2020
The national COVID-19 pandemic severely diminishes the sports industry, with BSP members impacted with layoffs and furloughs. The mandate to remain indoors creates an opportunity for past leaders to start hosting weekly, virtual happy hours for what becomes increasingly larger groups of members and contacts.
The summer of 2020 leads to a convergence of pain from the pandemic and need for greater social justice. The weekly gatherings on Zoom lead to the development of a series of national webinars on coping with the nation’s struggles.
On the last day of the year, BSP National submits its application for 501(c)6 non-profit status and is awarded it in the spring of 2021.
2021
The weekly gatherings and webinars grow in popularity, spurring renewed interest in chapter re-development, even if the operation and programming is completely virtual.
The BSP National Office looks to launch its membership process, learning from Women in Sports & Entertainment (WISE), about a national membership platform vs. its previous attempt to manage it at the chapter level.
BSP hosts its formal relaunch in the city where it all started, Cleveland, with an event during the NFL Draft at the Power of Sport Summit hosted by the Browns, Cavs, Guardians and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.
2022-2023
BSP’s retooled chapter development process leads to more than 20+ chapters developed and active and a true sense of a “national network” of diverse sports professionals in all sections of the country. The organization’s database surpasses 5,000 contacts and it’s LinkedIn group rises above 15,000 contacts, dating back to the social media’s professional platform launch.
BSP partners in a mutual support arrangement with the Black Sport Business Symposium in 2023, which created the organization’s largest gathering of 700+ professionals and students, within the conferences’ 1,500 attendees.
2024-2025
BSP pursues consistency of having annual programming at the industry’s national tentpole events at the NFL Super Bowl and Draft, the All-Star festivities of the NBA, WNBA, MLS, MLB and NHL, along with NCAA championships and conferences.
BSP achieves one of its aspirational goals of launching a national mentoring program in the Sports Business Executive Accelerator, hosted in 2024 at the NCAA National Offices during NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, and in 2025 with the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
It becomes recognized that the biggest difference in the two decades of BSP’s existence is the number of undergraduate and graduate students studying sports management, and thus looking to have careers in the industry.
BSP enters into a partnership with TeamWork Online, in similar support given to WISE and the Sports Lawyers Association, for members to receive enhanced account benefits towards job applications and professional development opportunities.
While this support can benefit all levels of professionals on the platform, there is a focus and greater potential received for early-career professionals and students, looking to advance their careers.
More About BSP Through the Years
BSP Turns 20: Part 1 | 2006-2009
