Alex Martins wears many hats in the case of the sports activities panorama in Central Florida.
As CEO of the Orlando Magic, Martins has been answerable for the way forward for the NBA franchise. As chairman of UCF’s Board of Trustees, he has seen the college endure super progress, together with an impending transfer to the Big 12 Conference in 2023.
But Martins got here near including one other title to his already spectacular resume: Big 12 commissioner.
Martins was amongst a bunch of candidates to interchange Bob Bowlsby, who introduced his retirement after a decade accountable for the league in April.
“I was honored to be considered by the Big 12,” stated Martins. “We had a couple of meetings with the board [of directors] and the presidents across the Big 12, but as I got through a couple of conversations, I just recognized that my job is not done here.”
Most just lately, Martins has been answerable for finishing the Magic’s new 130,000-square-foot state-of-the-art coaching facility — the IntroductionHealth Training Center — unveiled to the group Wednesday.
“We hadn’t completed this facility and we’ve been in the middle of this rebuilding program with the roster under [Magic President] Jeff [Weltman’s] leadership and I want to see that through,” he stated. “I told ownership that there’s one other big project we’ve got to see come to fruition and that’s the Sports and Entertainment Complex. So, I felt like my work wasn’t done here.”
Martins withdrew his identify for consideration and the job went to Brett Yormark.
Yormark beforehand labored within the sports activities and leisure trade as president and CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment Global, which managed the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.
“He’s an incredible marketer and a great people person,” stated Martins, who considers Yormark an excellent good friend. “He develops great relationships and there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to do a great job.”
One of the primary challenges going through Yormark is negotiating a brand new media rights deal for the Big 12. The league introduced it was getting into into discussions with ESPN and FOX to discover an accelerated extension of its present 12-year deal, which expires on June 30, 2025.
“He’s got experience having done it on the team side and we’ve all been involved in multiple media rights negotiations for our league,” stated Martins. “He’s well prepared to do it and will do a great job.”
As the Magic open new amenities, UCF athletics continues to maneuver ahead on a proposed plan to improve its athletics village, together with increasing FBC Mortage Stadium. The venture might price upwards of $125 million and assist the college keep aggressive because it strikes into the Big 12 on July 1.
“These facilities have made a difference,” stated Martins. “You’ve seen college football coaches change jobs because of facilities or lack thereof. These things make a difference, and they make a difference to staff, to coaches and most importantly, they make a big difference to players.”
Martins credit the management at UCF, from faculty president Alexander Cartwright to athletics director Terry Mohajir and soccer coach Gus Malzahn for his or her imaginative and prescient of the long run, together with fundraising efforts to make sure the way forward for the proposed tasks.
“We honestly believe that UCF is the future of college football,” Martins defined. “Leadership makes a big difference and we’ve got the right leaders in place with Terry and Gus. I honestly believe it’s a program that will be ready to compete in the Big 12. This university will compete in the Big 12 and will compete for Big 12 championships.”
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at [email protected] or comply with him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com