#BusinessBobcat Buzz Podcast

Ohio University graduate students talk about the steps involved in starting new business. #BusinessBobcat Buzz is a monthly podcast created for students at Ohio University's College of Business hosted by Marshall Payne.

This week we sit down with Dan Butterly, the Senior Associate Commissioner for the Mountain West Conference. Dan is a 2013 graduate of the inaugural Ohio University Professional MSA class, and since graduating has become an adjunct professor for the online program as well. In his role with the Mountain West, Dan oversees all external relations for the conference including marketing & sponsorships, championships, social media, media relations, and MW network as well as M&W basketball championships. We discuss the challenges that a group of five conference faces compared to the larger big five conferences, as well as how they create revenue through media deals and capitalizing on national successes. Dan discusses what it was like going back to school 20 years after graduating undergrad, as well as what his tips on how to separate your resume from the rest of the pile.

Travis & Brett sit down with Eddie Kendralla, senior analytics manager for the Phoenix Suns. Eddie’s job covers everything on the analytics side of things from player ops to concessions and merchandising. He talks about some of his duties and his analytics team’s role in things like ticket pricing and the allocating of resources. Which games are trending? How many tickets have been sold compared to the average? Where do we allocate our resources in order to get the greatest return? These are all questions that Eddie and his team are tasked to answer in order to help the organization run effectively. A 2012 graduate of the Ohio Sports Administration program, Eddie talks about internships and specifically a project in the Revenue Generation class that helped guide him to where he’s at today.

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Ohio Sports Administration Podcast: 50 Years in the Making. We sit down with Mike Hargrave, the Chief Marketing Officer for Richard Petty Motor Sports. Mike has 30+ years of marketing experience on the team and brand side, across many different facets from media buying to corporate sales.

Tom Symonds (MSA '14) has seen it all in sports communications, having stops at the Detroit Lions, the Big East Conference, the Horizon League, and University of Rhode Island before his time in Athens. Now as the primary media relations contact for Miami football, he's telling the story of one of the most storied programs in college sports. He even managed to become a viral hit along the way

This week we're joined by Brent Schoeb, who at the time of this interview was the Director of Corporate Partnerships for the San Fransisco 49ers, has since been promoted to the Vice President for Corporate Partnerships with the same organization. Brent is a 2006 graduate of Ohio’s Sports Administration program and has had stops with the Memphis Grizzlies as well as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We discuss how the 49ers moved from a traditional approach with sponsorships to a “less is more” model that cut their partnering companies in half and propelled them near the top of the league in revenue.