The Get In The Game Sports Business Career Conference, hosted by SBRnet and First and Pen, is excited to announce its featured session, “The State of HBCU Athletics,” led by the HBCU conference commissioners from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC).
“We are thrilled to have four of the leaders in HBCU athletics on our featured session at the first annual Get In The Game Sports Business Career Conference,” said First and Pen CEO Yussuf Khan. “Who better to discuss the state of HBCU athletics than these brilliant executives who are shaping and leading the direction for these storied conferences and institutions in a rapidly evolving sports media landscape.”
The highly anticipated “State of HBCU Athletics” will be the featured session taking place on Saturday, October 7th at the Sheraton Inner Harbor in Baltimore, the host venue for the event.
The excitement of coming together and discussing the business and future of HBCU sports is echoed by all the commissioners.
“It is a pleasure to participate in the ‘Get In the Game Sports Business Career Conference’ with my Historically Black College and University colleagues in the great city of Baltimore,” said CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams Parker. “I appreciate Yussuf Khan and the team’s efforts in bringing us together as industry leaders in college athletics to continue to advance the business of HBCU sports and provide continued exposure collectively.”
“I am so excited to participate on this panel to share my experiences and contribute to creating opportunities to feed the pipeline of diversity into the sports industry, particularly in athletic administration,” said MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills.
“I’m excited to participate in the ‘Get in the Game Sports Business Career Conference’ as this is a unique opportunity for students to engage leaders and industry professionals who work at the intersection of sports and business,” said SIAC Commissioner Dr. Anthony Holloman.
“I am honored to be part of Get in the Game and have the opportunity to share with young professionals,” said GCAC Commissioner Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes. “This conference is in direct alignment with the mission of my organization, ‘So You Want a Career in Athletics™,’ I encourage anyone interested in athletics to attend this conference and learn more from the best in the industry. Thank you Yussuf for the opportunity.”
SBRnet co-owner Mark Sullivan was equally thrilled to have the distinguished commissioners lead the featured discussion at the first-year event.
“We didn’t think we would have the incredible opportunity of having these four amazing executives together at our inaugural event, so we are truly honored that the commissioners agreed to take the time and come together for our featured session to discuss the state of HBCU athletics,” said Sullivan.
“The State of HBCU Athletics” takes place at the inaugural Get In The Game Sports Business Career Conference on Saturday, October 7th and will also be streamed live on First and Pen (firstandpen.com).
Get In The Game is a sports business career conference designed to educate HBCU students and students of color about the sports business industry and the career pathways within it. The three-day event takes place October 6th – 8th at the Sheraton Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD.
For more information, including press, sponsorship/partnership and marketing opportunities:
Mark Sullivan
Yussuf Khan
For all event information, including schedule, registration, travel, scholarship opportunities and more, please visit https://getinthegameconference.net/
About First and Pen: Multimedia sports platform First And Pen (firstandpen.com) informs, inspires and connects through voices of color in sports and is part of The Khanate Group; a media, tech, and eCommerce company fully committed to supporting and investing in underserved and overlooked communities and individuals. CEO Yussuf Khan has over two decades of experience in sports and multicultural media. After beginning his career at ESPN, he invested the last 18 years of his career in start-up ventures, building a successful track record at companies such as CSTV (now CBS Sports Network), Interactive One (now Urban One), Big Lead Sports and The Shadow League. The media veteran has a unique and diverse career path with a long history in the fields of multimedia sales, marketing, communications, journalism, and content creation. Yussuf is also an adjunct professor of sports management at Rider University and Long Island University (Brooklyn) and an adjunct professor of communications at Union College (NJ).
About SBRnet: SBRnet is a comprehensive online data platform of nationwide sports marketing analytics, using syndicated and custom proprietary sports fan information for the professional and college sports, consumer research, industry reports, and licensed industry articles. Since 2020, SBRnet has been owned by Neil Schwartz and Mark Sullivan. Schwartz is a 20-year veteran of sports data with stints at Nielsen and SportscanInfo. Sullivan is an editor and publisher and one of the founders of The Running Event conference and trade show. The pair are also co-hosts of the “My First Job in Sports” web series.
