Navigating Sports Business

Gene Smith - Director of Athletics at Ohio State - shares his thoughts on expanding the CFP to 8 or 12 teams. He highlights the opportunity that expansion would provide for teams that often don't have a realistic chance to make the top 4, while also acknowledging the risk of devaluing the lower level bowl games for fans - in the same way that the NCAA basketball tournament devalues conference tournaments. Listen to the full interview released on 12-8-21 with AJ Maestas here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=d0c53ae36b6339643c529a0f6571effd For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/ For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/

Xavier Gutierrez - President, CEO, & Alternate Governor of the Arizona Coyotes - on his career path from finance, to politics, to the NHL. He shares his experience as the league's first Latino president, and how he plans to market the Coyotes to the Latino community. He and AJ also discuss the team's commitment to Arizona, including their 2-billion dollar arena development plan in Tempe. Details: 1:55 - Being the first Latino president in the NHL 9:55 - Xavier's background in finance and politics 26:15 - The Coyotes and sports betting, given they own a casino 28:45 - Building a new arena 35:35 - The Coyotes commitment to Arizona 38:10 - Coyotes business practices 44:30 - Rapid Fire Questions For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/

Julie Uhrman - Co-Founder and President of Angel City FC - on launching the club in the crowded LA sports marketplace, and the vision that she and the team share that helps them stand out from the crowd. Listen to the full episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/julie-uhrman-angel-city-fc/id1544529117?i=1000542940127 For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/

Oracle is one of the most respected brands in sports marketing. Ariel Kelman - EVP and Chief Marketing Officer - joins the show to highlight his strategy for utilizing sports sponsorships that tell a story. He shares why Oracle's partnership with Red Bull Racing is a perfect platform to highlight the ways that their technology are utilized by the team. When meeting with potential partners, he always looks for tech-focused organizations that would be utilizing Oracle's services whether or not there was a sponsorship deal in place. Details 2:20 - Red Bull Racing/F1 9:25 - Premier League 16:25 - Ariel's background 27:00 - Transitioning during COVID-19 33:05 - How to make a deal with Oracle 35:30 - Metaverse 40:20 - Rapid Fire Questions For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/

Amiel Sawdaye - SVP & Assistant GM for the Arizona Diamondbacks - discusses how a team can enter a rebuilding phase without tanking for draft picks. He also talks about how his team can be competitive despite having roughly half the payroll of the other teams in the NL West. Listen to the full interview here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amiel-sawdaye-arizona-diamondbacks/id1544529117?i=1000541332980 For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/

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/