“We’re not curing cancer, our jobs are creating experiences for people and having fun,” said Ryan Brach, the EVP of Global Partnerships at Oakview Group.
On Thursday, USC’s Sports Business Association (SBA) gathered to present its second Sports Business Summit in the Trojan Grand Ballroom. This exclusive, all-day event was a fantastic opportunity for students and faculty of all areas to gain insight from and connect with industry leaders in sports as they explore opportunities beyond just watching from the stands.
“The way we pick the panelists and organize the different events is by reaching out to people we think would be influential to students, beginning with USC alumni in the field,” SBA Outreach Coordinator Hailey Savage said. “Because this is our second summit, a lot of the speakers were super eager to get involved and share their knowledge.”
The USC Sports Business Association is a popular on-campus club many students are proud to be a part of. Their various events and direct connections with alumni and professionals emphasize the importance of making lasting relationships and empowering and equipping students with the skills needed to excel in the sports industry through a business lens.
According to Rod Diefendorf, president & COO of Pitchbook, those in the industry, and at Pitchbook especially, pride themselves on partnering and doing their best to align with people with strong personal values, employees and athletes alike. Diefendorf reinforced the idea that leaders do not expect students to know all the answers about their future careers or capabilities, but having a great attitude, humility and strong work ethic will always go a long way if you are willing to invest in yourself.
“When you are curious about something, never be afraid to reach out,” Mike Lasalle, a partner at Shamrock Capital, said. “It’s like if you have a favorite book, you should reach out to the author and tell them, even if you think they might not answer, they might.”
The event featured six different panels with a networking opportunity over a lunch break: “Learning from Sports Leadership Legends,” “The Playbook of Sports Finance,” “Investing in Sports: The Revenue League,” “Beyond the Contract: Navigating Sports Talent Management,” “Inside the Dugout: Baseball Fireside Chat” and “Breaking Boundaries in Sports: A Conversation with Michael Rubin.”
During each panel, moderators helped drive the conversations and even offered a Q&A opportunity for audience members to encourage engagement. According to Savage, the purpose of having moderators was to prompt the speakers to distinguish and elaborate on the valuable details about their respective industries. For example, NFL Reporter Kristina Pink used skills from her background as a reporter to address five sports talent management panelists.
“The [sports] space has changed significantly and agents are now having to constantly be creative and adapt to these modernizations,” said James Dunleavy, an NBA agent for Excel Sports and a USC Alum.
Similarly, Leonard Armato — the founder & CEO of Management Plus Enterprises — shared insights on the efficiency of influencer marketing through changes in social media opportunities and consumer engagement.
“In today’s world, you now can be an athlete with an individual platform, not just being part of your teams,” Armato said. “With the power of brand partners and the power to address fans directly, athletes have more influence than they ever have before.”
USC Annenberg professor and panel moderator Jeff Fellenzer said the sports industry is projected to reach $700 billion by 2028, showing how many niche opportunities there might be for students in the industry. The SBA intentionally featured a variety of perspectives to touch on the overlapping positive and negative advancements across sports, like the impact of social media and talent acquisition, sports finance and even facility management for where sports are held across the country.
Tickets were free for purchase through the SBA website, allowing guests to participate in as many or as few events throughout the day. This Sports Business Summit was the second one the organization had put on, and they plan to continue in the years to come.