Blake Lawrence, Co-Founder & President of Opendorse - SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show College Sports Series

On this episode of the SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show - College Sports Edition, Wayne Kimmel interviewed the President of the Philadelphia Union, Tim McDermott. McDermott is President of the Philadelphia Union and Union Sports & Entertainment and oversees all club business operations for the Philadelphia Union, Philadelphia Union II, Philadelphia Union Academy, as well as the Union’s campus master plan and development project which includes the Union Power Plant, Subaru Park, and the construction of the WSFS Bank Sportsplex. Since joining the Union in 2016, McDermott’s efforts have been focused on increasing the brand strength, fan base, and revenue opportunities as well as a continued commitment to growing soccer and making a positive impact on the community. Under his oversight, the Union reached many milestones ahead of the 2023 season including the highest partnership revenues and largest season-ticket base all-time, historical highs in television ratings, social engagement and earned media coverage.In 2023, McDermott put further action into his commitment to revitalize the Chester waterfront as construction on the WSFS Bank Sportsplex began, a project that culminated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony in July 2025. With his vision coming to fruition, the building of the sportsplex lends opportunities for growth in tourism, job creation, and economic impact as well as a safe space for community members to gather. Additionally, working with the greater vision of the club in mind, the sportsplex will further the Union’s overall commitment to youth development and pathway to the pros as it brought all the Union’s teams to one campus.Tim McDermott:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmcdermott2/X: https://x.com/TimMcDermott6Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timmcdermott6/Chapters00:00 Introduction to Tim McDermott and Philadelphia Union01:30 Youth Development and Academy Success06:39 The Unique Position of MLS in Youth Sports11:12 Preparing for the World Cup 202614:57 Business Opportunities and Challenges Ahead19:19 Vision for the Future of MLS20:16 Innovations in Technology and Fan Experience23:41 Managing Operations and Growth31:36 Impact of Media Rights on Fan Engagement

On the final episode of the SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show - College Sports Edition, Wayne Kimmel and Co-Host Ken Shropshire interviewed College Football Analyst & Broadcaster, Adam Breneman. Breneman is a co-founder of Mercury: The College Sports Co., a venture-backed sports media company that is changing the way fans interact with their favorite teams and players. Breneman is also a college football analyst and broadcaster for ESPN, Big Ten Network and CBS.He hosts the Next Up Podcast with Adam Breneman, where he interviews prominent figures and experts on topics related to college football. He also founded the Blue Chip Journal, a weekly newsletter with over 15,000 subscribers that delivers his opinion and news on all things college football, NIL, and recruiting. He is a recognized leader and authority on NIL in national media.During his playing career, Breneman was a 5-star recruit and the No. 1 ranked tight end in the nation. He began his college career at Penn State where he earned Freshman All- American honors and still holds the record for longest touchdown by a tight end in PSU history. After facing injuries, Breneman transferred to UMass, where he became a 2x All-American, led the nation in receptions by a tight end, and a 2x John Mackey Award Semi-finalist. From 2020-2021, Breneman was the tight ends coach at Arizona State University under the legendary coach and media personality Herm Edwards.While at ASU, Breneman was regarded as one of the best recruiters in college football, and was named to 247Sports.com’s 30 Under 30 list. He was the youngest position coach in Power 5 football.Adam Breneman:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adambreneman/X: https://x.com/AdamBreneman81Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adambreneman/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@adambreneman81Chapters00:00 The Evolution of College Sports02:58 Navigating NIL and the Transfer Portal06:03 Coaching Challenges in the New Landscape08:58 The Role of Transparency in College Athletics11:40 Insights from Head Coaches14:58 The Impact of NIL on Team Dynamics17:48 Broadcasting in the Age of NIL and Sports Betting20:39 The Changing Landscape of College Athletics23:41 The Reality of Student-Athlete Life26:34 Building a Support Team for Young Athletes29:49 The Need for Leadership in College Sports

