Thursday Nov. 12, 2026
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
More information coming soon!!!
| Time | Function | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:45 AM | Registration / Continental Breakfast | Upstairs |
| 8:00 – 10:00 AM | Case Study Competition *This is not open to attendees - only case study teams and judges |
Lincoln A+B |
| Session #1 | ||
| 9:00 – 9:45 AM | Panel: Venue Visionaries: Executive Perspectives Beyond the Bowl Chris Bird, Assistant General Manager, North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center / Legends Global Mike deMaine, Head of Venue and Sport, LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games - Valley Tom Paquette, Senior Vice President, Oak View Group Moderator: Dr. Haylee Mercado, Associate Professor, University of South Carolina |
Columbia Ballroom BC |
| 9:45 – 10:00 AM | BREAK | |
| Session #2 | ||
| 10:00 – 11:00 AM | A Conversation With: Val Ackerman, Former Commissioner of the Big East Conference and Founding President of the WNBA Moderated by: Debbie Antonelli, Basketball Analyst, ESPN/CBS and Adjunct Professor |
Columbia Ballroom BC |
| 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM | Awards Luncheon A Conversation With: Jim Brammer, CEO of Concert Stuff Group (CSG) Moderated by: Paul Graham, Instructor, University of South Carolina |
Columbia Ballroom A |
| Session #3 | ||
| 12:45 - 1:00 PM | BREAK | |
| 1:00 – 2:00 PM | Panel: Winning Early: Leadership Lessons from the 40 Under 40 Rob Hilton, Executive VP, Deputy General Counsel, Head of Corporate Legal & Corporate Secretary, TKO and General Counsel at On Location Will Pitts, CEO, Charlotte Sports Foundation Moderated by: Danny Morrison, Professor of Practice, University of South Carolina |
Columbia Ballroom BC |
| 1:00 - 1:20 PM 1:25 - 1:45 PM |
Research Presentations: Experiences of Esports Racial Minority Players: An Examination of Access to Entry, Barriers, and Opportunities in Collegiate Esports ProgramsResearch Presentations Promise Iheanacho, Landy Lu, Bo Yu Finding Fans vs. Failure: A Comparative Analysis of Successes and Failures in Lower Tier Soccer in the USA Nicholas Davidson, Tiffany Demiris, Jason Lee, Tim Wilson, Dylan Williams |
Lincoln A |
| 1:00 - 1:20 PM 1:25 - 1:45 PM |
Research Presentations: Conceptualizing Broadcast Format as a Source of Consumer Value in Sport Heeyeon Park, Yongjin Hwang The Rise of the Sports Prediction Market: A Conceptual Investigation of Sport Event-Based Trading and Wagering Yoon Sik Hong, Stephen Shapiro |
Lincoln B |
| 1:15 -2:30 PM | Closed Session: SPTE 590 OVG Presentations *only open to students in this class |
Hall of Fame Room |
| 2:00 – 2:15 PM | BREAK | |
| Session #4 | ||
| 2:15 – 3:15 PM | Panel: Building a Band: Branding, Growth, and Breaking Through: Congress The Band William Bennett, Lead Vocals, Congress The Band Trae Judy, Founder and Talent Buyer, Rock Block Moderator: Paul Graham, Instructor, University of South Carolina |
Columbia Ballroom BC |
2:15 – 2:35 PM 2:40 – 3:00 PM |
Research Presentations: Two Pathways to Fandom: Motivation, Attachment, and Behavioral Segmentation Among Supporters of an MLS Expansion Club Kalpesh Ramesh Tandalekar, Stephen Shapiro When Experience Hurts: Prior Coaching Visibility and Head Coach Dismissal in the NBA Dylan Khan, Steven Salaga |
Lincoln A |
| 2:15 – 2:35 PM 2:40 – 3:00 PM |
