MLB Senior VP/Int’l Operations PAUL ARCHEY is "leaving to join JMI Sports, where he will oversee the University of Kentucky property in returning to his home state," according to Michael Smith of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Archey, 51, had been with MLB since '89 and "engineered its international growth, including the creation of the World Baseball Classic." For JMI, Archey "represents a key, strategic hire." He will be "based in Lexington, Ky., and will be president of UK Sports & Campus Marketing." JMI last June won Kentucky's multimedia rights "as part of a 15-year deal" valued at $210M. Archey said, "There are not a lot of jobs that I’d leave this one for. ... But the appeal of going back to my home state, the people at JMI and this university made this really appealing. I’m not sure I would have made this move for any other university.” Archey will "start next month." The UK property "already has 12 people employed and they’re seeking at least two more, which will make it one of the largest college properties in the country" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 2/23 issue).
