SSAC

Moderator: Ben Alamar Panelists: Dean Oliver, Brittni Donaldson, Mike Zarren In the dynamic landscape of modern basketball, analytics has emerged as a cornerstone, fundamentally altering the way the game is played, analyzed, and strategized. This panel will delve into the emergence of basketball analytics from its initiation to its current essential role in today's basketball paradigm. The discussion seamlessly intertwines the historical origins with the contemporary significance of basketball analytics, showcasing its transformative journey within the sport, from its humble origins to its current status as a game-changer in the NBA and professional basketball. Navigating pivotal milestones, influential figures, and driving forces, the panel examines the profound impact analytics has on various facets of the sport, from front office strategies, coaching methodologies, player development, and beyond. This session promises to captivate enthusiasts, industry professionals, and basketball aficionados alike, offering valuable insights into the significance of analytics in shaping the past, present, and future of basketball strategy and performance. #EvolutionOfBasketball

Moderator: Warren Zola Panelists: Martin Jarmond, Val Ackerman, Brian Higgins The world of college athletics has seen seismic shifts in recent weeks and years. The introduction of NIL compensation has altered the recruiting landscape across sports, media rights are evolving the exposure of college sports, and conference realignment is changing the college sports experience for student-athletes, universities, and their fans. This panel will delve into the impact of these changes to date and what they could mean for the future of college athletics. Hear from Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman, UCLA Athletic Director Martin Jarmond, COO of NIL consulting firm Altius Tommy Gray, and NCAA SVP of Business Performance Brian Higgins as they discuss the latest developments across college sports and where we go from here. #NewGeneration

Moderator: Arda Ocal  Panelists: Meghan Chayka, Tyler Dellow, P.K. Subban, Jacqueline Davidson There's a changing of the guard underway in the NHL, with legendary superstars entering the twilight of their careers and a new crop of generational talents on the way up. As this new era of the NHL gets underway, how are front office executives thinking about roster construction? What's the balance between analytics and eye test? How do you construct a roster that can handle the grind of the regular season while making sure you have a team that's built to succeed in the playoffs? From the player's perspective, how is this next generation of NHL athletes thinking about analytics to improve their game, scout opposing teams and maximize their recovery? Come find out all this and more from 13 year NHL veteran PK Subban, NHL front office executives Brett Peterson and Tyler Delllow and Stathletes Co-Founder and CEO Meghan Chayka. #StatsToStanleyCups

Moderator: Deepak Malhotra Panelists: Daryl Morey, Monte McNair, Nico Harrison Presidents and GMs of professional sports teams are responsible for a lot of decisions, but nothing gets more attention, discussion, debate, and criticism from fans and the media than the trades they make (or fail to make) as they try to build a title contender. The fact is, even the most ardent fan or sophisticated analyst has no visibility on what really happens in these deals – or why certain decisions were made. How do these parties actually interact and battle it out behind closed doors? What are the pressures and constraints that dealmakers face that are not visible to those on the outside? Why is there often a discrepancy between what fans want, analysts advise, and teams actually do? This panel will bring together NBA executives Nico Harrison, Dennis Lindsey, Monte McNair, and Daryl Morey to discuss the inner workings of building a championship-level team from the perspective of an executive and give you a lens on what actually happens behind the scenes. #Negotiations

Moderator: Alison Overholt Panelists: Kat Frederick, Tim Clark, Carolyn Tisch There are more ways than ever for fans and organizations to engage and interact, both digitally and in-person. By extending the game day experience and connecting more broadly with fully virtual viewing opportunities, sports organizations have an abundance of options to reach more fans in new and different ways. However, maximizing fan attention and engagement remains a challenge in a world where so many alternatives exist. This panel will delve into the ways that organizations foster authentic and long lasting fan engagement and how they differentiate in their local market while globalizing their brand. Panelists will also discuss the increasing role of technology and who owns the fan data along with the growing need for analytics to connect sports and fans. #fanalytics

Moderator: Contessa Brewer Panelists: Gerry Cardinale, Rich Kleiman, Steve Pagliuca In recent years, the sports world has seen massive changes in ownership structures, portfolio approaches across leagues and geographies, control vs. minority, and the role of content in driving value. Hear from change agents Gerry Cardinale, Steve Pagliuca, and Rich Kleiman on their strategies, views, and lessons they've learned in the industry. This panel will highlight the changing nature of sports ownership and how each panelist has managed their investments. The panelists will discuss the ways in which the ownership of assets across different sports can generate competitive advantages. They will also dive into how franchises think about engaging fan bases both domestically and internationally, including the role of media networks and partnerships, as well as future trends in the global sports industry as they relate to ownership and sports content #SportsOwnership

Bill James - Former Senior Baseball Operations Advisor Boston Red Sox Michael Lewis - Author & Journalist Shane Battier - Former Vice President, Analytics and Basketball Development, Miami Heat; 2012 & 2013 NBA Champion, Miami Heat Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers Jackie MacMullan (moderator) - Retired Senior Writer   When Moneyball was published in 2003, no one could have predicted its monumental impact across business, sports, culture, and beyond. Now, twenty years later, the book, and later the blockbuster movie, sparked a renaissance that has totally changed how organizations think about and use data. Jackie MacMullen will lead a discussion with Michael Lewis, Bill James, and Shane Battier as the group reflects on the impact and legacy of Moneyball - and analytics driven thinking - over the last two decades.

