I
n years past, the job of chief information officer at the NFL wasn’t a position a fan would think twice about. That’s changing now, thanks in part to Michelle McKenna-Doyle. From tablets on the sidelines to in-stadium Wi-Fi, McKenna-Doyle has her hand in initiatives that directly affect how fans experience and consume the game.
Michelle
McKenna-Doyle
NFL
“My biggest accomplishment is taking technology from the backroom [tech] center to integrating it into the game and part of the business,” she said.
It’s a task that’s evolved with the technology, and her position is a reflection of the league’s desire to stay on top of the developing space. As CIO for the league, McKenna-Doyle is focused on reimagining the sideline of the NFL, with tablets being just the first step. Starting this season, coaches and players are using tablets to get photos and other game information that previously had been on paper.
She mentioned the communications cart, which lets players call to the coaches’ booth from the sideline, as another particular area ripe for changes.
“I would like to make them more modular, more modern,” she said. “I am looking at the next five years, how we evolve and what form [the sideline] takes.”
— Daniel Kaplan
