Board Launches With Sports Luminaries

McCombs’ Business of Sports Institute appoints 29 industry leaders to inaugural advisory board

Well-known business leaders in the sports industry have been named to the inaugural advisory board of the Business of Sports Institute, housed in the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.

Founded in 2021, the institute is a leader in sports business innovation and exploration through teaching, learning, analytical research, and event hosting. The 29-member advisory board will offer a breadth of expertise from across the sports ecosystem from business leaders, professional and collegiate athletes, executives, journalists, alumni, and students.

Advisory board members include industry experts Todd Boehly, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Eldridge Industries; Amy Howe, CEO of FanDuel; R.C. Buford, CEO of Spurs Sports & Entertainment; and NBA champion, gold medalist Kevin Durant, partner and co-founder of 35V and Boardroom. Also serving are University of Texas Athletics icons Christine Plonsky, executive senior associate athletics director, and Chris Del Conte, vice president and athletics director.

“We’re excited to welcome such a high-caliber roster of leaders in sports business and education to be on our inaugural advisory board,” said Kirk Goldsberry, the institute’s executive director. “Establishing the board is a critical step in the institute’s evolution. The enthusiasm they have for our mission, and their willingness to step up and help build our work, is a testament to the institute’s potential to help guide the industry.”

The institute, supported by a $1.4 million founding gift from Accenture and the generosity of other donors, has tapped a vein of enormous growth potential for the industry. With revenues estimated at $2.65 trillion, sport is the ninth-largest industry in the world. In addition to the athletes and organizations that bring fans competition at all levels, global sports also encompass vast interests in media, marketing, retail, and other entertainment.

“Sports and business analytics will fundamentally reshape pro sports, with new data emerging every day for performance metrics, coaching, talent management, valuation, branding, and fan engagement,” Goldsberry said.

Partnering with Texas Athletics and pro teams, the institute conducts research to apply data to on-field science and the sports industry, serving as an analytics bridge between the academic community and businesses. Its main aims are to create focused curriculum for the next generation of professionals — including a sports analytics minor applicable to a wide variety of majors — to conduct applied research, and to host thought-leadership industry events.

“McCombs is a recognized university leader in sports analytics,” said Ethan Burris, McCombs senior associate dean for academic affairs. “We’re uniquely positioned to bring world-class research, education, and industry partnerships together, and our advisory board will help us meet growing data-centered opportunities and challenges in the industry.”

Board members will serve three-year terms, lending expertise on one of four committees, or special teams: teaching, learning, and placement; research; events and speaker series; and growth of the institute.

Story by Sally Parker