Oct 1, 2026 · 10 min
Game Changers expands its global sports-business community
SBJ Morning Buzzcast: October 1, 2026
The episode shows how an awards program is becoming a year-round network for women shaping sports business across markets.
- 1Game Changers broadened its honoree pool beyond North America, bringing international perspectives into the awards community.
- 2Returning honorees and mentorship have turned the event into a durable network of women supporting women in sports business.
- 3The conference agenda pairs networking and mentorship with a closer look at college athletics’ changing commercial landscape.
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The clearest example of Game Changers’ lasting impact is the mentorship connection that began when LaRonda Burley read about a previous honoree in the 2012 section.
The brief
From New York City, Jenn Azara, Betty Gomes and Rachel Axon look back at Game Changers, where selecting the class became harder as the program expanded beyond North America.
The international reach is more than a roster change: attendees from places including Australia signal a sports-business community no longer bounded by one market.
The event’s deeper story is continuity. Past honorees return, and mentorship can last for years, as LaRonda Burley’s connection with a previous honoree illustrates.
The day’s program connects community-building with business questions, including networking, mentorship and Rachel Axon’s panel on college athletics’ evolving commercial landscape.
The hosts leave Game Changers energized by an event that turns recognition into relationships, giving the awards a role beyond a single night.