New Episode of BBOC: St. John’s University Director of Athletics Ed Kull
On the latest episode of JohnWallStreet Presents: Big Business on Campus, a college sports podcast powered by Playfly Sports, JohnWallStreet Founder Corey Leff and Playfly Sports Chairman Michael Schreiber sit down with St. John’s University Vice President and Director of Athletics Ed Kull.
In this 50-minute conversation, the trio touch on:
The Benefits of Being MSG’s Third Tenant
While Kull would embrace the idea of a state-of-the-art arena on-campus, St. John’s relationship with Madison Square Garden is a meaningful strategic advantage.
“We have a new MSG deal, so we're trying to make that a larger partnership; [getting] them more involved in ticket sales, branding, advertising, [and] sponsorship sales. MSG [executives are] trying to [position] us to be the third franchise behind the Knicks and Rangers,” Kull said. But “the power of MSG, I can't speak more highly about [it]. We're leveraging Manhattan, MSG, as almost an extension of our campus. The portal opened up [a few weeks ago]. We had visits [there].... It's a really important recruiting piece. [And] I see our students more excited about MSG games than playing on campus.
Schreiber noted that the program has become an effective way for savvy marketers to “get into the New York market and [The Garden] without breaking the bank.”
Changing Donor Relationships
St. John’s alum Mike Repole is among the highest profile boosters in college athletics. But his contributions to St. John’s athletic department extend well beyond the financial support. The serial entrepreneur has become a valuable resource for leadership at a time when college athletic departments are being forced to operate more like commercially focused enterprises.
“He's extremely involved in the efforts [to recruit] other donors. He's extremely helpful in terms of trying to identify [new] partners, whether that be sponsors or media opportunities. [And] we still have the same challenges of the old college athletic [system]: operational budget, merch, maintenance, facilities, capital projects,” Kull said. “That's where Mike [has been] hands-on. We have a sports advisory business committee, and [he is] a part of that, and we throw ideas at him. He introduces us to some people and [shares] ideas, and he thinks outside the box.”
Permeating Pop Culture
St. John’s understands that aligning with popular brands and creating buzzworthy collaborations can engage new audiences. The program has been particularly aggressive pursuing lifestyle and culture-driven partnerships since Kull took over in 2024.
“We've done everything from work with Darren Rovell and his Cllct group in terms of doing a Coming to America game, commemorative ticket stubs, and trying to find [old] collectibles. Brandon Steiner has done a whole game-used [line] for us, and [we’ve done a host of] different licensing collabs from Starter, to Flag & Anthem, to Faherty, to Siegelman Stable, [to] Adidas, and Local Hoops. [We] just try to find more licensees to get more vintage and fresh and fun-looking merchandise [into the market. We want to] get our brand out there and [have] young people wearing it and talking about it,” Kull said.
The biggest hit with fans this season was tied to the Japanese anime series One Piece.
“They gave away this exclusive trading card. [It] was huge. People were spending $300 on tickets and then trying to buy the trading card outside of Madison Square Garden for $500 because it was limited edition. It was just amazing to organically see how that took off.”
📺 Watch the full video on JohnWallStreet’s YouTube Page.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
We’ll be back with the next episode of JohnWallStreet Presents: Big Business on Campus in two weeks. Army West Point Director of Athletics Tom Theodorakis will be our guest.
Previous episodes of BBOC, including sit-downs with Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman, Arizona AD Desiree Reed-Francois, Maryland AD Jim Smith, American Commissioner Tim Pernetti, Pittsburgh AD Allen Greene, Wake Forest AD John Currie, Kansas AD Travis Goff, Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris, Big Sky Conference Commissioner Tom Wistrcill, SMU AD Damon Evans, Ohio State AD Ross Bjork, West Virginia President Michael Benson, Weatherford Capital Founding Partner Drew Weatherford, IMG Academy CEO Brent Richard, and USA Fencing CEO Phil Andrews on the Enrollment Cliff, Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez, and Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould can be found on JohnWallStreet’s YouTube channel.
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On the latest episode of JaneWallStreet Presents: At The Table, a bi-weekly podcast exploring the intersection of sports, media, and finance through the lens of (mostly) female decision makers, JaneWallStreet Executive Chair, Deirdre Lester, sits down with the Head of Fubo Studios and Fubo Sports Network, Pamela Duckworth.
Duckworth explains how FAST channels provide media companies with the flexibility needed to launch and iterate with new properties without displacing existing programming. She also discusses Fubo investing in growing leagues, like Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), and how pay-per-view remains a viable distribution tool for tier two and three properties with passionate fan bases.
📺Watch the full episode on JohnWallStreet’s YouTube page.
🎧Listen on Spotify.
