In Episode 84 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Dan Rutstein, President of Business Operations at Orange County SC of the USL Championship. In 2023, he was formally appointed President of Orange County SC after serving as interim club president, during which time the club set new records in ticket sales, sponsorship, and merchandise, and expanded charitable programming.
In this episode, Dan shares his fascinating journey - from sports journalist to diplomat to football club president, from the UK to Bermuda to Germany to California. He talks about key business principles of successfully running a professional soccer club in the second tier of American soccer, with a foundational focus on building community.
You will learn about why OCSC is so important - serving as the sole professional sports team for a county of 3 million people - and the values that Dan and his team act out in order to move the club forward. We compare and contrast a game day experience in the US vs the UK, why the club views their sponsors as reciprocal partners benefitting the community together, and how soccer, in particular, is a valuable tool for diplomacy and relationship building across cultures.
He also shares stories of schoolboy days playing soccer with a tennis ball, ghostwriting a newspaper column for one of the Caribbean’s best ever goalscorers, and why he is looking forward to speaking at SoccerEx Miami.
Want to hear Dan speak at SoccerEx?
Register with our code “BFM20” and get 20% OFF a VIP or General Admission pass!
https://soccerexmiami2025.eventify.io/t2/tickets/E9D09E,68E7BC
Connect with Dan and Orange County Soccer Club here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danrutstein/
https://www.instagram.com/orangecountysoccer/
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