Michael Rubin - CEO, Fanatics DeMaurice Smith - Executive Director - National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) Tamika Tremaglio - Executive Director, National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Jessica Gelman (moderator) - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group (KAGR)   Over the past 5 years, we've seen a massive shift in how players are directly engaging with fans, investing into business, and using their platform to affect societal change.  As players step into their collective power, the NBAPA, NFLPA, and partners like Fanatics are redefining the role and impact of player influence within and across the sports industry. Featuring DeMaurice Smith (NFLPA Executive Director), Tamika Tremaglio (NBPA, Executive Director), and Michael Rubin (CEO of Fanatics), Jessica Gelman will guide a discussion on how these industry innovators are adjusting their business models, creating new business lines, driving the future of fan interactivity and have altered the player power landscape to innovate sports.

Stef Strack - Founder & CEO, Voice in Sport, and Voice in Sport Foundation Billy Bean - SVP | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion & Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Major League Baseball (MLB) Sola Winley - EVP Office of the Commissioner and Chief DEI Officer, Major League Soccer (MLS) Jonathan Beane - Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, NFL Katie Burke (moderator) - Chief People Officer, HubSpot   Sports organizations are prioritizing and developing programs to broaden DEI. However, despite increased discussion, media attention, and data supporting diversity, women, people of color, non-binary, and LGBTQ leaders continue to be underrepresented in sports from entry-level to most glaringly in the executive branch. Importantly, leagues are investing heavily in equaling the playing field from employees to vendors to partners with a diversity priority. Over the past few years, major sports leagues have created new policies, hired DEI leaders, and shared their representations from business to team to front office. This panel brings together the league leaders who are driving change at the macro and team-level to increase representation. Moderated by Katie Burke, regarded as a leading voice of culture at Hubspot, learn what is working, what the data says, and how much more we need to do to accelerate representation of diversity, equity, and inclusion in sports.

Jessica Berman - Commissioner, National Women's Soccer League Johanna Faries - Senior Vice President/General Manager of Call of Duty, Activision Blizzard Jackie MacMullan (moderator) - Retired Senior Writer   Sports has long been a microcosm for society at large and given the public visibility athletes, teams, and leagues expected to lead on all aspects of culture. From players to fans to ownership expectations, it is more critical than ever that organizations listen, respond, and set a path towards evolution. Led by Jackie MacMullan, listen in as Jessica Berman (NWSL Commissioner) and Johanna Faries (Senior Vice President/General Manager of Call of Duty, Activision Blizzard) discuss the process of defining a path forward as organizations invest heavily in cultures to set new precedents, ensure employee, fan, and player satisfaction and improve the organization's outcomes. With many competing stakeholders, this panel will feature perspectives from all angles of cultural change within and around the sports industry.

Sue Bird - WNBA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, Co-Founder of A Touch More and Togethxr Brian Westbrook - Managing Director of Athlete Entrepreneur Network, underdog venture team Lindsay Kagawa Colas - Executive Vice President, Talent + The Collective, Wasserman Michele Steele (moderator) - Reporter, ESPN   Star athletes develop strong name recognition for their feats on the field, but their professional athletic careers represent just a fraction of their lives. After retirement (or sometimes even before), athletes embark on numerous different pathways, often using their platform and lessons learned in their playing careers to make an impact on the broader world. This panel convenes star athletes and one of the most prominent agents in sports for a discussion centered on entrepreneurship and investment as a means to drive positive change.

Sue Bird - WNBA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, Co-Founder of A Touch More and Togethxr Brad Stevens - President of Basketball Operations, Boston Celtics Steve Magness - Performance Coach, Author Michael Lewis (moderator) - Author & Journalist   Pressure in sports comes in many forms and some people "have it." Listen in as legendary clutch performer Sue Bird shares how she handles the highest-pressure moments on the court and in boardrooms, how former coach and now team architect Brad Stevens defines the value of performance under pressure for his players, and how performance coach Steve Magness studies the science of these skills to drive performance improvement. Can the "clutch ability" be measured? How do we define clutch? End of shot clock, end of game, importance of the game? How do athletes prepare to perform under pressure mentally and physically? Join this myth-busting discussion led by Michael Lewis as leaders in this area attempt to answer what truly makes the best athletes perform under pressure.

Olav Aleksander Bu - Co-Founder, Head of Performance for Norway Triathlon, Santara Technology Chris Cassidy - Retired NASA Astronaut & NAVY Seal, President and CEO, National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation Roberta Groner - Professional Runner, USATF and RRCA Coach Steve Magness (moderator) - Performance Coach, Author   What do space flight and endurance sports have in common? Both demand the highest level of physical and mental performance, requiring astronauts and athletes alike to push their limits and strive for peak performance. Achieving this goal requires a comprehensive approach that integrates training, recovery, nutrition, and perhaps most important of all mental toughness. This panel will explore what peak human performance means and whether or not it is attainable, drawing on the insights and expertise of Olav Aleksander Bu (coach of Ironman World Champions Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden), Chris Cassidy (former Navy Seal and NASA Astronaut), and Roberta Gronder (American Distance Runner). Join Author and Performance Coach, Steve Magness as he leans on his experience to sift through the complexities and understand what matters most in the pursuit for peak human performance.

Tracey Kitt - Chief Technology Officer, Sony's Sports Businesses Megan Schroeder - Senior Director, Performance Science, Los Angeles Dodgers Michael D'Auria - Chief Commercial Officer, Second Spectrum Christina Chase (moderator) - Co-Founder, Managing Director MIT Sports Lab   The rapid rise of the use of analytics in sports has created demand for new and unique datasets that can help provide an edge over the competition. With the commercialization of motion capture technology, player and object movements can be analyzed and recreated down to the finest detail. For sports teams and leagues, this revolutionary new age of data capture has unlocked so many possibilities in terms of player evaluation, game strategy, and coaching. Furthermore, this advanced data capture has changed the way that games are officiated and administered, providing a path to fairer outcomes. Led by MIT's Christina Chase, hear from Tracey Kitt (Sony's Sports Businesses), Megan Schroeder (LA Dodgers) and Mike D'Auria (Second Spectrum) to learn more about how these exciting technologies are being applied in the sports industry.

