member of the team's ownership family, they discuss how Ryan has grown up with the team, from a young fan to a leading executive, and all of his career stops along the way.   Details: 3:00 - The origin of the Orlando Magic 16:00 - Ryan’s career path  22:40 - Magic Gaming / Esports 29:30 - Innovating as a franchise  35:45 - COVID-19 43:00 - Rapid Fire questions    Ryan's Orlando Restaurant Recommendations: Hillstone Luke's Kitchen   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/

Greg Sankey - SEC Commissioner - on the conference's media deal with Disney and why money wasn't the main focus of the negotiations, despite the deal earning the SEC $300M per year for 15 football games and 8 basketball games. Listen to the full episode here:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/greg-sankey-sec/id1544529117?i=1000503316099

Peter Feigin - President of the Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum - joins the show with guest host, Jeff Nelson. They discuss the aftermath of winning an NBA Championship, the plans for capitalizing on the momentum of the win, and how Giannis Antetokounmpo has impacted the team's international appeal.    Details: 1:40 - The NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks 9:30 - 13-year-old Peter’s dog-walking business  11:45 - Peter's journey to the Bucks 26:55 - The challenges of 2020 30:00 - The evolution of the Bucks  35:30 - Working with Adam Silver 38:25 - Career advice  40:00 - Hot topics in sports  43:30 - Rapid Fire Questions For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/

Gloria Nevarez - Commissioner of the West Coast Conference - on how the conference is integrating esports across all schools and the possibility of making it a varsity sport in the near future.  With the rising popularity of esports around the world, there's an opportunity to capture the attention of new fans that wouldn't ordinarily be watching college sports. Listen to the full episode from March here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gloria-nevarez-west-coast-conference/id1544529117?i=1000512382754