On this episode of the SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show - College Sports Edition, Wayne Kimmel and Co-Host Ken Shropshire interviewed Professional and Collegiate Sports Executive, Oliver Luck.As President of Palmetto Trust Company, LLC and Chairman of Altius Sports Partners, Luck provides leadership experience spanning collegiate and professional athletics. His roles have included Commissioner of the XFL, Executive Vice President for Regulatory Affairs and Strategic Partnerships of the NCAA, and Athletic Director of West Virginia University.Additionally, Luck has been in leadership roles with the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer and the National Football League and was Chief Executive Officer of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, where he oversaw the financing, construction and management of professional sports and entertainment infrastructure in Houston, including Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium and Toyota Center.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Oliver Luck02:16 The Evolution of College Sports and NIL07:21 Unionization and Collective Bargaining in College Sports12:26 The Importance of Education and Financial Literacy20:15 Title IX and Gender Equality in Sports25:47 Maximizing Revenue for Olympic Sports30:29 The Future of College Sports Management32:12 Looking Ahead: The Future of College Athletics

On this episode of the SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show - College Sports Edition, Wayne Kimmel and Co-Host Ken Shropshire interviewed the Co-Founder & CEO of Opendorse, Blake Lawrence. Lawrence explores the rapid evolution of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in college sports—covering the impact of recent executive orders, the financial literacy young athletes need, and the shifting dynamics of athlete compensation. He offers insights into the challenges and opportunities NIL presents, the implications of the transfer portal, and introduces his book, NIL 101: The House Settlement, which demystifies the complexities of NIL for athletes and industry stakeholders.After a promising career as a University of Nebraska linebacker was cut short by injury, Lawrence pivoted to business—earning his marketing degree in 2009 and MBA in 2011. In 2010, while completing his MBA, he co-founded Hurrdat, a fast-growing social media agency later acquired in 2014. Building on that success, Lawrence and former teammate Adi Kunalic launched Opendorse in 2012. What began as a simple tool to help one friend manage endorsement deals quickly grew into the leading platform connecting athletes, brands, and sports organizations.Under Lawrence’s leadership, Opendorse has partnered with major sports associations including the NFLPA, MLBPA, PGA Tour, NHLPA, and Team USA. Today, the platform serves more than 100,000 athletes, 3,000 brands, and thousands of organizations—backed by $40 million in venture capital and patent-pending technology that quantifies athlete endorsement value.Known for blending lessons from the locker room with entrepreneurial grit, Lawrence champions values like teamwork, accountability, competitiveness, and relentless work ethic. Beyond running Opendorse, he is a sought-after speaker and media voice, appearing on ESPN’s Outside the Lines, SportsCenter, Today Show, Bloomberg QuickTake, and more.Blake Lawrence: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blakealawrence/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blake_lawrence/X: https://x.com/Blake_LawrenceNIL 101: The House Settlement: https://blakelawrence.gumroad.com/l/NIL101TheHouseSettlement?utm_campaign=house-posts&utm_medium=social&utm_source=xChapters00:00 Introduction to Blake Lawrence and Opendorse02:51 The Evolution of NIL and Opendorse' Role08:29 The Impact of NIL on Young Athletes12:07 Financial Literacy and Support for Athletes16:31 Compensation Disparities and Locker Room Dynamics21:14 The Transfer Portal and Its Implications24:40 The Future of College Sports and Market Forces26:43 The Role of the College Sports Commission37:19 Blake's Book: NIL 101, The House Settlement41:02 Looking Ahead: The Future of College Football and Basketball

On this episode of the SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show - College Sports Edition, Wayne Kimmel and Co-Host Ken Shropshire interviewed Sports Agent and Founder of SANIL and AthleticDirectorU, Jason Belzer. Belzer discusses the transformative changes in college athletics, particularly focusing on the impact of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) rights, the evolving role of athletic directors, and the influence of private equity in the sports ecosystem. He emphasizes the need for transparency and education for young athletes navigating this new landscape, as well as the potential for collective bargaining to reshape the industry. Belzer also highlights the importance of community and unity in college sports, as institutions adapt to the rapidly changing environment.Belzer, Esq. is co-founder and CEO of Student Athlete NIL (SANIL), an agency of record that specializes in assisting brands, universities and student-athletes navigate the new era of name, image and likeness. SANIL manages more than 45 NIL collectives at universities across the country and hosts the annual NIL Summit at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.Belzer is also founder and President of GAME, Inc., an agency that specializes in the career management and marketing of coaches and the creation of collegiate sporting events. The firm represents more than 30 head Division I men’s and women’s basketball coaches and has negotiated more than $100 million in contracts to date.He is also co-founder of AthleticDirectorU, a transformative digital media and professional development platform for college athletic administrators and coaches. ADU is the No. 1 read original content publication in the college sports industry.Belzer graduated from Rutgers University, earning degrees in Sport Management and Political Science. He went on to receive his MBA from the University of Illinois and a JD from Rutgers University School of Law and is a licensed attorney in New York and New Jersey.Ken Shropshire:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-shropshire-wharton/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennethshropshire/Jason Belzer:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbelzer/X: https://x.com/JasonBelzerChapters:00:00 The Evolution of College Athletics09:19 Navigating NIL and Athlete Representation17:50 The Impact of Direct Payments on College Sports24:26 The Future of Private Equity in College Sports32:10 The Role of Athletic Directors in Modern Sports