Steve Palazzolo - Head of Product for the Football Division, Pro Football Focus (PFF) Thomas Dimitroff - CEO, SumerSports Kevin Demoff - Chief Operating Officer, Los Angeles Rams Jacqueline Davidson - Senior Director of Football Research, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Seth Walder (moderator) - Analytics Writer, ESPN   Football teams across the NFL are using analytics to build an edge over their competition, with improved roster construction being a chief use case. This has also created numerous opportunities for companies to build solutions that provide teams with the data and analytics they need to truly create an edge. Super Bowl winning executives and leaders from SumerSports and PFF convene on this panel to discuss how teams are currently using analytics to build that edge. Potential areas of discussion include how teams are building through the draft, how to prioritize cap allocation to the correct players and positions, approaches to free agency, and the handling of all the variables that come with trading. Panelists will touch on how teams are deploying analytics today, what has and hasn't worked well in the league thus far, and where teams will be putting more of their analytics focus in the coming years.

Omar Chaudhuri - Chief Intelligence Officer, Twenty First Group Sarah Rudd - Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, src | ftbl Mladen Sormaz - Director of Football Analytics, 777 Partners Football Group John Muller (moderator) - Senior Writer, The Athletic   Soccer is both perhaps the most "unsolvable" major sport and earlier in the analytics adoption curve at the club level, making it an extremely exciting time for the global leaders pushing the boundaries of soccer analytics. The beautiful game's analytics research grows more fascinating by the year, with concepts like expected possession value models, pitch control, talent development, set piece optimization, and more gaining more traction. Meanwhile, clubs have become massive businesses, spending hundreds of millions of pounds on individual players while still unsure of how to integrate even basic analytical insights into their decision-making processes. This panel gathers the sport's brightest minds from the world's leading clubs, analytics consultancies, data providers, and researchers to truly dig into soccer's analytics frontier.

Mike Zarren - VP of Basketball Operations and Team Counsel, Boston Celtics Shane Battier - Former Vice President, Analytics and Basketball Development, Miami Heat; 2012 & 2013 NBA Champion, Miami Heat Katherine Evans - VP of Research and Information Systems, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Ben Cohen (moderator) - Author, Wall Street Journal   Analytics has transformed how players, coaches and front offices approach player development. The use of data analysis and advanced metrics has provided teams with valuable insights into player performance, allowing teams to tailor their training and development programs to better meet the needs of individual players. In addition, analytics has also led to a shift in how players approach their own development, as they now have access to detailed data about their own performance and can use this information to identify areas for improvement. Furthermore, the use of analytics has also impacted roster construction, as front offices and coaches now use data to make more informed decisions about everything from blockbuster trades to lineups. Join us as NBA Champion Shane Battier and front office executives Mike Zarren (Boston Celtics) and Katherine Evans (Washington Wizards) discuss the ways in which analytics has revolutionized the way that players, coaches and front offices approach player development.

Seth Walder - Analytics Writer, ESPN Brian Burke - Data Scientist, ESPN Allison Loucks (moderator) - Director, Business Development & Innovation, ESPN   ESPN Analytics will take a deep dive into what the team has done to tell differentiating stories with player tracking data, using the prism of Receiver Tracking Metrics, its newest offering using NFL Next Gen Stats data.

Amy Howe - CEO, FanDuel Tom Reeg - CEO, Caesars Jonathan Kraft - President, The Kraft Group Contessa Brewer (moderator) - Correspondent, CNBC   While sports betting has exploded in popularity recently in the US, only 1 in 5 Americans placed a bet on sports in 2022. As more states legalize sports betting (including Massachusetts in August 2022) and technological innovations drive adoption and accessibility, sports betting is poised for rapid growth. At this same time, sports teams and leagues are looking for new ways to attract new fans and broaden their demographics all while further engaging existing fans. This has come to a fever pitch as sports betting companies race to partner with teams and leagues in the pursuit of continued growth. This panel will explore the evolving landscape of sports betting, the ways in which innovation is driving growth in the industry, and how the landscape is different across leagues with the change agents of the gaming industry. Led by CNBC's Contessa Brewer, hear from Jonathan Kraft (The Kraft Group), Amy Howe (FanDuel) and Tom Reeg (Caesars) as the leaders driving fan engagement and innovation.

Molly Pendleton - Head of Touring, NHL and MLS, Eventellect Ryan Tanke - COO, Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx Brian Lafemina - Chief Business Officer, LA28 Sezin Aksoy - Senior Vice President, Global Data Strategy & Analytics, AXS Shira Springer (moderator) - MIT Sloan Lecturer and Journalist, MIT Sloan   While companies are pouring billions of dollars into media and streaming rights to bring events to the masses, there is nothing that can replicate a live viewing experience: the sights, smells, sounds, and energy of a stadium is so unique. The stakes are only amplified when the events and experiences are big - fan expectations skyrocket in parallel with ticket prices. This panel convenes leading executives from ticketing companies, teams, and major events to discuss how to price the biggest tickets and deliver the boldest experiences all in the name providing fans an unforgettable live experience.

