MSBC 12 Wrapped

By: Eliana DeTata, Dillon George, Nolan Hafer, and Sara Short

November 27, 2023

Photo Credit: Anna Fuder

The 12th annual Michigan Sport Business Conference took place on November 3rd, 2023 and featured panels, speakers, and various networking opportunities for both student attendees and industry professionals. Below is a quick recap of some speaker events featured at MSBC 12, as well as a few feature interviews with the MSBC planning team.

Breakfast with the Bosses

The first event of the MSBC day was an invite only breakfast event with employees of William Morris Endeavor. This panel included two alumni further in their career, Dustin Cairo and Ira Stahlberger and a recent alumni. Ian Sheets graduated from the Sport Management in May of this year and was heavily involved in the Michigan Sport Consulting Group (MSCG) during his time at Michigan. He is currently an assistant in golf while Stahlberger and Cairo work in their main office in LA. Because of the wide array of experiences on the panel, importance of specialization and humility when entering the workforce were emphasized. Overall, the message of the panel was an emphasis on how individuals beginning their careers should approach the job market and importance of a collaborative mindset, which the panelists believe that Michigan facilitates.

Keynote: Jessica Berman

MSBC 12 kicked off strong with an inspiring keynote from Jessica Berman, Commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). When Berman interviewed for the NWSL position, she entered the interview fully herself, explaining that to be a good commissioner you need to know where your strengths lie and show humility in spaces where it may be difficult. Three traits that Berman reflected on throughout the keynote were authenticity, integrity, and transparency, which she characterized as essential for an organization to succeed. Berman likes to surround herself with people who have different perspectives than her, so that new ideas are suggested that she may have not thought of before. When asked about traits she thought were beneficial for a leader to have, she stressed the idea of trust and explained that an organization would not survive without it. She carries all of these characteristics in her day-to-day work as a commissioner with her coworkers and even down to her relations with the players themselves.

Through her leadership, Berman has successfully fostered the NWSL’s growth, as they are adding new teams to the league such as Bay FC in San Francisco. Berman advertised NWSL’s hook as being an outperforming growth organization that has a high ROI compared to other leagues. Just recently, the NWSL’s media presence has grown, signing a new four-year contract starting in 2024 with CBS, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps Sports worth $240 million. Under Berman’s leadership, the sky's the limit for the potential of this organization.

We Got Next: A Fireside Chat with 2K Sports

Head of Lifestyle and Content Marketing Ronnie Singh and President David Ismailer chatted with Michigan Clinical Professor of Marketing Marcus Collins on the company's evolution and strategic vision. Ismailer opened by emphasizing the importance of hard work, framing 2K as “a blue-collar entity” that was an evolution from Grand Theft Auto; beginning with the release of San Andreas before the acquisition of Microsoft's sports business. Throughout the panel, Ismailer continued to compare game development to "building the movie camera while shooting the film." Singh expressed the strategy in pricing, as they priced all games at $19.99, well below other games in the market, in an attempt to gain a bigger market share.

Regarding game innovation, Ismailer said he envisioned games as an amusement park, constantly adding “ new rides” to engage fans. They both praised their development team's excellence, employing a 33% each approach for new, new and improved, and existing elements in yearly game updates. Singh added that it’s crucial to balance short term and long term goals, in order to maximize community engagement and use 2K as an educational and marketing platform. By giving tools to their users to create their game for other players, 2k exemplified current cultural trends. As Singh later concluded: “letting 2k be a device for a world of influencers is crucial”. Looking ahead, Ismailer expressed some concerns about industry competition, explaining that there are only so many ways a game can innovate and expand. At some point, he said, leaders have to step back and let 2K's name speak for itself.

NFL Lunch & Learn

Andy Kauffman, the Senior Vice President of Marketing Strategy & Science at the NFL, spoke on the evolution of fandom, recent NFL marketing campaigns, and growing the personal connection between players & their fans. Kauffman elaborated on the now, “displaced, distracted,” fan, adding that over half of NFL fans associate with teams that are not from their hometown. Kauffman did not see this as a concern, but rather emphasized the importance of creating a customizable, personalized experience for each of their fans. In order to lean into a younger audience, the NFL undertook a marketing campaign prior to the beginning of the season, engaging with the social media joke that, “sports are scripted.” However, Kauffman mentioned that this has not always been the case, in which the NFL was able to lean into more humorous, lighthearted conversations.

