Newhouse to hold ‘The NFL: 1st and the Next 10’ on Oct. 18

Tuesday, October 11, 2011, By Wendy S. Loughlin

Afternoon symposium, hosted by ESPN’s Mike Tirico, brings together leading alumni and sports figures to examine future of National Football League

The will host “The NFL: 1st and the Next 10”—a symposium examining the future of the National Football League—on Tuesday, Oct. 18, beginning at 1 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse 3. Alumnus Mike Tirico ’88 of ESPN will host the half-day event. The symposium will be webcast live at  and will also be broadcast on plasma screens throughout the three Newhouse School buildings. Follow on Twitter via #NFLnext10.

nfl“The NFL: 1st and the Next 10” will engage students and guests in an academic and professional discussion of the issues facing the NFL today and for the next decade. Through an afternoon of interviews and panel discussions, participants will take an in-depth look at the forces that drive the multi-billion-dollar sports entertainment industry and the trends that will shape that industry in the years to come.

The symposium will kick off at 1 p.m. with welcome remarks by Newhouse School Dean Lorraine Branham, who will introduce Tirico.

A series of video Q-and-A sessions with Tirico and NBC sportscaster Bob Costas ’74 will be held throughout the program.

The first panel session, “Moving the Chains: Keeping the NFL Business Model Strong,” will begin at 1:30 p.m. Panelists will discuss the economics of the NFL and the relationship between the league and their advertising and marketing partners, and examine how the league and its sponsors can stay on top of a sports market that will continue to change rapidly over the coming decade. Rick Burton ’80, David B. Falk Professor of Sport Management in SU’s David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, will moderate. Panelists include Russ Brandon, president and CEO of the Buffalo Bills; Patricia Betron ’88, senior vice president of multimedia sales with ESPN; Melissa A. Richards-Person ’89, senior director of advertising and promotions with Papa John’s International; and Mark Rooks, senior marketing director with Pepsi Sports.

The second panel session, “Yards After Contact: Keeping the Fans of the NFL Connected,” will begin at 3 p.m. Panelists will explore the issues facing the NFL, the players and the media as the league works to keep fans engaged with its product in an era of rapidly changing communications. Tirico will moderate. Panelists include Rich Cimini ’85, writer with ESPN New York.com; Troy Vincent, vice president of player engagement with the NFL; and John Wildhack ’80, executive vice president of program acquisitions and strategy with ESPN.

The event will conclude at 5 p.m. with a reception outside the auditorium.

The symposium is free and open to the public. Parking is available in SU pay lots. For more information, see  or contact Kristen Northrop at (315) 443-7358 or kmnorthr@syr.edu.