My second entry also relates to my time with the hockey club at Kansas where in my senior year when I was President, our arena sold sponsorship rights to a local bar for our annual rivalry game versus Mizzou without our permission. As a collegiate team/organization, like many teams/clubs/organizations at colleges across the United States, we have very strict rules when it comes to associating with drugs and alcohol. A handful of years before I began at KU, our club got in trouble by hazing underage players with alcohol and we were removed from campus for a period of time, so when I found out that our home arena, who we’re in constant contact with throughout any given season, sold title sponsorship rights to a local bar without our permission, I was forced to withdraw our team from the game and find a new arena to host the game. It took weeks, many passionate conversations with the opposing team’s coaches and staff over the eventual outcome so that both sides were pleased, we settled on a home and home rivalry series with each team hosting the other at their campus instead of just a single event in Kansas City. The event proved to be very beneficial to both clubs both from a PR and financial standpoint. I was very proud of my staff for working tirelessly to help find a new venue, work out solutions, and still create a can’t miss event at a much less desirable arena.