Jon Patricof - CEO and Co-Founder, Athletes Unlimited Katlyn Gao - Co-Founder and CEO, LOVB Andrew Sinnenberg - Chief Operating Officer, Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) Johanna Boynton - Chair and Principal Owner, Toronto Six (PHF) Shira Springer (moderator) - MIT Sloan Lecturer and Journalist, MIT Sloan   Amid seemingly endless opportunities for entertainment, the drama and excitement of sports remains a core part of our culture and continues to capture our attention. Shifting participation trends in youth and high school sports will shape the fans of the future. For example, volleyball - with over 450,000 participants in 2022 - is poised to overtake track and field as the most popular high school girls sport in the US. Amid these changes, we have seen a wave of new leagues - outside the Big 4 sports - pushing the boundaries of traditional league operations through unique approaches to fan engagement, team structure, player empowerment, and gameplay. This panel will dive into the strategies and tactics of innovative leagues like Athletes Unlimited, League One Volleyball, Premier League Lacrosse, and Premier Hockey Federation and outline what's in store for the exciting next chapter of professional sports.

Paul Caine - President, Endeavor's IMG Events and On Location John Sheeran - Senior Commercial Director, FanDuel Elizabeth Lindsey - President, Brands and Properties, Wasserman Jeff Price - Chief Commercial Officer, PGA of America Abe Madkour (moderator) - Publisher & Executive Editor, Sports Business Journal, Sports Business Daily/Global   In the last decade, traditional sponsorships have evolved into broader partnerships with deeper integrations and expectations. The current age of data and digitization has also fundamentally impacted sports partnerships in recent years: we are getting close to the "holy grail" of determining the value behind partnerships. On this panel, we combine holistic perspectives from the PGA of America, Wasserman, Endeavor, and FanDuel to provide insights into how data analytics has revolutionized sports partnerships and allowed both the brands and talent to calculate successes and failures.

Gerry Cardinale - Founder and Managing Partner, RedBird Capital Partners Steve Pagliuca - Senior Advisor, Bain Capital | Managing General Partner and Co-Owner, Boston Celtics Mitch Lasky - Partner, Benchmark | Co-owner, LAFC Saj Cherian (moderator) - Chief of Staff and Head of Fanatics Ventures, Fanatics   Global investment in sports teams has boomed in recent years across continents, sports, and levels, especially as institutional capital has become an increasing driver of team valuations and the sports landscape writ large. Sports-specific funds are popping up and raising funds of ever-increasing sizes, while more generalist institutional funds have increasingly turned to sports as a key investment pillar. With more money flowing in than ever before, valuations have ballooned despite a challenging macroeconomic environment. The last year has seen record franchise and club sales in the NFL, NBA, Premier League, and Serie A. Listen in as some of the most prominent sports investors and owners dig into the logic behind their investment theses, how they make specific investment decisions, and where investment in global sports is going.

Dejan Mitkovski - VP of Data Analytics, FanDuel Grant Cloud - Senior Director of Data Strategy, PrizePicks Meghan Chayka - Co-Founder and CEO, Stathletes André Snellings - Senior Writer, ESPN Lisa Kerney (moderator) - FanDuel TV Talent and Events Host, FanDuel   As sports betting and fantasy sports continue to expand throughout the US, sports gaming enthusiasts, sportsbooks, and fantasy operators will push each other to become more statistically sophisticated. While not all bettors are leveraging advanced analytics in their strategies, the common consumer now has access to more data and analytical tools than ever before. Therefore, this panel will discuss how consumers are receiving and utilizing this new mass of data, as well as the successful strategies that sportsbooks and fantasy operators are seeing from statistically savvy market participants. Senior data scientists from FanDuel and PrizePicks will provide insights into the modeling that goes into setting lines, while perspectives from ESPN and Stathletes will share how the underlying data is collected and translated to fans and clients. Panelists will also discuss the analytics and real-time decision making that go into new and popular betting and gaming formats, such as live odds (FanDuel), player projections (PrizePicks), and many more.

Steve Phelps - President, NASCAR Jill Gregory - EVP and General Manager, Sonoma Raceway Justin Marks - Founder and Owner, Trackhouse Entertainment Group Joe Pompliano (moderator) - Host of Joe Pomp Show, Entrepreneur, and Investor   As a perennial American staple, NASCAR has steadily increased viewership over the last few years, with on average about 3 million viewers watching each race in 2022. In this new sports age, this panel will convene NASCAR leadership, team ownership, and a racetrack executive to discuss how NASCAR is innovating to drive fan satisfaction and creating an enjoyable racetrack experience for attendees. Panelists will discuss how NASCAR's strategy - including changes to the race car, new events like Chicago Street Race, a show on USA Network - has evolved to match the needs and interests of a changing fanbase. The panel will also look to the future on how NASCAR will continue to innovate and tackle key issues such as media rights deals to improve the sport.

Karim Fernandes - Content Creator, Counter Logic Gaming Parth Naidu - CEO, SIDO Nick Troop - Executive Producer, POSSIBLE Doug Watson - Director of Esports Strategic Advisory, Riot Games Greg Kim (moderator) - Head of CLG, Madison Square Garden Sports   There is arguably no place in sports that leverages social media, co-streaming, and cutting-edge technology better than esports. Over the past 5 years, esports storytelling has evolved, introduced new personalities, and made it possible for influencers to become bona fide superstars with tens of millions of followers and billions of views across YouTube, Twitch, and other streaming platforms. Fans are no longer content in having a single option for engaging with their favorite team or sport; they want options. Utilizing influencers, alt streams, and other technology, esports is developing strong connections with an extremely loyal fan base, scaling to new audiences, and generating unique integrations for partner brands. Join us to hear content creators, event producers, and sports leagues are using technology to change sports storytelling with new technology, virtual watch parties, and new forms of social engagement. This panel brings together perspectives from Riot Games, POSSIBLE, CLG, and SIDO to discuss the age of influences and co-streaming in esports and what it means for the development of the industry going forward.

