Leaders behind the scenes
The billions of dollars that flow annually through college athletics are generated by media deals and ticket sales, donations and merchandise sales.
Behind the scenes, an entire ecosystem of executives works mostly or entirely in the college space, creating revenue-producing tailgates, running championship events and building brands through college sponsorships. They are high-achieving entrepreneurs, media executives and deputy athletic directors who are poised to be the next generation of ADs.
The executives on this list of SBJ’s college Power Players might not be quoted in a press release, but each of them drives the business of college sports on a daily basis, producing revenue that supports athletic departments and an array of varsity sports.
The 63 individuals, representing 50 groups, have distinguished themselves as some of the best thinkers, problem-solvers and dealmakers in college sports and they will play a distinctly important role in its future.
Stories by staff writer Michael Smith
Media
Devron Edwards CBS Sports
Katy Mollica Turner Sports
Rosalyn Durant ESPN
Nick Dawson ESPN
Clint Overby ESPN Events
Sean Hanrahan Disney Advertising Sales
Mike Mulvihill Fox Sports
Derek Crocker Fox Sports
Kyle Sherman Home Team Sports / Fox Sports College Properties
Francois McGillicuddy Big Ten Network
Brands
Mark Aikman Mercedes-Benz
Byron Daub Capital One
Seth Freeman Buffalo Wild Wings
John Mount Coca-Cola
John Althoff State Farm
Agencies
Paul Archey JMI Sports
Chris Bevilacqua Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures
Todd Fischer GMR Marketing
Bo Heiner Octagon
Dean Jordan Wasserman
Mike Palisi Van Wagner
Drew Russell Intersport
Michael Schreck CSMG
Dan Shell Oak View Group
Vince Thompson Melt
Andy Rawlings Learfield IMG College
Cory Moss Collegiate Licensing Company
Kim Damron Paciolan
Jeff Rubin Sidearm Sports
Alan Gold Evolution Media Capital
Nick Khan CAA Sports
Karen Brodkin Endeavor
Hillary Mandel IMG Media
On Campus
Omar Banks Campbell University
Jason Butikofer Purdue University
Travis Goff Northwestern University
Arthur Johnson University of Texas
Nina King Duke University
Scott Kull University of Utah
Candice Lee Vanderbilt University
Graham Neff Clemson University
Heather Owen Stanford University
Rob Rademacher University of Michigan
Diana Sabau Ohio State University
Laird Veatch University of Florida
Off Campus
Charlie Hussey Southeastern Conference
JoAn Scott NCAA
Andrea Williams College Football Playoff
Partners
Dave Brown Gridiron
Parkey Duffey Tailgate Guys
Dan Gale Jr. Leona Marketing Group
David Herman Twitter
Rex Hough Dyehard Fan Supply
Jed Hughes Korn Ferry
Jill Krimmel StubHub
Nick Marquez Facebook
Tim Martin Ticketmaster
Daniel Parker Parker Executive Search
Len Perna Turnkey Sports & Entertainment
Todd Turner Collegiate Sports Associates
Jeff Schemmel College Sports Solutions
Derek Eiler Fanatics
Chris Prindiville Fanatics
First Look podcast, with Power Players discussion at the 19:55 mark:
