April 22, 2021 [Cleveland, OH] — The Professional Collegiate League (PCL) and Next Level Sports and Entertainment (NXT), along with their digital affiliate For The Fans (FTF), today announced the completion of a comprehensive distribution agreement for the PCL’s first season. 

As part of the deal, the PCL’s inaugural season, expected to launch later this year in an interim, single-city model, will be featured domestically on Next Level Sports (cable/linear) and FTF (digital/OTT) and internationally, in at least 43 countries and territories, on FTF International (digital/OTT). Additionally, the PCL and NXT are finalizing the game and practice venues for the first season, which will be in the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia area), one of the top regions for basketball talent in the country. 

PCL CEO and Co-Founder Ricky Volante said, “With the completion of this agreement, the PCL will be able to move into the next phase of development, focusing on player recruitment, coaching hires, sponsorships, and partnerships. With a reach of more than 110 million households across 44 countries and territories, FTF and Next Level Sports offers the PCL an incredible opportunity to have our games readily available worldwide, and creates significant value for our athletes and sponsors.”

André Gudger, Owner of NXT, added, “With Next Level, we sought to invest in and show up in service with and for urban communities. This historic partnership to distribute the PCL’s inaugural season is a testament to this commitment. It is an honor for Next Level Sports, the only wholly minority owned, global multi-sports and entertainment linear cable network, to broadcast the inaugural season to over 100 million households via cable and, with its partner FTF, digital distribution. Next Level believes in the power of these young athletes and the communities who will support the league, their education, and professional development.”

David West, PCL COO and Co-Founder, commented, “Players and their families have made it clear that to appropriately evaluate the PCL, they needed to know where our games would be aired. Adding FTF and Next Level Sports as our distribution partners allows us to emphatically answer that question and amplify the incredible opportunity that the PCL offers.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the PCL to distribute their inaugural basketball season," said Dave Gross, CEO of For the Fans/FTF Sports networks.  "We wholeheartedly support the PCL’s mission to provide exceptional young athletes with the opportunity to showcase and grow their talent and skills.  The PCL is blazing a trail at the intersection of professional play and academics, and FTF will proudly offer PCL games, for free, to fans around the globe. Fans can watch the exciting PCL action on digital and cable by tuning in to FTF's two FAST linear (Free Ad Supported Television) networks, FTF and FTF International, and on FTF's cable channel partner, Next Level Sports (NXT), available on major US cable affiliates.”

About the PCL

The Professional Collegiate League is the first collegiate basketball league to enable athletes to benefit directly from their talent, marketability, and hard work by offering a scholarship and compensation, in the form of a salary and employee benefits. The PCL is operated independently from colleges and universities, and will consist of eight teams initially on the east coast of the U.S. Aiming to become the primary destination for elite college basketball players across the globe, the PCL intends to reimagine the landscape of collegiate athletics by disrupting the NCAA’s amateurism model and offering a legitimately superior alternative, while also addressing the economic outlook of college basketball players (men initially), most of whom are minorities and/or come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. In short, the PCL is college sports reimagined. The league has already released three of its team brands (the Carolina Flight, Baltimore Phoenix, and DC Stealth) and has announced that Alan Major will serve as the DC Stealth’s head coach, with Greg Oden joining his staff as an assistant coach.

For more information on the PCL, visit www.thepcleague.com.

About NXT

Next Level Sports and Entertainment is a global multi-sports and general entertainment content platform. Promoted as the sole minority owned 24/7 linear platform distributed across digital and broadcast networks that showcase live events and original programming for and by urban communities. Whether watching a game, documentary or an Influencer, it's time to go to the NEXT LEVEL.

About FTF / Lax United Marketing, LLC

Lax United Marketing distributes sports programming under the FTF, Next Level Sports, and LSN brands. The FTF digital networks are available in 115M households via Samsung TV Plus (Channel 1167), Xumo (Channel 711), The Roku Channel (Channel 228), Twitch, DistroTV (Channel 38), Local Now, Fanatiz, SelecTV, and Zingo.

LSN/Lax Sports Network is the 24-7 sports network dedicated to the sport of lacrosse. 

Next Level Sports / NXT is the 24-7 multi-sport network distributed via top US cable affiliates.

For more information on FTF, go to www.ftflive.com. 