Jennifer Shahade - Chess Champion, Professional Poker Player, Author Hikaru Nakamura - Chess Grandmaster, 5-time U.S. Champion and Popular Chess Streamer Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers Fabiano Caruana - Chess Grandmaster and Founder of C-Squared Podcast Danny Rensch (moderator) - International Chess Master, Chief Chess Officer, Chess.com   Although Chess has been played for over one-thousand years, it's popularity has attained new heights in the recent years, particularly amongst the younger generation. This is in part due to popular TV shows, like the Queen's Gambit, the ease of streaming matches, and a growing amount of engaging and digestible content tailor-made for social media. Yet, the game has also been rocked by prominent cheating scandals - aided by the very technologies that have helped chess grow more popular. This panel brings together some of the biggest names in the game including Danny Rensch, Jennifer Shahade, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, and Daryl Morey to discuss the current state of chess, techniques to detect cheating, and how chess can continue to leverage technology to grow the game all while keeping competition fair, fun, and entertaining. There will be a board on stage - so who knows, we might even have a live match break out in the middle of the discussion!

Nate Silver - Statistician, Author and Founder FiveThirtyEight Jennifer Shahade - Chess Champion, Professional Poker Player, Author Maria Ho - Professional Poker Player, Broadcaster Xuan Liu - Professional Poker Player Jeff Ma (moderator) - Entrepreneur, Author, Host of "Bet the Process" Podcast   How can analytic decision making in high stakes games of poker be applied to real life decisioning? What can we learn through the analytics of human behavior and how different game strategies can be applied to real world situations? Discover how to identify, analyze and leverage key metrics present in everyday games of poker, blackjack and chess to make more informed decisions in all aspects of your life. Join 538's Nate Silver, professional poker player Jennifer Shahade and Women in Poker Hall of Fame Inductee Maria Ho for a wide ranging conversation on poker's trendiest strategy, whether the rise in analytics in poker has truly evened the playing field, and the potential implications for the future of high stakes poker.

Alex Baldwin - President, Korn Ferry Tour Mark Broadie - Carson Family Professor of Business, Columbia Business School Dan Zelezinski - Chief Commercial Officer, Twenty First Group Suzy Whaley (moderator) - President, Golf Nation   Golf has seen a dramatic transformation in recent years with how players try to gain an advantage. With professional golfers now inundated with data about their games, how do they best cut through the noise and identify the key performance indicators that actually correlate to winning tournaments? How do different course conditions and layout impact performance? What are players focusing on physically to best prepare for peak performance? From the Tour perspective, how can organizations like the Korn Ferry, Epson, and NCAA best prepare players to compete on the PGA and LPGA Tour? Join us for a deep dive into how golfers are gaining a competitive advantage with Alex Baldwin, President of the Korn Ferry Tour, Mark Broadie, golf analytics expert and inventor of strokes gained, and Dan Zelezinski, COO of the Twenty First Group. Learn how influential figures in the golf community see these dynamics playing out in the short and long term.

Jessie Irvine - Professional Pickleball Player, PPA Tour & MLP's Florida Smash Brian Levine - Interim CEO, Major League Pickleball Connor Pardoe - CEO, Professional Pickleball Association Dave Fleming (moderator) - Pickleball Broadcaster, Senior Pro Player, Marketer, and Content Creator, Professional Pickleball Association   Created in 1965 in Bainbridge Island, Washington, pickleball is now all the rage. It's the fastest-growing sport three years running. With athletes such as Lebron James, Tom Brady, Naomi Osaka, and Patrick Mahomes investing in the sport, pickleball is projected to attract close to 40 million players across the world by 2030. Moderated by PPA Tour broadcaster & pickleball pro, Dave Fleming, this panel brings together a top 10 player in the world (Jessie Irvine) and CEOs from two of the sport's biggest leagues MLP (Brian Levine) and PPA (Connor Pardoe) to discuss why the sport is growing, what's to expect in upcoming years, and how you can get involved.

Bill James - Former Senior Baseball Operations Advisor, Boston Red Sox Morgan Sword - Executive Vice President, Baseball Operations, Major League Baseball (MLB) Raúl Ibañez - Senior Vice President of On-Field Operations, Major League Baseball (MLB) Kevin Negandhi (moderator) - Anchor for SportsCenter, Host for ESPN College Football on ABC, ESPN   America's Pastime has undergone significant changes over the past several years as it tries to capture younger audiences and develop them into passionate baseball fans like ones from past generations. Chief among these are rule changes meant to increase the pace, excitement, and competitiveness of the game. This panel convenes Bill James and executives from the MLB league office to discuss the rationale behind these rule changes, its effect on team composition, and the tangible impact that the panelists feel it will have on the game moving forward.

Kate Madigan - Assistant General Manager, New Jersey Devils Brett Peterson - Assistant General Manager, Florida Panthers Meghan Chayka - Co-Founder and CEO, Stathletes Dominic Moore (moderator) - NHL Analyst on ESPN, Former NHL Player   With the NHL the only true 'hard cap' league of the 4 major sports leagues, front office executives face a unique dilemma. How does the growing salary of top players like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews influence roster construction? Is building a true dynasty even possible anymore with the 'winners tax' that Stanley Cup champions have to pay in order to keep their current roster together? How does the hard cap influence prioritization of salary cap allotment between goalies, forwards and defensemen? This panel brings together front office executives from across the NHL as well as some of the forward-most thinkers in hockey analytics to discuss the best way to build a roster that is well positioned for sustainable, long-term success.

