Navigating Sports Business

Michael Alford - Vice President and Director of Athletics at Florida State - on the current and future challenges surrounding college sports.   He discusses the role of analytics in projecting future revenue streams, and the possibility of private equity investment into athletic departments.   Details: 3:55 - The role of analytics in collegiate athletics 6:35 - Pro sports vs. college sport 9:40 - Private Equity in college athletics 15:35 - Mixed-use development 18:05 - How to build a successful athletic department 21:30 - Performance-based incentives 29:40 - Rapid Fire Questions   Books Recommendations: Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson Taking London Tallahassee Restaurant Recommendations: Blue Halo Shell Oyster Bar   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Greg Sankey - Commissioner of the SEC - on balancing what’s best for his conference with the long-term goals of Division I at large.   He emphasizes the role of automatic March Madness bids as a key motivator for conferences wishing to maintain the current system.   His opinion is that the responsibility to guide college athletics into the next era doesn’t rest solely on the SEC and Big Ten.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=0412aa087274a120752cd355ef29f8ad   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Umar Hussain - Head of Media at Navigate - joins our second ever internal podcast. He shares stories from his previous roles at ESPN and the NBA, along with predictions for the next era of sports media.   He and Anne also discuss the biggest stories of the day including the NFL on Netflix and the NBA/WBD lawsuit.   Details: 1:50 - Umar’s background 11:35 - A new role at Navigate 14:35 - The value of live sports media rights 18:00 - Outlook on traditional broadcasters 20:40 - The biggest sports media stories 31:25 - Sports betting companies getting more involved in media rights? 34:10 - Rapid Fire Questions   Umar's Restaurant Rec: Le Great Outdoor   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

"We've always had to do things differently to be able to compete at the level that we want to compete, which is at the highest level."   Rob Mullens – Athletic Director at Oregon – on the move to the Big Ten and what it means for the Ducks' future.   Oregon athletics has become a global brand through years of creative planning and strategic investment. Still, they are an underdog in many ways compared to some of their new peers when it comes to resources. Mullens highlights the role of Phil Knight and Nike in authentically maximizing the incredible opportunity to join the Big Ten   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=491790ced6fe9fa794178bc0ed7f7c47   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Alex Martins - CEO of the Orlando Magic - discusses what it's like to oversee both the business and basketball operations of the organization.   He started with the Magic at the inception of the franchise in 1989, and has worked on some of the biggest project types in sports business, like the development of the Kia Center. He shares how the Magic maintain a partnership with Disney World to train their staff on providing best-in-class experiences for all of their fans.   Details: 3:00 - The launch of a new NBA franchise 6:00 - Building the Kia Center 10:55 - The path to being a team CEO 20:20 - Overseeing both the business and basketball sides 24:45 - Rapid Fire Questions   Restaurants: The Ravenous Pig Kadence Books: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Atomic Habits   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Jeehae Lee – Founder & CEO of Sportsbox AI – on how leveraging the world's largest database of golf swing data unlocks new techniques for training and improving anyone's golf game.   Her team can even predict how Bryson DeChambeau is going to play on a given day, using the data from hundreds of his warm up swings.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=4a7dd8f42e57d619a6405627e65f9975   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

For our 100th episode, we invited back one of our very first guests for an update on the conversation that he and AJ had in 2020.   Greg Sankey - Commissioner of the SEC - discusses what it's been like to lead his conference through arguably the most unpredictable era of college athletics. He shares his vision for the future, and how he's setting out to tackle the challenges in front of him.   Details: 2:30 - The current reality of collegiate athletics 19:35 - Unique organizational strategies 24:50 - Greg's dirt track racing fandom 27:30 - Objectives for the future 37:25 - Rapid Fire Questions   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Andrea Hopelain – GM & SVP of Publishing at EA SPORTS – on the groundbreaking NIL deal that led to the return of EA's College Football title after more than a decade.   She explains their motivations behind bringing the game back, and how they were able to work with student-athletes to create the ultimate college football experience for fans.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=c5d3037493dd0c05effdafbae702d11a   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Rob Mullens - Athletic Director at Oregon - discusses the move to the Big Ten, and the creative risks that have turned Oregon athletics into a national brand over the past 20+ years.   He also discusses the importance that Phil Knight has had to not just the program, but the university as a whole. If you missed our Phil Knight interview, you can listen to it here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=d0a972b133a5996e283c0bafed374775   Details: 2:20 - Pac-12 schools in the Big Ten 7:45 - How can others replicate Oregon’s success? 10:50 - The big duck and bold marketing 15:50 - The House settlement 22:25 - AJ’s predictions for the future of college sports 26:06 - Rapid Fire Questions Links: Hidden Potential by Adam Grant The Oregon Duck in the river at Big Ten Media days Joey Harrington poster in NYC Rob’s favorite Oregon jerseys   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

"It's a matter of when, not if."   Ryan Engle – Founder and CEO of GOLF+ – explains why he's still bullish on VR, once headsets are able to make the critical shift from toy to tool.   Improvements in battery life and comfortability will play a role, along with additional use-cases and applications like GOLF+.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=bba2a2f59b34907eaa37b167a6d14a3e   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.