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Professional Collegiate League

Wendell Haskins

press@thepcleague.com

For The Fans

Rob Wallace

rwallace@ftflive.com

January 27, 2021 [Cleveland, OH] — The Professional Collegiate League (PCL) today announced that Alan Major will serve as the Head Coach of the DC Stealth. A veteran leader on and off the court, Major brings over 20 years of collegiate coaching experience to the PCL. Additionally, Greg Oden will serve as Major’s Assistant Coach for the DC Stealth.

On his decision to become the first head coach in the PCL, Major said, “I’m excited to accept the position to lead the DC Stealth. The PCL has a chance to be a terrific option for elite college basketball players. The League is striving to be the solution to many of the current issues surrounding the collegiate game. For me, the exciting thing about the PCL is knowing David West [PCL Chief Operating Officer] for almost 20 years and watching his passion for the game grow. He has a vision for the League and wants to develop it the right way.”

PCL COO David West stated, “Coach Major knows and loves the game. Throughout his career, he has continued to positively impact young people through teaching and coaching the game. The PCL is lucky to have him leading our DC team.”

Alan Major previously served as the Head Coach at UNC-Charlotte from 2010-2015. Major also served as an assistant coach at University of Texas (women’s team, 2018-2019), the Ohio State University (2004-2010, 2016-2017), Xavier University (2001-2004), University of the Pacific (1995-1998, 1999-2000), Southern Illinois University (1998-1999), and California Lutheran University (1992-1995). Major has coached and developed numerous players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, including Mike Olowokandi, David West, Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Jr., Evan Turner, Kosta Koufos, Byron Mullens, and Daequan Cook.

Greg Oden, the first player selected in the 2007 NBA Draft, played three seasons in the NBA for the Portland Trailblazers and Miami Heat. Oden also played for the Jiangsu Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Association, Scarlet & Gray in the The Basketball Tournament, and the Aliens after being selected 9th overall in the Big3 Draft. Oden serves on the Advisory Board of Edyoucore LLC, an organization that educates, equips, and empowers individuals in sports and entertainment to make better financial, business, and lifestyle decisions. Oden received a Bachelor’s Degree from the Ohio State University in Spring 2019. 

PCL CEO Ricky Volante stated, “It’s been great getting to know Alan and Greg throughout this process. David’s respect for Alan pushed him to the top of our interview list early in the process, and his track record in recruiting, coaching, and developing elite talent jumped out to me. In a moment of serendipity, I’d just met Greg at an event when Alan mentioned him as a key target for his staff. We’re very excited to have this duo leading the DC Stealth, and more importantly, we think that prospective recruits will be excited to play for them.”

You can hear more from Ricky, David, Alan, and Greg on the latest episode of the PCL’s Forward, Thinking podcast, which will be released today on all major podcast platforms. 

The PCL is the first collegiate basketball league to enable athletes to directly benefit from their talent, marketability, and hard work by offering an education and compensation in a US-based basketball league free of academic and economic exploitation. In short, the PCL is college sports reimagined. The PCL will also be releasing its Baltimore team name and brand later this week. 

Stay up to date on the PCL by following the league on social media.

Twitter: @the_pcleague

Instagram: @thepcleague

MEDIA CONTACT:

Wendell Haskins

Chief Marketing Officer

Professional Collegiate League

press@thepcleague.com

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On Wednesday, the sports world awoke to breathless reports that the NCAA Board of Governors had finally opened the floodgates and would allow college athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness rights. Instead, Wednesday’s announcement from the NCAA was ultimately all smoke and no fire. The hype was fueled by an NCAA PR call for the media, in which they talked a good game but then left all the less-than-rosy details for a thirty-one-page document that few seem to have read in detail. 

At the PCL, we have enough institutional experience to know that nothing the NCAA claims can be taken at face value. The place to look for the devilish details is in the actual report released, which outlined the following:

• The Model Won’t Change: “No desire for changes to NIL rules that would undermine the Association’s model of amateur intercollegiate athletics.” The bold is not added for emphasis, that’s how it appears on Page 6 of the report. In plain language, the NCAA made it clear that no rules would be recommended that “would undermine, or fundamentally change, the NCAA’s overall model of amateur intercollegiate athletics.”  Allowing athletes “uncapped” third-party payments cannot be squared with maintaining that model, and so the only logical conclusion is those uncapped payments won’t actually come to pass.