Jason Robins - Co-Founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board, DraftKings Wyc Grousbeck - Lead Owner, Boston Celtics Jessica Gelman (moderator) - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group (KAGR)   Jason Robins and Wyc Grousbeck are two of the most prominent builders of sports businesses today who see opportunities before others. As the Co-Founder and CEO of DraftKings, Jason helped revolutionize the ever-growing US sports betting landscape with the advent of daily fantasy games and mobile wagering. As Lead Owner of the Boston Celtics and a venture capitalist, Wyc Grousbeck helped revitalize one of the NBA's most iconic brands and was an early pioneer investing around sports including fast-growing sports entities such as SeatGeek, Zwift, and Formula E. Join Jason and Wyc as they sit down with Jessica Gelman to discuss their sports career paths and the strategies they've deployed to navigate obstacles along the way.

Marie Donoghue - Vice President, Global Sports Video, Amazon Jessica Gelman - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group (KAGR) Renie Anderson - Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice President, NFL Partnerships, NFL Valerie Camillo - President & CEO, Spectacor Sports & Entertainment Shelley Pisarra (moderator) - Executive Vice President of Global Insights and Strategy, Wasserman   The Year of the Fan is upon us as leagues, teams, and partners are more connected and more knowledgeable about their consumers than ever before. Sports continues to dominate our mindshare whether that be watching, reading, listening, or playing alongside. Historically, the Holy Grail of Fan Insights was long around who was attending games. With more ways to consume sports, innovation in understanding and serving the fan is rapidly accelerating. Organizations have invested in improving all aspects of the game-day experience and growing connectivity. Simultaneously, as digital marketing, cashless payments, and OTT content provides a deeper perspective about who, how, when, and why fans are engaging, innovation around a 360 degree view of the fan has become the new focus. Listen in as industry leaders who are redefining fan experiences through entertainment/content, experiences, data, and fan connectivity. With new patterns and data on consumer behavior, long-held industry myths have been busted and is driving a more personalized and "always on" fan experience. 

Tim Clark - Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, NASCAR Kathryn Kai-ling Frederick - Chief Marketing Officer, LA Rams Kaitee Daley - Vice President of Social Media, ESPN Karlis Kezbers (moderator) - Vice President of Global Client Analytics, Ticketmaster   More than 50% of fans currently use social media platforms while watching live sports, and that number is only expected to grow. The meteoric rise of short-form video across all social media platforms has shifted viewer attention spans and content preferences. Fans are opting for bite-sized clips over an entire real-time game, or behind-the-scenes clips over live content. In fact, in the next 5 years, the value of short-form video clips in sports is expected to rise faster than live media rights. Join our panelists for a discussion on the evolution of social media and its impact on sports consumption and fanhood. Learn how sports teams are currently using social media to engage their audiences, and their plans to expand beyond those who watch cable broadcasts.

Corbin Petro - CEO and Co-Founder, Eleanor Health Corey Thomas - Chair and CEO, Rapid7 Seth Moulton - U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 6th Congressional District Sanjeev Verma - Founder and Chairman, PreVeil Andrea Jones-Rooy (moderator) - Social Scientist, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Visiting Associate Professor, NYU Center for Data Science   Data is used across industries in innovative ways, raising questions on its use, ownership, and appropriate guardrails. This panel brings together industry experts all focused on using data for the greater good – improved health, safety, security – to share learnings on managing unintended consequences and protect from bad actors. In fact, the sports industry, athletes, leagues, and teams are just learning how to grapple with these issues, as the rise of video footage, AI, and wearable sensors have made it feasible to analyze performance trends in unparalleled detail. Join us as we look to the expertise of panelists across healthcare, government, and cybersecurity industries to better understand what sports can learn from other industries to ensure data is used in the right way by the right people.

Patrick Lucey - Chief Scientist, Stats Perform Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers Sherry Marcus - Director, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Amazon Web Services (AWS) S. Matthew Liao - Arthur Zitrin Professor of Bioethics and Director of the Center for Bioethics, New York University Ethan Strauss (moderator) - Proprietor of the House of Strauss Substack The recent launches of ChatGPT and Dall-E have put a spotlight on artificial intelligence (AI), making it arguably the most discussed topic in the news right now. While many industries have just started to get their first exposure to the possibilities of AI, it has already started to make an impact in the sports industry. Some reports estimate that the AI in Sports market will reach tens of billions of dollars in the next 10 years. From helping analyze game footage and player data in the NBA and NFL, to identifying trends and patterns that predict future performance in F1, teams and organizations are increasingly relying on AI to help gain an edge. Led by Ethan Strauss and joined by Daryl Morey (76ers), Patrick Lucey (Stats Perform), Sherry Marcus (AWS), and S. Matthew Liao (NYU), this panel will discuss the current state of this cutting edge technology and what the future of AI has in store for the sports industry.

Michael Markovich - Chief Commercial Officer, Sony's Sports Businesses & Managing Director, Pulselive Russell Wolff - Executive Vice President and GM, ESPN+, ESPN Tim Clark - Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, NASCAR Alison Overholt (moderator) - Professor, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism & Founder, Good People LLC   This is arguably the most exciting, yet uncertain time in sports media history. Large tech companies are winning sports media rights contracts, many consumers stream games rather than watch on cable, organizations are developing their own direct to consumer networks, social media continues to be the go to medium for younger generations to consume sports, and the rise of esports continually represents a challenge to traditional sports. With representation from major players in the space, this panel will include a range of perspectives across media, technology, and league offices. Topics will include the current state of sports media, the path forward for traditional broadcasters, streaming and digital media, technological innovations to the consumption experience, and league-wide strategies on what it will take to win the fight for viewership.

Jessica Gelman - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group (KAGR) Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers Nate Silver - Statistician, Author, and Founder of FiveThirtyEight Bill James - Baseball Writer, Historian, and Statistician Michele Steele (moderator) - Reporter, ESPN Imagine you are granted unlimited wishes allowing you to change the landscape of sports as we know it. You can access any data in the world; you can change any rules; you could invent totally new sports; you can introduce any type of technology. What would you do? In the final session of our 2023 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, we bring together the leaders in sports and business analytics to discuss the art of the possible for future changes in the sports industry.