In 2020 and 2021, the NFL allowed their players to take control of this league narrative, and thankfully so. Kauffman was proud of athletes at the forefront of the Black Lives Matter movement, advocating for social justice reform in the wake of police brutality and countless other injustices. It was first required that players had trust in the league & its ownership that they would act to support their concerns. The NFL has also attempted to build personal connections between players and fans through the ‘Helmets Off’ Campaign. Several features include players aiding in their favorite volunteer efforts or touting their favorite brands, increasing both the marketability and personalibility of their athletes.

Towards the end of our session with Kauffman, an audience member asked about ways in which the NFL could capitalize on Taylor Swift dating one of the league’s biggest stars, Travis Kelce. Simply put, Kauffman said, “this is a massive opportunity that we cannot pass up.” With the influx of ‘Swifties’ now viewing (Chiefs) games, Kauffman strongly said that the NFL must empower fandom, but not belittle or speak down upon potential new consumers of the sport.

What's Next: A Keynote Conversation on the Sport Media Landscape

The sports media landscape panel, driven by industry leaders within major broadcasting networks, highlighted several key issues: youth fan engagement, transition from cable to streaming services, the coverage of conference realignment, among many more. Similar to the conversation with Andy Kauffman (see above), members of this panel all agree that the characteristics of the youth fan are scary & different to that of older, more traditional consumers.

Mark Silverman, the COO & President of Fox Sports, repeated that the engagement patterns of the youth fan are changing, and many are now invested in other ways than just the game on the field, via sports gambling, fantasy sports, and an interest in brands or fashion. Because of these, leaders within the sports media landscape are searching for innovative, creative methods to amplify youth engagement while also maintaining the traditional fan. For instance, Jay Marine, the Global Head of Sports, Prime Video at Amazon clarified that their Thursday Night Football audience is on average eight years younger compared to weekend NFL audiences.

One concern that many panelists addressed is the transition from cable to streaming services for the broadcasting of sports. Yet, there is more than enough reason to be enthusiastic and optimistic about some of these changes. Streaming services are more adaptable and versatile than traditional cable, thus can experiment with different technologies and ways for fans to interact. This is only getting started through the introduction of Netflix in sports, suggested Bradley Edwards, the Director of Nonfiction Sports and Head of TV Licensing at Netflix. Above all, the sports media landscape still remains a space to tell compelling and authentic stories.

From Courtroom to Courtside: Careers in Sport Law

One of the career breakout panels was focused on individuals with their careers in law specifically in the sport field. This panel stands on its own compared to others as all participants had the same formal education and training in law school as law is still a very traditional industry compared to entering the sport industry generally. Even though there was the same education, there was a variety of experience through litigation and transactional backgrounds. Because most attendees are still in their undergraduate careers and will have to invest in future education to succeed, this panel focused on developing a mindset to succeed in this industry. Panelists advised that sport law is not defined in the same way other fields of law are, such as constitutional or torts law, so it will require focus and ambition to enter the field.

Sarah Boyd, an attorney at the Detroit Pistons, believes that the best way to be a good sport lawyer is to be the best lawyer you can be. They also acknowledged that there are a variety of ways to arrive at law school, whether going straight through after graduation or taking time to work after school, and that individuals should prioritize their passions and interests in undergrad to stand out to admissions officers. Because of the specific track that this career requires, all of the panelists encouraged the attendees to reach out as they work through their vocational journeys and decide if they want to pursue this path.

All In: Vegas' Big Bet On Sports

With all eyes on Vegas as it becomes a new hub for professional sports, it was only fitting that there was a panel on the investments made in the city. Participating in this panel was Eric Tosi, CMO for the Las Vegas Knights, Matt Prevost, CRO for BetMGM, Lisa Motley, Senior Director of Las Vegas Authority, and Marc Badain, the President of OVG Las Vegas. Each individual on the panel had a different perspective on how sports in Vegas has affected their role. Vegas is in a unique position due to their high tourism numbers compared to other cities in the world. The way the city is structured creates an enjoyable fan experience, with less time being spent driving as most venues are a walkable distance.