• Congressional Protection Needed: “The Presidential Subcommittee on Congressional Action has identified distinct legal impediments to the Association’s ability to modernize its rules related to NIL and to maintain the model of intercollegiate athletics generally. Therefore, the subcommittee has put forward a number of recommendations for Board consideration in engaging with Congress, including to seek preemption of state NIL laws.” In other words, some of the recommendations are likely illegal and will therefore require protection from Congress in the form of an antitrust exemption. And by “some” they mean all of the recommendations related to payment to athletes for their athletic NIL value. That is, all of the good stuff. 

• Congressional Intervention Also Needed: The recommendations do not go as far as the state NIL laws that have been proposed and/or passed, so Congress is needed to strike those down while also granting an antitrust exemption.

• Tethered to Educational Expenses or Incidental to Participation: These legal terms of art were created in O’Bannon v. NCAA, and have a great deal of legal significance in ensuring the continuation of an amateurism model. Aware of this, one of the “guardrails” emphasized in the report was, “To assure that any proposed legislative solutions kept in mind that student-athlete benefits must be tethered to educational expenses or incidental to participation.” Tying endorsements to education with an exception for activities incidental to athletic participation is incredibly limiting on the value of any such agreement for an athlete. For example, what is the educational tether for appearing in a Coca-Cola or Pepsi commercial?

• Potential Areas of Conflict: “In addition, an institution would have discretion to prohibit a student-athlete’s involvement in particular name, image, and likeness activities, as defined by the institution (e.g., areas that conflict with institutional values, conflicts with institutional arrangements).” 

• No Inducements and Limiting Value: “Protecting the recruiting environment and prohibiting inducements to select, remain at or transfer to a specific institution.” For those that don’t know, prior to making a recruiting decision is often when an athlete has the most value and leverage. Taking away that window of opportunity severely limits their earning potential. 

• No Group Licensing: Don’t expect a college football or basketball video game any time soon. In discussing the player’s associations that represent the athlete bargaining units in professional leagues and the Olympics, the report noted that “the absence of similar legal structures in intercollegiate athletics greatly complicates the NCAA’s ability to pursue a group licensing approach similar to the modules used in the professional context.” For the vast majority of college athletes, group licensing would be the primary source of any revenues related to name, image, and likeness. 

• Potentially No Shoe or Apparel Deals: Tucked away on Page 31, the report asks the NCAA to consider “[w]hether certain categories of third-party businesses (e.g., athletics shoe and apparel companies) should be precluded from, or have limited participation in, the newly permitted activities, due to their history of encouraging or facilitating recruiting and other rules infractions.”  For elite basketball athletes, this would be cutting off access to six-figure endorsement deals, even seven-figures in certain cases. This is also the single most valuable category for athlete endorsement agreements. 

Ultimately, nothing changed Wednesday, regardless of what the headlines say. And the chance of things changing when the next NCAA dog and pony shows comes to town is slim as well, given they’ve told the world they need Congress to grant them antitrust immunity or else no athletic NIL rights. Like all of amateurism, this proposal is a con. Don’t fall for it. 

March 24, 2020 [Cleveland, OH] — The Professional Collegiate League (PCL) today announced that Wendell J. Haskins has joined its leadership team as Chief Marketing Officer. Haskins brings over 20 years of experience in entertainment and sports marketing and proven success in leveraging key relationships with media networks, labels, studios, and major league sports organizations, including the NBA, MLB, NFL, USTA, and The PGA of America, to drive business strategies. In this new position, Haskins will lead marketing and public relations efforts at an important and exciting time as the PCL transitions from concept to reality.  

“Wendell is an exciting and necessary addition to the PCL leadership team; his past experience in sports marketing coupled with his long-standing relationships and extensive network will be invaluable to the league as we grow,” said Ricky Volante, Co-Founder and CEO of the PCL. “We look forward to benefiting from Wendell’s expertise in talent relations, brand activation, event management, strategic partnerships, and diversity and inclusion initiatives as we work to reshape the future of collegiate athletics.”

As founder of Original Tee Inc., Haskins conceptualized “The Original Tee Classic” and has managed the annual event since 1999, benefiting the National Minority Junior Golf Scholarship Association and numerous other charities. He also served as Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Director of Sports & Entertainment Marketing for The PGA of America where he implemented marketing strategies to recruit athletes and celebrities of color to be advocates for golf and player development, including NBA players Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Alonzo Mourning, Julius Erving, Otis Birdsong, former MLB player Gary Sheffield, actor Dondrè Whitfield, and others. Prior to working for The PGA of America, Haskins served as Creative Director and Player Development Consultant at the NBA, where he was instrumental in training incoming players in the Rookie Transition Program, as well as in leading the creative process and managing the staff responsible for dressing the performers of the NBA’s “All-Star Saturday Night,” with an international TV audience of 10 billion. He also incorporated all NBA licensed apparel and branding into nationally televised productions of the NBA, which included commercials, marquis events, and the NBA All-Star Game halftime show.