Keira D'Amato - Professional Runner, InsideTracker Endurance Team Ian MacGregor - Co-Founder & CEO, Skratch Labs Dr. Allen Lim - Co-Founder, Skratch Labs Jonathan Levitt (moderator) - Host, For The Long Run Podcast   In the constant search for an edge, athletes, trainers and coaches are increasingly focusing on better data collection and advanced modeling to refine training plans, optimize recovery and perfect race strategy. Endurance athletes across marathons, triathlons, and cycling events push themselves to the limit each and every day to achieve victory. Over the last 20 years, innovative training, nutrition and recovery plans as well as equipment advances have allowed athletes to achieve unbelievable feats. Now, enabled by new biometric and performance tracking devices, data represents the next source for pushing the limits of human achievement. This panel will focus on how data is being leveraged to take human performance to the next level in endurance sports. By seizing the data, who knows what humans will be able to accomplish next?

Luke Bornn - Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, Zelus Analytics Lucy Rushton - General Manager and Head of Technical Recruitment and Analysis, D.C. United Jaeson Rosenfeld - Analytics Advisor, FIFA Raul Pelaez - Co-founder and CEO, ailite Ted Knutson (moderator) - CEO and Co-Founder, StatsBomb   It was a long journey for the soccer analytics community to bring foundational metrics like expected goals to mainstream consciousness and understanding. Soccer fans around the world now expect to see analytical tools such as expected goals on match broadcasts, video games, and online discussions. Soccer analytics has evolved beyond shot- and event-based data as the game's brightest minds seek to quantify value everywhere on the field at all times. Significantly, improved understanding of player aging curves and valuation models has radically shifted recruitment strategies and talent flows, with clubs across Europe and the Americas buying younger and younger. In this new phase, women's soccer has seen unprecedented levels of investment in television deals, talent, and analytics departments. This panel collects soccer's key thought leaders working in a wide variety of spaces to push the beautiful game's analytics to new frontiers.

Kat Frederick - CMO, Los Angeles Rams Broderick Hicks - VP, Brands, Wasserman Nicole Jeter West - CEO, Underdog Venture Team Allison Feaster - VP of Player Development & Organizational Growth, Boston Celtics Candace Sautman (moderator) - Senior Director of Strategy, Laundry Service   Real-world issues in sports and business have always been intertwined. In sports, these challenges are very visible, and even more so since Colin Kaepernick's protests during the National Anthem in 2016. Schools, workplaces, and communities have been grappling with issues around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for years, and while not as publicly visible, the challenges are just as big. What is next in sports, business and culture to evolve a more equitable and accurate depiction of gender, race, and sexuality across sports and business? Progress must be made. On Wall Street, public boards must have female representation. In the NFL, the Rooney Rule hasn't changed the numbers on Black head coaches. How do we move from the initiatives of today - hosting events, educating, and training on DE&I to truly living DEI - having truly diverse, inclusive, representative organizations and teams on and off the field? It is time to move the chains on DE&I initiatives in sports and this panel will highlight leaders who are the change.

Duncan French - Vice President of Performance, UFC Performance Institute Deni Batchvarova - Senior Vice President, Strategy, UFC Forrest Griffin - Vice President of Athlete Development, UFC Performance Institute Matt Kenny (moderator) - Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions, ESPN   Observing the raw energy of a mixed martial arts match, one might assume that analytics don't have a place in the octagon. 10 years ago that might have been the case, but the UFC has revolutionized the use of analytics in the sport through their pioneering Performance Institutes. Bringing together a global pool of athletes, these facilities have devised new methods to create data where there was none before and deliver impact during development, training, and the matches themselves. This panel brings together UFC executive, performance scientist, and athlete perspectives to dissect how far the space has come and what the next opportunities are to deploy technology and analytics for knockout results.

Sue Bird - Point Guard, Seattle Storm Mike Zarren - Assistant General Manager, Boston Celtics JJ Redick - 15 year NBA Veteran and Co-founder of ThreeFourTwo Productions Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers Tom Haberstroh (moderator) - Analyst / Reporter, Meadowlark Media     This year marks the NBA's 75th anniversary. In the last three-quarters of a century, the game has evolved in such a way that even James Naismith might not recognize it. While there have been some massive overhauls – from the merger of the ABA and NBA in 1976 to the introduction of the three-point line in 1979 – the NBA product has changed each year, most recently with the play-in game playoff format. It is inevitable that the game will continue to change. But how? Is the 4 point line a realistic next step? Will teams have a spot for traditional centers? Will we continue to see the rise of international superstars like Luka and Giannis? Will the WNBA continue to grow at a historic pace? What will the competitive advantage of the next dynasty be? Will the mid-range shot be extinct? Join our panel of expert basketball minds as they opine on the future of the game.

  Jeff Price - Chief Commercial Officer, PGA David Maher - President & Chief Executive Officer, Acushnet Company Ken Lovell - SVP of Golf Technology, PGA Tour Suzy Whaley (moderator) - Honorary President, PGA of America Golf has been booming at all levels in recent years, experiencing the largest net increase in participation in decades as over 500,000 new golfers hit the links in 2020. Golf looks much different than it did 17 years ago, due in large part to a data revolution. Beyond ball speeds and spin rates making Bryson Dechambeau a household name, advances in data collection and analysis are impacting all aspects – how the game is played and broadcasted, how fans are interacting with golf-related content, and how data is being used to attract new players and fans. This panel brings together leaders from the top golf associations and brands to discuss the embrace of data and the path forward from here.

