Newsmakers across the industry

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Shawne Alston/Justine Hartman

Most people have probably never heard of Shawne Alston, a former West Virginia running back, or Justine Hartman, an ex-Cal center. But they are the co-plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the NCAA that could topple its amateurism model. The plaintiffs argue that the NCAA model — compensation that’s capped at a scholarship, or grant-in-aid that covers the full cost of attendance — prohibits competition and, therefore, violates federal antitrust laws.

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Darren Eales

president, Atlanta United

After the most successful inaugural season in MLS history both on and off the field in 2017, Eales helped Atlanta United further raise the bar in 2018, making it perhaps the league’s premier club just two years into its existence. During its championship season, Atlanta easily set several MLS attendance records, with its season average of 53,002 ranking 17th-highest in global soccer. The team is near the top among MLS clubs in nearly every business metric. Its improved play helped the club win its first MLS Cup on its home field on Dec. 8 in front of another record crowd of 73,019.

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Cynthia Marshall

CEO, Dallas Mavericks

The respected former AT&T senior executive brought a no-nonsense, inspirational approach to a franchise stung by a sexual harassment scandal and subsequent seven-month investigation. Marshall’s ability to quickly instill a new culture in Dallas, including hiring and promoting several women to executive positions, won the attention of the industry.

I feel sick to my stomach.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban

on the SI report detailing allegations of misconduct in the organization

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Aly Raisman

U.S. gymnast and advocate

Winner of three gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, Raisman is one of the dozens of gymnasts who spoke out this year about the rampant sexual abuse by former team doctor Larry Nassar. She emerged as a leading advocate for abuse survivors like herself and is a highly sought-after speaker.

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Condoleezza Rice

chair, Commission on College Basketball

When an FBI investigation produced charges of fraud against 10 people linked to college basketball, the NCAA knew it had to react quickly. It turned to Rice, a former secretary of state, to chair a committee that was charged with creating a set of reforms. The outcome included new rules on agent engagement, summer basketball camps, tougher penalties for cheating and extended eligibility for players who enter the NBA draft and aren’t selected. While critics said the committee didn’t go far enough, Rice’s leadership set the tone for new guidelines that give college basketball a chance to hit the refresh button.

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David Tepper

owner, Carolina Panthers 

Any time someone spends $2.275 billion to buy an NFL team — a record amount — their influence is obvious. Tepper also signed defensive back Eric Reid, who had been the first player to join Colin Kaepernick in kneeling during the national anthem, cementing the billionaire businessman and hedge fund manager as a new force within the league.

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Joseph Tsai

minority owner, Brooklyn Nets

In April, NBA owners approved the sale of 49 percent of the Nets to Tsai, the Taiwanese-Canadian co-founder of China-based e-commerce giant Alibaba. With a path to full ownership in three years, Tsai is sure to extend the global reach of the team and parent company BSE Global. The franchise’s total valuation based on the sale is $2.35 billion, setting a new NBA record.

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Brodie Van Wagenen

general manager, New York Mets

Shifting career gears from labor to management isn’t unprecedented. But no one has made a pivot quite like Van Wagenen, co-head of CAA Sports’ baseball division before joining the Mets in October. His move came less than a year after he rebuked MLB owners for their lack of free agent signings. Now on the other side of the negotiating table, Van Wagenen made a big trade with Seattle for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. He is also now the boss of several Mets players he previously represented, notably reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom.

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Michael Whan

commissioner, LPGA

Whan continues to grow the LPGA with a bevy of new sponsors and events. This year, the LPGA announced major upgrades to its Race to the CME Globe in 2019, with the winner of the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship to receive $1.5 million, marking the largest payout in women’s golf. The total purse for the event in Naples, Fla., next year will double to $5 million.

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Danny White

athletic director, UCF

No athletic director did more to generate publicity over the past 12 months than did White. Whether you agree with his tactics, there’s no question his claim that the undefeated Knights were the true national champions after the 2017 season did more for the school and the American Athletic Conference than any other event in the league’s first five years.