The Partners in Sports Speaker Series 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 with original iteration of Speaker Series being the Partners in Sports Fall Conference. The Fall Conference was traditionally held in the Wolf-Kaplan Room at Neyland Stadium and averaged 150 attendees from 2003 to 2019. The half-day event was managed and operated by the Partners in Sports Student Board of Directors which allowed those students to gain valuable leadership experience in executing an event. The event also allowed for students to interact in a professional environment with one another, alumni and other sport industry professionals.
The conference was restructured in 2020 and held virtually due to factors related to COVID-19. The focus of the conference was women working in collegiate athletics. The 2021 event was a panel discussion featuring perspectives Name, Image, and Likeness in college athletics. In 2022, a speaker series was introduced as the format for the event. The event continues to thrive as professionals interact with our students in the form of the Speaker Series.
| Year | Speaker | Position/Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Ashley Jahn | Associate Head Coach, Tennessee Swimming & Diving |
| Ladina Poltera | Marketing Operations Manager, Infront Sports & Media | |
| Brooks Savage | Head Coach, East Tennessee State University Men’s Basketball | |
| Greg Via | Sport Marketing Executive, Gatorade, New Era Caps, Motorola, Gillette | |
| 2022-23 | Justin Jackson | Director of Operations – National Basketball Players Association |
| Jay Graham | NCAA Division I Football Coach | |
| Adam Alexander | Fox Sports – Motor Sports | |
| 2021 | Sheridan Gannon | Head of Media & Entertainment – Spyre Sports Group |
| John Fulkerson | Student-Athlete – Tennessee Basketball | |
| Kathryn Jones | Director of Name, Image, and Likeness – Tennessee Athletics | |
| Bill Timpano | Director of Compliance – Tennessee Athletics | |
| 2020 | Carolyn Crutchfield | SWA/Associate Athletic Director – Old Dominion |
| Rachel Fineberg | SWA/Assistant Athletic Director – Nova Southeastern | |
| Regina Johnson | Director of Football Academics – Florida State | |
| Ashlie Santolla | Director of Sports Information – Charleston (W.V.) | |
| 2019 | Sue Buckley | Founder and President – Club Vibes |
| Che Mock | Founding Partner – ESQ Agency | |
| Dr. Kendall Rainey | Athletic Director – UVA -Wise | |
| Brenda Staton | Marketing Assets & Activation Manager – Coca-Cola | |
| 2018 | Natalee Anderson | Director, Private Events – Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| CJ Fayton | Director of VFL Programming – Tennessee Athletics | |
| Victoria Kline | Manager, Social Media & Digital Marketing – Atlanta Braves | |
| Marty Mulford | Senior Director of Service & Retention – Nashville Predators | |
| Dara Worrell | Associate Athletics Director – Tennessee Athletics | |
| 2017 | Chris Burton | Director of Premium Seating – Nashville Predators |
| Janeen Lalik | Senior Associate AD – Tennessee Athletics | |
| Dan Leibovitz | Associate Commissioner – Southeastern Conference | |
| Chad Speck | Partner/President – Allegiant Athletic Agency | |
| 2016 | Monica Fawknotson | Executive Director – Metro Nashville Sports Authority |
| Nigel Fields | Chief of Resource Education – Great Smoky Mountains NP | |
| Craig Jenkins | Senior Director of Corporate Marketing – Tennessee Smokies | |
| Tyler Johnson | Associate Athletic Director – Tennessee Athletics | |
| 2015 | Tony Johnson | EVP Business Development – Learfield Licensing |
| Jennifer Hoverstad | Operations and Project Manager – o3 | |
| Mendy McMurtry | Senior Regional Manager – UnderArmour | |
| Ryan Robinson | Senior Associate Athletic Director – Tennessee Athletics | |
| 2014 | Seana Swierzek | Director of Business Development – 160over90 |
| Mark Krause | Founder and CEO – Cyclops Gear | |
| Bridget Burke | Director of Digital Assets – IMG | |
| Kevin Ross | Vice-President of Footwear – UnderArmour | |
| 2013 | Lisa Hurst | CEO – Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley |
| Cory Moss | Senior VP & Marketing Director – Collegiate Licensing Co. | |
| Keri Potts | Senior Director of Public Relations – ESPN | |
| Tom Satkowiak | Associate Director of Media Relations – Tennessee Athletics | |
| 2012 | Colin Clark | Assistant VP of Marketing – Ripken Baseball |
| John Maedel | VP/Assistant General Manager – Chattanooga Lookouts | |
| Jenneen Kaufman | VP/Chief Financial Officer – Tennessee Titans | |
| Houston Fancher | Director of Operations – Tennessee Basketball | |
| 2011 | Andre Lott | Vol For Life Coordinator – Tennessee Athletics |
| Carol Evans | Executive Director – Legacy Parks Foundation | |
| John Ewart | Executive Director – Tennova Health & Fitness | |
| David Knight | Director of Ticket Operations – Southeastern Conference | |
| 2010 | Tim Mack | Gold Medalist – 2004 Olympics |
| Bob Reich | Vice President Customer and Dealer Support – SeaRay | |
| Kevin Ross | Vice President/General Manager – TaylorMade Golf | |
| Bill Schmidt | Founder and CEO – Pegasus Marketing | |
| 2009 | Jared Karnes | Executive Vice President – Allegiant Athletic Agency |
| Larry Robinson | Student-Athlete – Tennessee Basketball | |
| Debbie Corum | Associate Commissioner – Southeastern Conference | |
| Earl Lloyd | Hall of Fame Member – NBA | |
| Greg Via | Global Director of Sports Marketing – Gillette | |
| 2008 | Steve Early | Vice President and General Manager – The Vol Network |
| Dr. Daniel Fulks | NCAA Research Staff – Transylvania University | |
| Dan Holden | Ticket Operations Manager – Atlanta Braves | |
| Jennifer Wiggins | Director of Capital and Endowment Giving – Tennessee Athletics | |
| 2007 | Scott Paddock | Director of Sports Marketing – Gatorade |
| John Althoff | Collegiate Sports Sponsorship Coordinator – State Farm | |
| Andy Dolich | President of Business Operations – Memphis Grizzlies | |
| Mike Paul | President – MPG & Associates PR Firm | |
| 2006 | Mary Reiling Spencer | OnSports, Wasserman Media Group |
| Kenneth Shropshire | Director, Wharton School of Business | |
| Susan O’Malley | President, Washington Sports and Entertainment | |
| Bill Kraus | Vice President of Licensing/Team Sports, UnderArmour | |
| 2005 | Darren Rovell | Sports Business Reporter – ESPN |
| Kevin Donnellon | Founder and President – Macali Communications | |
| Peter Bynoe | Senior Partner – DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary | |
| Hank Steinbrecher | President – Touchline Consultants Inc. | |
| 2004 | Bruce Weber | Publisher – Scholastic Coach & Athletic Director |
| Bill Kraus | Vice President of Licensing/Team Sports – UnderArmour | |
| Greg Via | Vice-President – New Era Cap Company | |
| Tom Condon | President – IMG Football | |
| 2003 | Gordon Whitener | CEO – Host Communications |
| Rob Gallas | Senior VP of Broadcasting/Marketing – Chicago White Sox | |
| John La Sage | CEO – Chicago Midwest Burson-Marsteller | |
| David Falk | Attorney – SFX Basketball |