Furthermore, the panelists discussed how Vegas has a yes attitude towards everything, where people make things happen for the city. A great example of this is the innovation sparked in Vegas with the creation of the Sphere. Mr. Tosi discussed that the Knights are a local team unlike the Raiders because they were formed in Las Vegas. However, in regards to marketing efforts, the Knights can market Vegas as the ideal destination for fans to come to away games due to the entertainment value of the city. Mr. Prevost expanded on the idea of sports betting in such a heavy gambling city and said that a majority of their marketing efforts are toward tourists rather than locals.

Vegas is becoming the hot destination for big events such as F1, The Super Bowl, and, as of recently, the new home for the Oakland A’s. What’s next?

Keynote: Stephen A. Smith

The much anticipated keynote discussion between Stephen A. Smith and Estee Portnoy focused on Smith’s prowess in debates as well as his growth from a journalist in college to the sports icon that he is today. He warned aspiring industry professionals that being in it for the glitter and glamor was all the wrong reasons, explaining that not every night is in front of 20,000 fans. Taking a look at himself, Smith attributed his confidence to the fact that, “I’m not distracted. So that’s why I’m not worried about those who are distracted passing me, since it’ll never happen." He said that knowing his competition in debates is crucial, and that every audience has different expectations on what to hear. Sometimes he should speak for 75% of the time, others, he needs to say a few things and let his opponent dig themselves into a hole. As Portnoy described him: “the mind of a litigator in the body of a journalist." While a loss for Smith is rare to come by, he still takes them in stride, saying that, “I don’t take losing standing still."

The discussion took a brief turn towards Smith’s mom, where he gave an incredibly touching walk-through of his mother’s passing and his recovery moving forward. Finally, he discussed where his future might take him in the form of his own docu-series or films, some of which are already in the works. From his savvy intro to numerous memorable quotes about OJ, to text exchanges with Michael Jordan himself, the much anticipated keynote delivered a perfect ending to an outstanding conference.

Interviews with MSBC Planning Team

When talking with MSBC Co-President Isabelle Wilson about her experience and leadership, she explained how her Sport Management major and the School of Kinesiology and its supportive faculty played a role in preparing her for success. The Sport Management curriculum, which contains many group projects, helped her build skills to lead and manage the MSBC team. When asked about the process behind the selection of specific breakout panels, Wilson said that they focus on content that they want to highlight in the industry. She stated that MSBC has many benefits for not only students but also alumni and industry professionals as it gives them the opportunity to connect with each other and even make real business happen.

COO, Ansley Lewis, spoke to us about what it takes to manage a group of students that run the largest undergraduate sport business conference in the country. She explained that they utilize the winter semester to build trust among the team before the constant work starts in the fall semester with weekly full team meetings. Another strategy that she made sure to implement is splitting up responsibilities so that everyone is aware of what is happening throughout the team of 36 students. As a non-Sport Management student, her message to students who were on the fence about attending the conference was that MSBC is so much more than a sports conference. There are panels that expand beyond sport for those who may not solely be interested in the sport industry and spaces for students to interact with and learn from industry professionals.

When speaking with the VP of Event Planning, Noah Weber, he explained how beneficial the networking opportunities at the conference are for students as it gives them the ability to speak to individuals in a professional environment. While networking cannot be forced, his goal was to foster that environment at the conference. When planning and setting up the schedule for the conference, he felt it was important to have a variety of panels, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities based on different perspectives and topics related to the industry in order to best appeal to the needs of various students and industry professionals. When specifically selecting keynote speakers, Noah explains that they select industry professionals who have been making a large impact on the industry itself.

As a non-Sport Management major, the VP of Partnerships, Emory Kaplan, explained to us how MSBC can be valuable to all students interested as it exposes them to opportunities in the sport industry and essentially gives them a crash course on sport business that they may not get otherwise. When speaking with different partners, such as Peloton, he said that they see the value in attending MSBC because it is a low cost opportunity to meet students, get feedback from them, and gain knowledge from industry professionals. Aside from benefits that students gain from networking and learning from speakers, MSBC allows partners and industry professionals to interact and build new business opportunities. The conference is an all-in-one experience for alumni where they are able to gain tangible benefits while visiting their alma mater.