Travel is often one of the most exciting parts of events such as tournaments or bowl games, and Kyle McDonald gets a hand in providing these experiences for fans, donors and alumni that go beyond the standard. McDonald joins your host, Dan Gale, on this week's episode of "What Would You Say You Do Here?" to discuss his role at Sports & Entertainment Travel. Specifically, McDonald details his duties in business development and relationship cultivation, including why it is so important for collegiate athletic departments to factor travel plans into their logistics. With SET, athletic departments are then able to place an extended focus on both the student-athlete experience as well as donor relationships.
Starting in his selected industry 12 years ago, McDonald brings a wealth of knowledge on both the tourism and collegiate athletic marketplaces. Be sure to tune in for a distinctive view of the Sports Tourism industry in what we hope is the post-COVID-era, specifically focusing on special offerings for a high quality and safe experience for all. You will not want to miss this week's episode of "What Would You Say You Do Here?" to get an inside-scoop of this budding industry.
Having spent years in athletic departments at schools like North Carolina and Old Dominion, Kaylah Hughes took her talents and knowledge to the Big Ten Conference to assist in logistics and operations for both their Football and Basketball departments. Kaylah, Assistant Director of Football and Basketball Operations, joins your host Dan Gale for this week's episode of "What Would You Say You Do Here?" to discuss her role in the conference and the adjustments and pivots they have taken to adjust to the current landscape of events.
Originally wanting to go into medicine, Kaylah discovered her passion in sports while at North Carolina, something that stemmed from childhood memories of watching ESPN with her father. You will not want to miss hearing Kaylah's perspective of Fall 2021/Spring 2022 operations, including events such as FB/MBB/WBB Conference Championships, Super Saturday and more. Be sure to tune into this week's episode of "What Would You Say You Do Here?" for the inside scoop on one of the women behind the magic that is the Big Ten Conference's Football and Basketball Operations.
With what started as a college student conducting informational interviews out of his dorm room to a now extensive network of sport professionals, Adam White never imagined his brand would come as far as it has. As Founder and CEO of Front Office Sports, Adam joins your host, Dan Gale, to discuss his role in managing a rapidly growing company that has expanded to five brands in the last year.
Specifically, Adam details his perspective of FOS's placement in the media market as well as the recent culture development within the company. FOS's focus on frictionless and free media has contributed to their success in recent years, and it is only the beginning, according to White. Be sure to tune in to this week's episode of the "What Would You Say You Do Here?" podcast for a look inside of Front Office Sports and to see why over 350,000 subscribers call their newsletter a "morning must read".
This week, Dan Gale sits down with the Deputy Director of Athletics at the University of Southern Mississippi, Jeff Mitchell, to talk about both his unique background and his journey from student-athlete to his current position. Together, Dan and Jeff talk about his position at USM and how he operates with his staff to help the student-athlete experience.
Be sure to catch Jeff's philosophy on managing relationships with coaches and the way he works to nurture the partnership between athletics and the overall University. Finally, you will not want to miss their conversation regarding Jeff's application of past experience as a student-athlete to his current and future positions.
Check out this week's episode of the "What Would You Say You Do Here?" Podcast as Dan sits down with Dr. Dennis Thomas, the Commissioner at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) to discuss his role in operating the conference. Together, Dan and Dr. Thomas talk about his role at the conference office, the MEAC's focus for the future growth, as well as his stories of his past as a student-athlete. Be sure to tune in to hear Dr. Thomas' perspective of the MEAC's recent extension with ESPN Events. Finally, you won't want to miss Dr. Thomas talking about where he sees the future and development of college athletics in the coming years.
This week, Dan Gale sits down with the Chief Executive Officer of The Aspire Group, Bill Fagan to talk about both his journey from the first employee to CEO as well as the growth of Aspire and new opportunities on the horizon. Together, Dan and Bill talk about Bill's role at Aspire and how they serve their partners by helping to grow revenue and attendance. Be sure to catch Bill's take on the rising costs of funding an athletic department and some potential solutions. Finally, you will not want to miss their discussion regarding Aspire's new deal with Morgan State and many more new opportunities for The Aspire Group.
This week, your host, Dan Gale, sits down with Pat Chun, the Director of Athletics at Washington State University. Together, Dan and Pat discuss Pat's upbringing as a son of two South Korean immigrants in Ohio and his journey to get to where he is today. Be sure to hear their discussion about the creation and the importance of the Asian American & Pacific Islander Athletics Alliance (AAPI) and about the community Pat has been able to create alongside fellow leaders, Amy Huchthausen and Vicky Chun. Finally, you won't want to miss Pat's take on the importance of strong relationships and creating an environment that allows for student-athletes to succeed as well as his thoughts on the recently announced field naming rights deal between WSU and Gesa Credit Union.
In this week's episode, Dan sits down with Dr. Edward Scott, the Vice President and Director of Athletics at Morgan State University to discuss his role in facilitating success for student-athletes both in the classroom and on the field. Together, Dan and Ed talk about the growth and development of Morgan State over the past five years, made possible through a four-phased approach, as well as the importance of alignment within a university. Be sure to hear Ed's description of his new responsibilities both as Vice President at Morgan State as well as on the Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP). Finally, you won't want to miss Ed talking about how he has been able to hire such a talented and diverse staff and how he defines his purpose and motivation.