On this episode of the SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show, Wayne Kimmel interviewed the CEO of DON'T QUIT Sports Nutrition, Mark French. French has created, operated and sold multiple businesses in the consumer goods, sports, media and technology industries. As profiled by Forbes, French is recognized as one of the most successful business disruptors.Previous ventures include MISSION®, The Players’ Tribune®, Healthy Together®, as well as entrepreneurial leadership roles with NBC Universal® (Founder of NBC Everywhere). French is the Founder of NLP Ventures, an investor and hands-on operational partner for portfolio companies in the Consumer Goods, Sports, Entertainment, and Technology sectors.Leading consumer PE Firm L Catterton tapped French to join them on the Board of Directors for their portfolio company X2 Performance (a clean, healthy sports energy brand) and take over the CEO role in effort to scale the business. Under French’s leadership X2 partnered with Kawhi Leonard, Saquon Barkley and other elite athletes to grow the brands offering and distribution with large retailers including CVS, Subway, AMPM, GNC, etc. Mark recently led the strategic merger of X2 with Keurig Dr Pepper’s sports protein brand DON’T QUIT. Under French’s leadership DON’T QUIT now features clean / healthy sports beverages for all use occasions and is backed by Keurig Dr Pepper, LA Libations, Madison Square Garden, L Catterton, Sweetwater Private Equity, etc.Over the course of his entrepreneurial career, French has partnered with legendary co-founding athletes and entertainers including Dwyane Wade, Serena Williams, Derek Jeter, Carmelo Anthony, Reggie Bush, Saquon Barkley, Damar Hamlin, DJ Khaled, Kendall Toole and others. Premiere institutional investors including L Catterton, Madison Square Garden, Live Nation, Endeavor, Roc Nation, Nelson Peltz, etc have backed French and his disruptive ventures.As a philanthropist, French received the Lowell B. Mason Award for his commitment and mentorship to at-risk inner-city youth. He was one of 150 delegates selected by Pope Francis for the Global “Sport at the Service of Humanity” Council. French is an alum of Ithaca College, actively involved in the Athletic Department's Advisory Council. He graduated from Harvard’s Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports Executive Program.French’s inspiring entrepreneurial story has been featured on CNBC, Forbes, ESPN, Fox Business News, and more. French is often asked to share his entrepreneurial story and teach best practices with corporate giants such as GE, The NFL and more.Mark French:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-french-/

On this episode of the SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show, Wayne Kimmel interviewed the Assistant AD for Sports Medicine at Villanova University & Former Trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers, Lenny Currier.Currier, who came to Villanova in 2003, serves as an Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicine. In this position, he is responsible for oversight of the Athletic Training staff that serves Villanova's 24 varsity sports. He was elevated to his current position in 2019 after serving as the Director of Sports Medicine from 2003-19. Currier also serves as the athletic trainer for the Villanova Men's Lacrosse team. Prior to coming to Villanova in 2003, Currier spent 14 years as an athletic trainer with two National Basketball Association franchises. From 1997-2003, he served as Head Athletic Trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers. He also served as the Head Athletic Trainer for the Orlando Magic from 1989-97. During his time in professional basketball, he twice served as an athletic trainer for the East at the NBA All-Star Game (1992 and 2002). In addition, Currier spent two summers as an athletic trainer with USA Basketball (1998-99) as pre-qualification for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. From 1985-88 he served as an athletic trainer in Albuquerque, N.M. with the Triple A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Currier is a native of Newburyport, Mass., who received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Arizona State University and a Master of Science degree from the University of Arizona. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force who served a tour of duty in Vietnam. He makes his home in Philadelphia with his wife Lori and twin children, Brendan and Olivia.