The PCL is the first collegiate basketball league to enable athletes to directly benefit from their talent, marketability, and hard work by offering an education and compensation in a US-based basketball league free of academic and economic exploitation. In short, the PCL is college sports reimagined.  In April, the PCL will unveil the league’s first team name and insignia.

Media Contact: Sarah Bray, Sarah@InnovantPR.com, 832.226.2116

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March 13, 2020 [Cleveland, OH] — Due to the rapidly escalating coronavirus concerns and the recent cancellation of the March Madness tournaments, The Professional Collegiate League (PCL), Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University and Soledad O’Brien Productions today announced that they will be cancelling their panel discussion event, originally scheduled to take place in Atlanta at the Loudermilk Conference Center on April 5th. 

“We are actively supporting the global and national effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic by cancelling our event.  The health and safety of event attendees and participants is our top priority, and we believe this is the responsible decision.  We are looking to have this important discussion around the future of collegiate athletics in a modified, safe format at some point in the future,” stated Ricky Volante, CEO and Co-Founder of the PCL. “Given that Atlanta is one of the eight cities in which the PCL will launch its inaugural season, we are still planning to unveil the league’s Atlanta-based team name and insignia in the coming weeks.”

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sarah Bray

Innovant Public Relations

Sarah@InnovantPR.com

832-226-2116

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The Professional Collegiate League, Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University, and SO’B Productions to Co-Host a Panel Discussion on the Future of Collegiate Athletics During the 2020 Final Four in Atlanta

March 04, 2020 [Cleveland, OH] — The Professional Collegiate League (PCL) is coming to Atlanta on April 5th to discuss a better, professional opportunity for collegiate athletes around the Final Four and Championship games. As college basketball players, coaches and fans gear up for the national championship game, the PCL will be co-presenting a panel discussion with the Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University and Soledad O’Brien Productions. Industry leaders from across the nation will gather in Atlanta to discuss the future of collegiate athletics and the PCL’s critical role in defining that future. The PCL will also be unveiling the league’s Atlanta-based team name and insignia at the event. 

The PCL is the first collegiate basketball league to enable athletes to directly benefit from their talent, marketability, and hard work by offering an education and compensation in a US-based basketball league      free of academic and economic exploitation. In short, the PCL is college sports reimagined.

WHO: The panel will consist of award-winning journalist and producer and PCL Advisory Board member Soledad O’Brien, ESPN’s Bomani Jones, PCL COO and NBA Champion David West, and PCL CEO and Co-Founder Ricky Volante. It will be moderated by Kenneth Shropshire, CEO of Global Sport Institute at Arizona State. Focusing on the historical, societal, economic, and legal issues in collegiate athletics, attendees will hear from these industry professionals who bring a wealth of talent and experience in the business of sports.  

WHEN: Sunday, April 5th, 2020; 5:00 p.m.

WHERE: Loudermilk Conference Center, 40 Courtland Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30303

WHY: As the discussion of compensating college athletes continues to progress, Atlanta offers the perfect venue to host a discussion on the future of college sports. Not only will the Final Four tournament be a gathering spot for the who’s who of college basketball, Atlanta is one of the eight cities in which the PCL will launch its inaugural season.

RSVP TODAY: https://pcl-atl-panel.splashthat.com/

The event is free and open to members of the public. 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sarah Bray

Innovant Public Relations

Sarah@InnovantPR.com

832-226-2116

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PCL CEO Ricky Volante and COO David West Named to Constellation Research’s 2020 AX50 

Global List of Executives Leading Disruptive Customer Experience Initiatives

Cleveland, OH – January 28, 2020 – The Professional Collegiate League (PCL) today announced Ricky Volante, CEO, and David West, COO, were named to Constellation Research’s 2020 AX50, an elite list of innovative and disruptive leaders transforming customer experiences—and businesses—around the world. The AX50 will be featured and celebrated at the Ambient Experience Summit in Atlanta on February 27, 2020.

