Sep 23, 2026 · 5 min
Sports leaders rethink succession and data strategy
SBJ Morning Buzzcast: September 23, 2026
The episode connects NHL governance changes with the operational questions shaping ownership, venues, and analytics across major sports organizations.
- 1Ted Leonsis’s new NHL committee role highlights broader succession shifts across sports leadership.
- 2Herb Simon’s Pacers ownership links real-estate development with the future of Gainbridge Fieldhouse’s surrounding area.
- 3Conference sessions put business intelligence, data governance, and analytics at the center of sports operations.
Don't miss
The clearest connective moment is the preview of Herb Simon’s interview, linking Pacers ownership, real-estate expertise, and development near Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The brief
Joe Lemire and Bret McCormick open from the Axis Drive conference in Indianapolis with Ted Leonsis’s new role chairing an NHL committee, using it to examine succession across major sports organizations.
The leadership question extends beyond hockey: Monumental Sports Entertainment and other organizations are navigating how authority and ownership evolve across generations.
The hosts preview Abe Madcore’s conversation with Pacers owner Herb Simon, whose real-estate background informs development near Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The conference’s practical agenda turns to business intelligence, data governance, and analytics, with sessions involving the Red Sox, Bears, Lions, Craft Analytics Group, and Islanders.
The episode’s through line is that sports leadership now depends on more than succession plans; venues, information systems, and analytical capacity increasingly shape institutional strategy.