On this episode of the SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show, Wayne Kimmel interviewed the Chief Business Officer of Sinclair Broadcast Group, J.R. McCabe.McCabe joined Sinclair, Inc. in the fall of 2020 and currently serves as Chief Business Officer, Consumer Products. In this role, McCabe is proving the tremendous growth potential of the convergence of media, sports, and entertainment. He is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of consumer products strategies, driving enterprise-wide revenue growth, and enhancing the company's market position. McCabe also co-leads Sinclair’s Media for Equity business. McCabe’s strategic vision and dealmaking skills have driven Sinclair's expanding footprint in the sports arena, most recently in tennis which, through the company’s Tennis Enterprises initiative, partnered with the ATP, WTA and top US tournaments to deliver a landmark multi-year partnership deal for the sport with Verizon. His work continues to further the company’s evolution as a leader in the industry. McCabe currently serves on the Microsoft Industry Customer Advisory Board for Media and Entertainment.Prior to joining Sinclair, McCabe and his partners built a competitive gameplay and esports portfolio that included Poker Central and Estars Studios. Using data to drive strategic decisions, McCabe has monetized and accelerated new business models by combining assets, forging partnerships, and making acquisitions. When he assumed his role at Poker Central, he quickly realized its potential to be the brand umbrella for experiential events, a TV and video studio, asset holdings, and the first-of-its-kind subscription VOD channel, PokerGO. Previously, McCabe served as SVP/Head of Video at Time Inc. and Chief Video Officer at Meredith Corporation, where as an intrapreneur, he created new businesses that pioneered how to leverage digital video to capitalize on the IP of a diverse portfolio of legacy brands. McCabe also launched Parents TV, the first national video network aimed at parents. While in his role, the first-ever of its kind at a major corporation, McCabe and his team outperformed revenue targets, hitting more than a billion streams, and tripling reach through deals with Amazon, Microsoft, Hulu, Yahoo, and more. McCabe has also held several sales executive positions, including VP, Eastern Sales Manager for CBS Paramount Television and SVP, Program Partnerships and Sales for Universal Studios. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing from James Madison University.J.R. McCabe:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-r-mccabe-0040995/

On this episode of the SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show, Wayne Kimmel interviewed the CEO, PATH Talent & Co-Host, Roommates Show, Matt Hillman. Hillman has been the CEO of PATH Talent since 2024 and co-hosts the Roommates Show with NBA stars Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks. Under his leadership, PATH Talent has seen significant growth and success in the talent acquisition industry. Hillman has actively invested in companies such as Dapper Labs, WinZO, FaZe Clan, PlayVS, and The Lemon Perfect Company. Additionally, Hillman is a creator and co-host of the Lightharted Podcast and holds advisory roles at EarBuds and Drop Labs. Hillman earned his Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies from Carnegie Mellon University, where he also played basketball and participated in over 50 college games. Matt Hillman:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilovemattyice/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilovemattyice/?hl=enX: https://x.com/matthillman_

On this episode of the SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show, Wayne Kimmel interviewed the Chairman of Athletes.org, Jim Cavale.Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, Cavale found early success on both the baseball diamond and basketball court at Christian Brothers Academy. Cavale’s athletic journey took him south to the University of Montevallo, where he played baseball on scholarship. While his dreams of turning pro did not materialize, a new passion emerged: blending sports and entrepreneurship.During college, Cavale founded NextSpex—an audio-video streaming platform that evolved into a recruiting network connecting high school athletes with college coaches. Along the way, he grew into adulthood, marrying his wife Yazmin, an entrepreneur in the beauty industry, and together they built their family.In August 2023, Cavale transitioned from his role as CEO of INFLCR, remaining a shareholder at Teamworks, to launch Athletes.org (AO). AO is pioneering the organization of college athletes into sport- and conference-specific chapters, providing on-demand support, a collective voice, and group licensing NIL opportunities—innovations reshaping the future of college athletics. As the industry evolves, Cavale is committed to ensuring that college athletes have a meaningful say in its direction.Jim Cavale:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcavale/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimcavaleX: https://x.com/jimcavale?s=20