Ricky is a Co-Founder of the PCL and serves as the Chief Executive Officer, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the League, while focusing on business and operational growth and the benefits created for the athletes. David is a Co-Founder of the PCL and serves as the Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the development of the PCL’s basketball infrastructure, including: scouting, recruitment, player development, and NBA relations.

The PCL is the first collegiate basketball league to enable athletes to directly benefit from their talent, marketability, and hard work by offering an education and compensation. It provides a US-based basketball opportunity free of academic and economic exploitation. In short, the PCL is college sports reimagined. 

The list presents a selection of influential executives across a variety of industries, including entertainment and sports. The AX50 demonstrated how to effectively implement customer-centric strategies, disruptive business models and emerging technologies to help transform customer experiences, keep brand promises, activate movements, grow revenues and increase operational efficiency.

On being named to the AX50, Ricky said, “It is an honor to be included in such an accomplished list of leaders, made even more special because I am joined by David. We sincerely appreciate the recognition from the Constellation Research team, especially Ray Wang and Paul Greenberg, who have quickly made us feel like part of their family. We look forward to joining everyone in Atlanta for the Ambient Experience Summit in February.”

“Sustainable businesses put customers at the center of everything they do. In today’s experience economy, the goal of empowering great customer experiences drives successful business transformation. The AX50 leaders are paving the way to better, more durable relationships through great customer experiences across their organizations,” said Nicole France, VP & principal analyst at Constellation Research. 

The full AX50 list and more on the program can be found here: https://www.constellationr.com/ax50-2020.

About Constellation Research

Constellation Research is a technology research and advisory firm based in Silicon Valley. We deliver strategic guidance to companies seeking to transform their businesses through the early adoption of disruptive technology. Our analysts draw on their experiences as practitioners to deliver pragmatic advice to CXOs leading digital transformation within their organizations. Clients include boards of directors, C-suite executives, line-of-business leaders, and IT visionaries who are not afraid to challenge the status quo. Our mission is to conduct research on emerging technologies, identify and validate trends, and empower our clients to succeed in the digital economy.

Global Press Contacts:

Aubrey Coggins & Elle Froze

Constellation Research

Email: Press@Constellationr.com

Cleveland, OH – January 7, 2020 – Today, the Historical Basketball League (HBL) unveiled its new name: the Professional Collegiate League (PCL). As the first collegiate basketball league to enable athletes to directly benefit from their talent, marketability, and hard work by offering an education and compensation, the PCL name better reflects the league’s model and purpose. The PCL provides a US-based basketball opportunity free of academic and economic exploitation. In short, the PCL is college sports reimagined. 

The league’s executive team, led by CEO Ricky Volante and COO David West, set out to determine a name that appropriately represents the league today and will remain relevant in the future.  “It is exciting to finally announce the Professional Collegiate League’s new name. Our mission is the same, and now the name accurately depicts what the league represents – a better, professional opportunity for college athletes. Not only will renaming the league avoid consumer confusion, it will allow us to seamlessly expand into women’s sports and other men’s sports in the future,” said Ricky Volante.

In addition, the PCL recently added four new members to its growing Advisory Council. New to the Advisory Board are David McFarland – founder of DLM Entertainment Group and DLM Impact Partners and award-winning producer/writer; Bradd Busick – Chief Information Officer of MacDonald-Miller and former Project and Portfolio Manager for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and Katrina Ghazarian – CEO of EVA8 and TEDx Speaker. Also, NBA Champion and 32-year coaching veteran Henry Bibby will be joining the PCL’s Athlete Advisory Board. Leveraging the diverse backgrounds and experience of the Advisory Council members, the PCL will holistically develop college athletes to allow them to benefit from an experience rife with opportunity in every manner possible. 

With backing secured from twenty investors from a range of industries and backgrounds, the PCL continues to prepare to launch its 2021 inaugural season in eight cities: Philadelphia, Baltimore, District of Columbia (D.C.), Richmond, Norfolk, Raleigh, Charlotte, and Atlanta. The PCL’s focus in 2020 is on hiring head coaches, rounding out the league’s staff, announcing team names and logos, securing an apparel and distribution partner, negotiating venue agreements, and signing 4-star and 5-star prospects. 

Press inquiries for interviews, additional facts, and images should be directed to press@thepcleague.com. To keep up to date, follow the PCL on Twitter (@the_pcleague) and Instagram (@thepcleague).

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Erin Szalkowski

Innovant Public Relations

Erin@InnovantPR.com

713-412-6436