This week, your host, Dan Gale, checks in with Doug Liberta, General Manager of Sales and Team Sports at New Balance, to discuss the emergence of New Balance and its rapid growth in the area of team sports. Together, Dan and Doug talk about all the different hats Doug wears within the company and his role as a "servant leader." You won't want to miss their discussion about all of the work that went into New Balance's recent deals with universities such as Denver and Boston College as well as the new developments on the horizon for New Balance such as potential new deals and a new football cleat. Finally, be sure to catch Doug's thoughts on why colors are so important for team outfitting as well as key details about the custom uniform process and timeline.
This week, your host, Dan Gale, sits down with Robb Dunn, the Deputy Director of Athletics Administration at the Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA). Together, Dan and Robb talk about his experience in a variety of areas including internal and external operations as well as special projects and "other duties as assigned." Be sure to catch their discussion about the planning of Navy's neutral site games, including the 2012 spectacle in Ireland featuring Navy and Notre Dame. You won't want to miss them talking about this year's Army-Navy game and all of the partnerships that go into making that game happen. Finally, listen in as they discuss how the NAAA generates revenue as a stand-alone entity as well as Robb's passion for sports and what he thinks makes the Naval Academy special.
In this week's episode of the "What Would You Say You Do Here?" Podcast, your host, Dan Gale, sits down with Rob Johnson, the Chief Executive Officer of Collegiate StarLeague Esports (CSL), to discuss the growth of Esports in the collegiate space in the areas of education and revenue. Dan and Rob talk about Rob's history as a competitor and his path into Esports, driven by a fascination with the emergence of Esports as entertainment. Finally, you won't want to miss Rob's thoughts on the importance of building infrastructure for Esports and creating access for more intercollegiate competition as well as an in-depth look into the relationship between CSL and Playfly Sports.
Check out this week's episode of the "What Would You Say You Do Here?" Podcast as Dan sits down with J Batt, the Deputy Director of Athletics at the University of Alabama, who is in charge of development and revenue generation. Listen as Dan and J discuss his career path to get to where he is, but also how there has always been a consistent goal of providing the best experience for student-athletes. They talk about the importance J places on getting out and developing personal relationships as well as how relationships are built on shared experiences. Finally, you won't want to miss their discussion about navigating the challenges of fundraising during a pandemic and how Alabama was able to raise $400 million already in just three years.
Check out this week's episode of the "What Would You Say You Do Here?" Podcast as Dan sits down with Chris Park, the Deputy Director of Athletics at Washington State, as well as Andrew Popchock, the General Manager of Washington State Sports Properties. Together, they discuss their individual roles as well as the full integration of their teams and how they work together as a part of the "Coug" family. You won't want to miss their conversation about all of the work and unique relationships that led to a historic new opportunity with Gesa Credit Union. Finally, catch their discussion about the partnership between Washington State and Gesa as well as the importance of shared values between the two organizations.
In this week's episode, Dan checks in with Ashlee Magosin, Chief Financial Officer of the Air Force Academy Athletic Corporation (AFAAC). Together, Dan and Ashlee discuss what the AFAAC does in the areas of revenue generation as well as how they operate. Be sure to catch Ashlee's take on the similarities and differences of internal and external operations and how the entire group works together to achieve success. Ashlee and Dan also talk about building relationships with coaches and how to better understand their jobs. Finally, you won't want to miss their discussion regarding the relationship between "Team USA" leaders as well as how Ashlee was able to make the most of her opportunities to get to where she is today.
Tune in to this week's episode as Dan sits down with Dena Freeman-Patton, the Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Operating Officer at the University of New Orleans, to talk about her role in enhancing the student-athlete experience. Catch their discussion about how her own experiences as a student-athlete as well as those at different D-I institutions have helped to shape her career and provide guidance. Finally, you won't want to miss their discussion regarding her advice for young professionals within the sports industry as well as her explanation of her "other duties as assigned."
Catch this week's episode of the podcast where Dan sits down with Randale Richmond, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Old Dominion University to discuss his role as a transformational leader as well as his journey to college athletics and what motivated him along the way. They also talk about the importance of showing support for student-athletes in different ways and the advantages of being on the internal side of sports administration, namely the close relationship to coaches. Finally, you won't want to miss hearing what Richmond would choose as his baseball walk-up song or how he was able to find a way to connect with student-athletes and coaches even during a pandemic.
Tune in to this week's episode as Dan sits down with Chris Grant, the Associate Commissioner of Sports Management & Championships for the Pac-12 Conference to discuss his role as a "fixer" in the conference office and how the conference has handled championships and events amidst a pandemic. Listen as Chris talks about how he believes that sports are truly bigger than himself and how he tries to give back, as well as the increased push for diversity and inclusion initiatives by the conference. Finally, you won't want to miss Chris' stories about how his parents helped him foster a passion for sports from a young age and how, throughout his career, he has learned how to turn obstacles into opportunities and how to do a lot with a little.
In this week's episode, Dan sits down with Mike Buddie, the Director of Athletics at Army West Point to talk about how he and his team continuously create an extraordinary Division I athletics experience for their student-athletes and manage to find ways for them to compete, even during a pandemic. You won't want to miss their conversation about the experience of hosting the historic "Army-Navy" game at West Point and how they did whatever it took to power through adversity and ensure that the Cadets could compete in a bowl game. Finally, be sure to catch their discussion about "minor league mentality," core values and Mike's advice for always doing more and making the most of your career.
