Navigating Sports Business

"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/.

Jeehae Lee - Founder & CEO of Sportsbox AI - talks about her background as an LGPA professional, and how Sportsbox is using the largest database of golf swing data ever collected, to revolutionize how players like Bryson Dechambeau are able to train.   Details: 4:30 - Jeehae’s career as a collegiate and LPGA golfer 10:15 - The evolution of golf training tech 11:45 - TopGolf 12:50 - Sportsbox AI 29:15 - Rapid Fire Questions   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Jeff Longo & Patrick Stack – Co-Founders of Sports Biz Careers – on the impact that SBC has had on 2,500+ high school and college students in the first five years of operation.   They talk about growing the nonprofit organically, and how they were able to pivot as they went.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=5643a540d0e2952b6df92ac037ee8a41   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 - joins the show two days before the official release of EA College Football 25. She talks about the excitement surrounding the game, and everything her team is doing to maximize this moment.       She also talks about EA's ability to manage complicated rights conversations, whether that's the $600 baseline NIL deal for each athlete featured in College Football 25, or managing the rebrand of their FIFA title to EA FC and the 300+ license holders featured in those games.       Details: 1:45 - Andrea’s Background 3:25 - Her first roles at EA 5:55 - EA College Football 25 13:00 - EA FC - Rebranding the FIFA IP 14:30 - Gaming as a pathway to fandom 18:55 - EA SPORTS FC Futures 21:00 - Integrating across other forms of entertainment 24:15 - Rapid Fire Questions     The 3 C's: Be Creative Be Confident Be Candid     For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.