Val Ackerman - Commissioner, BIG EAST Conference Amy Privette Perko - CEO, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Elizabeth Lindsey - Managing Partner, Wasserman Michele Steele (moderator) - Reporter, ESPN   While 2020 saw college sports scrambling through the pandemic, 2021 brought about a flurry of changes that reshaped the landscape of college sports. Massive changes to the NIL rules have resulted in college football recruit Travis Hunter receiving $1.5M before he even enrolls at Jackson State, Texas and Oklahoma signaled they are going to make the jump to the SEC in another conference realignment move, and the new NCAA constitution enacted in January gives significantly more autonomy to divisions to develop their own policies. As a result of these changes, schools have an entirely different regime to navigate heading into the next decade. Will there be a super division? How will the concept of scholarships be altered? Which athletes will reap the rewards? Will we still see an overhaul of the college football playoffs? What will the NIL rules mean for the Olympics? This panel brings together the key leaders from different areas of the college ecosystem, including schools, conferences, agencies, and advocacy groups to discuss all of the massive recent changes, and to answer the ultimate question: What is the future of college sports?

Kristin Bernert - President of Business Operations, Columbus Crew Frances Traisman - Senior Vice President Sales, Seattle Mariners Jonathan Tillman - SVP Team Marketing & Business Operations, NBA Patrick Ryan - Co-Founder, Eventellect Shira Springer (moderator) - Journalist and Lecturer, Boston University and MIT Sloan   The world of ticketing has been front and center to the challenges and changes of live sports over the last two years. As fan preferences change and technology improves, the landscape for ticketing for all parties involved -- teams, leagues, and actual ticketing agencies -- is also rapidly evolving. With contactless and paperless ticketing becoming the norm, teams and leagues are now thinking more critically about their ticketing strategy, which has kicked open the door for deeper integration between ticketing and the fan experience before, during, and after games. This panel brings together executives across teams and leagues and ticketing strategists to discuss the lasting effects of COVID, how new technology will continue to foster innovation, and what ticketing will look like at the end of the decade.

Mark Walker - Head of Sports Business Development & Innovation, ESPN Marie Donoghue - Vice President of Global Sports Video, Amazon Dave Abbott - Managing Director, US Sports Media, Sportradar Stephanie McMahon - Chief Brand Officer, WWE Shelley Pisarra (moderator) - Executive Vice President of Global Insights and Strategy, Wasserman   “The game is on!” is a refrain that has rung out around the world for over a hundred years. The way in which we experience these contests has evolved dramatically - live viewing, radio, television, streaming - and new innovations promise to continue revolutionizing the viewing experience going forward. Cutting edge analytics and real time data feeds, including live sports betting content, add texture to the action while groundbreaking augmented and virtual reality displays promise to enmesh us in the experience in ways never before possible. Even more, it is not just the viewing that has evolved but also the nature of the contests themselves as sports content is continuously reinvented. Combine all this with increased engagement driven by the advance of legalized sports betting and there is a convergence of data, technology, and interest that promises to reinvigorate the fan experience and capture the imagination of new generations. Join us as key leaders in tech, media, content, and data discuss how their worlds are colliding and what it means for the future of sports business.

Dawn Aponte - Chief Administrator of Football Operations, NFL John Nisi - COO of Azure Data and Artificial Intelligence, Microsoft Dejan Mitkovski - VP, Analytics, FanDuel Yael Grushka-Cockayne (moderator) - Professor, Darden School of Business   Any type of organization in the sports world -- teams, leagues, and businesses -- needs to be strong in the face of change and adversity. The past few years have taught us how harnessing the power of data is a business imperative and differentiator. With 79 zettabytes of data produced in 2021, lack of data is not an excuse. How are leagues using data to ensure player safety? How are companies using data to develop competitive advantages? This panel will bring together critical thinkers from Microsoft, FanDuel, and the NFL to discuss the power of data in decision-making in the sports world.

Meredith McPherron - CEO & Managing Partner, Drive by DraftKings Mitch Lasky - Partner, Benchmark / Co-Owner, LAFC Jeff Ma - VP, Microsoft for Startups Bruce Smith - Founder & CEO, Hydrow Corbin Petro (moderator) - Co-Founder & CEO, Eleanor Health   The data doesn't lie – 90% of start-ups fail, including 65% that raise VC funding, and only 5% of VCs return more than 3x to their LPs. Yet the allure of entrepreneurship and investing drive innovation across industries and sectors, including sports and analytics. This panel brings together successful entrepreneurs from Microsoft and investors and venture capitalists from ARod Corp and Drive by DraftKings to discuss building companies, burgeoning investment trends, and their best advice for emerging founders.

Mark Abbott - President and Deputy Commissioner, Major League Soccer Jordan Solomon - Partner, Arctos Sports Partners Benjamin Hesse - COO, J.P. Morgan's Asset & Wealth Management Ben Fischer (moderator) - Staff Writer, Sports Business Journal   Returns in sports ownership have outpaced public market indices by ~4-6% per year over the last decade. And just recently, leagues have begun allowing institutions to acquire interests in sports teams. These rule changes paved the way for a banner year for sports private equity investments in 2021. Firms invested nearly $2 billion into acquiring stakes in professional teams; namely, Sixth Street Partners and Dell took a 30% stake in the San Antonio Spurs, and Arctos Sports Partners acquired 10% of the Minnesota Wild. This panel convenes titans from JP Morgan and Arctos, NBA ownership in NBA Champion Wes Edens, and the MLS President who opened the league to more diverse ownership structures. This will be a lively discussion on what makes sports teams an attractive investment opportunity, the private equity plan for ownership, how primary team ownership has evolved, and where investors will be looking for alpha in the future.