The Fall Conference was initiated in 2003 by long-time Partners in Sports supporter Bill Schmidt along with Dr. Buck Jones. Bill is the former vice-president of Gatorade Worldwide Sports Marketing and CEO of Oakley Sunglasses. Bill used his plethora of contacts and relationships to invite industry leaders to speak to students in the Sport Management program. The conference is traditionally held in the Wolf-Kaplan Room at Neyland Stadium and averages 150 attendees. The half-day event is managed and operated by the Partners in Sports Student Board of Directors which allows those students to gain valuable leadership experience in executing an event. The event also allows for students to interact in a professional environment with one another, alumni and other sport industry professionals.
Past Fall Conference Speakers
2003
Gordon Whitener: Host Communications – CEO
Rob Gallas: Chicago White Sox – Senior Vice President of Broadcasting/Marketing
John La Sage: Chicago Midwest Burson-Marsteller – CEO
David Falk: SFX Basketball and F.A.M.E. Michael Jordan’s Agent – Attorney
2004
Bruce Weber: Publisher, Scholastic Coach & Athletic Director
Bill Kraus: Under Armour – Vice President of Licensing/Team Sports
Greg Via: New Era Cap Company – Vice President
Tom Condon: IMG Football – President
2005
Darren Rovell: ESPN – Sports Business Reporter
Kevin Donnellon: Macali Communications – Founder and President
Peter Bynoe: DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary – Senior Partner
Hank Steinbrecher: Touchline Consultants Inc. – President
2006
Mary Reiling Spencer: OnSports – Wasserman Media Group
Kenneth Shropshire: Wharton University of Pennsylvania – Director
Susan O’Malley: Washington Sports and Entertainment – President
Bill Kraus: Under Armour – Vice President of Licensing/Team Sports
2007
Scott Paddock: Gatorade – Director of Sports Marketing
John Althoff: State Farm Insurance – Collegiate Sports Sponsorship Coordinator
Andy Dolich: Memphis Grizzlies – President of Business Operations
Mike Paul: MPG & Associates PR Firm – President
2008
Steve Early: The Vol Network – Vice President and General Manager
Dr. Daniel Fulks: Transylvania University – NCAA Research Staff
Dan Holden: Atlanta Braves – Ticket Operations Manager
Jennifer Wiggins: Tennessee Athletics – Director of Capital and Endowment Giving
2009
Jerry Karnes: Allegiant Athletic Agency – Executive Vice President
Larry Robinson: Tennessee Basketball – First African-American Scholarship Basketball Player at Tennessee
Debbie Corum: Southeastern Conference – Associate Commissioner for Sports Administration
Earl Lloyd: NBA – Hall of Fame
Greg Via: Gillette Marketing – Global Director of Sports Marketing
2010
Tim Mack: Olympic Gold Medalist
Bob Reich: SeaRay – Vice President Customer and Dealer Support
Kevin Ross: adidas – Vice President/General Manager of TaylorMade Golf
Bill Schmidt: Pegasus Marketing – Founder and CEO
2011
Andre Lott: Tennessee Athletics – Vol For Life Coordinator
Carol Evans: Legacy Parks Foundation – Executive Director
John Ewart: Tennova Health and Fitness – Executive Director
David Knight: Southeastern Conference – Director of Championship Ticket Operations
2012
Colin Clark: Ripken Baseball – Assistant VP of Marketing
John Maedel: Chattanooga Lookouts – VP / Assistant General Manager
Jenneen Kaufman: Tennessee Titans – VP / Chief Financial Officer
Houston Fancher: Tennessee Basketball – Director of Operations
2013
Lisa Hurst: CEO – Boys & Girls Club
Cory Moss: Collegiate Licensing – Senior VP & Marketing Director
Keri Potts: ESPN – Senior Director of Public Relations
Tom Satkowiak: Tennessee Athletics – Associate Director of Media Relations
2014
Seana Swierzek: 160over90 – Director of Business Development
Mark Krause: Cyclops Gear – Founder and CEO
Bridget Burke: IMG – Director of Digital Assets
Kevin Ross: Under Armour – Vice-President of Footwear
2015
Tony Johnson: Learfield Licensing – EVP Business Development
Jennifer Hoverstad: o3 – Operations and Project Manager
Mendy Moseley McMurtry: Under Armour – Senior Regional Manager
Ryan Robinson: Tennessee Athletics – Senior Associate Athletic Director
2016
Monica Fawknotson: Metro Nashville Sports Authority – Executive Director
Nigel Fields: Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Chief of Resource Education
Craig Jenkins: Tennessee Smokies – Senior Director of Corporate Marketing
Tyler Johnson: Tennessee Athletics – Associate AD for Business & Internal Operations
2017
Chris Burton: Nashville Predators – Director of Premium Seating
Janeen Lalik: Tennessee Athletics – Senior Associate Athletics Director for Strategic Initiatives
Dan Leibovitz: Southeastern Conference – Associate Commissioner, Men’s Basketball
Chad Speck: Allegiant Athletic Agency – Partner/President