A Career in College Athletics

This week, I’m joined by my friend Alan Verlander, CEO of Airstream Ventures, a sports and entertainment event management company. For the past 25 years, Alan has worked in and around college athletics from nearly every angle.

Alan was the Director of Athletics at Jacksonville University from 2005-2012, then served as the Executive Director of Sports and Entertainment for the City of Jacksonville, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Jacksonville Sports Council, before going out on his own to found Airstream Ventures. Alan has led and worked some of the nation’s largest events including four  NCAA Basketball Tournaments, Davis Cup Tennis, Navy vs. Notre Dame Football game, Gator Bowl, Spartan Races, Florida vs. Georgia Football Game, and US Men’s and Women’s National Team Soccer matches.

We talked about the differences between working in an athletic department vs. with the City, his leadership style and his advice for young administrators looking to bring new and innovative ideas to the world of college athletics. We also chatted about attracting sporting events to new cities and money that’s often left on the table when dealing with sponsors. 

If you work in or around college athletics, this is going to be an episode you’ll enjoy!

Follow Airstream Ventures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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