After a year hiatus, the UNC Sports and Entertainment Summit returned to Chapel Hill this past weekend for its third iteration—bringing 10 UNC alumni back to campus to connect with students, young alumni, faculty and staff. The event, held at the Blue Zone at Kenan Stadium, was attended by more than 150 guests interested in learning and networking in the sport and entertainment industry. 
 
The Sports Summit, born out of a partnership between Carolina Athletics and Wasserman, started in 2018 with the goal of bringing together top-tier professionals from the Sport and Entertainment industry—who are also exclusively Carolina Alumni—to connect with students and each other to make a positive difference. In 2019, the Summit joined forces with the Department of Exercise and Sport Science’s Sport Administration undergraduate track, and that partnership continued this year, with participation from other campus departments. 
 
“It is always great to welcome our Carolina alumni back – and it’s even greater to watch them give back by sharing their knowledge and experience with current students,” said Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. “We look forward to hosting the Summit again next year.”
 

This year’s featured speakers included a variety of Carolina alumni from different positions across the industry, including: Ashley Czarnowski (Director of Brand Marketing, Women’s + Planning, adidas); Jenny Jessup (Head of Events, Twitch); Jamie Kerr (Director of Sponsorships & Experiential Marketing, AT&T); Dan Levy (EVP of The Collective & Olympics, Wasserman); Erik A. Moses (President, Nashville Superspeedway); Cindy Parlow Cone (President, US Soccer Federation); Rob Perez (Host/Producer, Underdog Fantasy); Jim Tanner (President, Tanner Sports & Entertainment); David Tinson (CMO, Electronic Arts); and Travis Tygart (CEO, US Anti-Doping Agency). 
 
“The opportunity to bring together students and so many great alums across sports business, sports journalism, and entertainment at this event is so important,” said Wasserman Managing Director and Summit Host, Will Pleasants. “We are passionate about the Carolina Family and making connections, and it was great to see so many eager and engaged attendees this year in person.”
 
The UNC Sport and Entertainment Summit will return in fall 2022 with a new line up of featured Carolina Alumni speakers and panelists. For more information visit: uncsesummit.com.