Research Presentations: Interpreting Military Appreciation Programming as an Event-Management Practice: A Symbolic Interactionist Study of Meaning Among Military-Connected Attendees Matthew Hagwood, Haylee Mercado, John Grady, Bradley Sharples Academic Engagement: Students' and Employers' Perceptions of Workforce Preparation and Professional Competency Development Through Experiential Learning in a Sport Management Curriculum David Perricone, Neil Malvone |
Lincoln B |
| 2:15 – 2:35 PM 2:40 – 3:00 PM |
Research Presentations: Greater Access is a Game Changer: Applying stadium accessibility principles to campus special events John Grady, Amber Fallucca, Jake Kali, Marshall Gada On the Front Line of HBCU Rivalry: Campus Police and Event Staff Perspectives on Situational Factors that Shape Violence at Football Classics and Rivalry Games Kevin Wilson, Silas Pressley |
Senate A |
| 3:15 – 3:30 PM | BREAK | |
| Session #5 | ||
| 3:30 – 4:30 PM | Panel: Beyond the Resume: What Really Gets Candidates Hired Haley Rea,Director of Internal Development, Contemporary Services Corporation Ryan Simon, Manager of Ticket Services, Philadelphia Phillies Alex Strathearn, Vice President of Ticket Sales, United Football League Riley Viener, Manager, Inside Sales, New York Mets Moderated by: Matt Dunn, Senior Instructor, University of South Carolina |
Columbia Ballroom BC |
| 3:30 - 3:50 PM 3:55 - 4:15 PM |
Research Presentations: Robotic Broadcast Technology and Sport Consumer Flow: A Bayesian Study of IPL Viewers Susmit S. Gulavani, Shushan Dai Safety and Security Challenges Facing Professional and Collegiate Sport Venue Directors Brandon Allen, Stacey Hall |
Lincoln A |
| 3:30 - 3:50 PM | Research Presentations: Brand Heist: Did FIFA’s clean stadium policy go too far during World Cup 2026? John Grady, Charley Gless |
Lincoln B |
| 7:00- 9:00pm | Opening Networking Reception Colonial Life Arena - concourse 801 Lincoln Street, Columbia SC 29201 
|
Colonial Life Arena - Concourse |
Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
| Time | Function | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Registration Open / Continental Breakfast | Upstairs |
| Session #6 | ||
| 8:00 - 8:45 AM | Case Study Finals | Lincoln A |
| 8:50 AM | Case Study Winners Announced | Columbia Ballroom C |
| 9:00 – 10:00 AM | Panel: Your Career Starts Today... Best Presentation Ever III !!! Murray Cohn, President, MC Sports Sales Training & Consulting, Executive in Residence, University of South Carolina Michelle Price, Vice President of Business Operations, TeamWork Online |
Columbia Ballroom C |
| 10:15 – 10:30 AM | BREAK | |
| Session #7 | ||
| 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM |
Career & Internship Fair
|
Columbia Room AB |
| 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Academic Research Poster Presentations: Pre-function Area The Virtual Ballpark: Examining the Impact of Baseball Video Games on Ballpark Attendance, Viewership, and Fan Engagement Jinwook Chung, Joon Kwak, Minkyo Lee, Ju Young Lee, Yongjin Hwang Examining Sport Fan Motivations Across Cultures: A Comparative Study of KBL and NBA Fans Jinwook Chung, Ian Kim, Minkyo Lee, Ju Young Lee, Yongjin Hwang The Sport Security Landscape: Threats, Standards, and Emerging Considerations for Sport Venue and Event Managers Stacey Hall, Brandon Allen, Sabrina Reed Does More View Guarantee Success?: Comparing YouTube Discourse of Usher, Kendrick Lamar, and Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime Shows Amanda Smith, Anna Biondolillo, Philip Kang Venue Accessibility Communication in Professional Sport: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of NFL and MLB Approaches Irina Berry, Anton Schulz, Caiti Dodge, Jeffrey Graham |
Pre-Function Area |
