New Episode of BBOC: University of Kansas Director of Athletics and Vice Chancellor Travis Goff

New Episode of BBOC: University of Kansas Director of Athletics and Vice Chancellor Travis Goff

On the latest episode of JohnWallStreet Presents: Big Business on Campus, a college sports podcast powered by Playfly Sports and sponsored by Short’s Sports Travel Logistics, JohnWallStreet Founder Corey Leff and Playfly Sports Chairman Michael Schreiber sit down with University of Kansas Director of Athletics and Vice Chancellor Travis Goff.

In this 40-minute conversation, we touch on:

Transitioning from Donor Extraction and Towards Diversified Commercial Fulfillment

The University of Kansas has moved away from donor-driven NIL and rebuilt its approach around commercially justifiable partnerships. The school is betting that a diversified group of partners will produce stronger outcomes than any one could do on its own.

“You mentioned Opendorse, we think we’ve got a pretty unique partnership there,” Goff said. “We also believe we have a unique opportunity tied to Kansas City—a major Midwestern market about 40 minutes from Lawrence. [So we’re], working with a marketing and advertising agency called Tetrick Waltz. They help [us to] identify new business opportunities in commercial NIL, primarily in the Kansas City metro, and they are incredibly impactful on the fulfillment side…[And] we’re really pleased with our partnership with Learfield and the success they’ve had.” 

Reducing Stadium Capacity and Increasing Per-Seat Yield

KU intentionally reduced capacity at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium to eliminate the least desirable seats and create a multitude of premium hospitality spaces that help maximize per-ticket revenue.

“We were [at] about 47,000 [seats] in the old stadium…and [we’re going to be] in the 43,000 range [next year]. For us, this [wasn’t] complicated,” Goff said. “We want intimacy. We want no bad seats in the house. The reality in college football for a long time is you’ve had limited to no-value seating taking up a significant chunk of capacity… [Moving forward], every one of those seats [in our stadium] will drive value for Kansas athletics.”

Team Travel, Handled.

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As the fastest growing sports travel partner in collegiate athletics, Short’s supports more than 110 athletic departments and 1,600 teams with fully integrated commercial reservations, air charter, ground, and hotel solutions. Our team approach is built on proactive planning, real time visibility, and experienced people who understand the demands of game day.

Travel plans change. Weather shifts. Schedules move. When they do, our team is already working behind the scenes to adjust, communicate, and execute. No guesswork. Just accountability.

Programs partner with Short’s because we deliver consistency when it matters most. Since 2020, more than 65 schools have chosen Short’s to manage their travel with confidence.

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Team Travel Made Easy.

Building a Year-Round Economic Engine Around a Seasonal Asset

Kansas’ newly built Gateway District has two anchors. One is David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. While the school quadrupled the premium revenue it derives from the revamped venue (think: eight-figure increase), it's only active a few Saturdays in the fall. KU needed a secondary anchor that would drive consistent traffic and recurring revenues for the mixed-use project to be viable.

“Because football stadiums only operate six, seven, maybe eight [days] a year, we [built] a conference center connected to the north [side] of the stadium. That’s where —and why— the state of Kansas and some others stepped forward; they see [it] as a primary economic catalyst [for the city],” Goff said. The conference center and an adjacent hotel “help to activate this district 200-250 times or more a year. That is where we’ll see a lot of the sustainable middle-to-long-term upside.”

📺 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 next Thursday. Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris will be our guest.

In the meantime, make sure to check out our sponsor, Short’s Sport Travel Logistics—the fastest-growing company in collegiate athletics travel, and the trusted choice of over 108 athletic departments nationwide. Short’s simplifies every aspect of team travel (think: air charters, commercial flights, buses, and hotels) and helps to turn complex logistics into a competitive advantage.

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 and Wake Forest AD John Currie, can be found on JohnWallStreet’s YouTube channel.

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