Christopher Asa returns to the podcast after almost five years in between episodes (Ep. 161). In that time, he's worked for MiLB at the Montgomery Biscuits, the ACC's Florida Seminoles and with the Florida A&M Rattlers. Asa's role with FAMU oversees revenue generation for ticket sales, fundraising and overall external relations. Asa talks about the challenges as well as the successes of working at a HBCU, especially when it comes to the impact on student-athletes of working at FAMU. Asa shares his story of tweeting NCAA critic Jay Bilas about a FAMU "money game" against Arkansas, and the positive impact it had on how donors viewed the FAMU transportation fund. Twitter: @ChrisAsa1
Jennifer Piorkowski has an ambition to kill the porta-potty in all tailgate lots national wide. Piorkowski discusses her disdain for the plastic wall commode and suggests the alternative of using a portable bathroom solution. Piorkowski talks about the growing fan experience outside of the stadium which influences attendance, especially when it comes to female fans. Not to mention all of the data that can be harvested from a portable bathroom solution as well. Twitter: @tgsmsportsmktg
As the world of esports gaming explodes, so does the opportunity for player representation. Matt Jessep is a sports agent in Australia's National Rugby League, who is helping redefine player rights and values within the esports industry. Jessep discusses some of the issues surrounding the game today, including how promoters treat esports players as well as whether the prize money guarantees are legitimate. Jessep talks about some of the newer aspects of getting in front of the top esports players to share why an association is so vital.
Dr. Chad McEvoy comes on the podcast to chat about sports management degrees and their viability in the marketplace. Are sports management programs expected to generate job opportunities or to develop critical thinking skills? Is it an either-or scenario? McEvoy discusses whether sports sales managers even want sports management programs to train students on sales, or if that is still training preferred done by the sports sales managers themselves. Twitter: @ChadMcEvoy
Dave Rowan oversees the financial operations for the 32-year-old National Lacrosse League, which is focused on smart, efficient franchise expansion with great partners such as ownership groups like Comcast-Spectacor and Alibaba. Rowan shares his vision of how the digital growth of the NLL on Twitter and OTT has increased not only awareness of the sport of box lacrosse, but also gained traction with younger demographics. Rowan talks about the challenges of ensuring that ownership protects the integrity of the sport, understanding its values within a marketplace. Twitter: @dro1120