Clemson Athletics (Clemson, S.C.) Michael Drake, a veteran NBA and NFL executive, has been appointed as the inaugural CEO of the commercial revenue company, according to a statement released by Clemson Ventures. The Clemson Ventures Board made the hiring decision, and Drake will start working at Clemson on February 3.
Drake expressed gratitude to the Clemson Ventures Board for giving him the chance to serve as the head of this innovative company. “The position’s all-encompassing approach to a professional style of fully integrated revenue creation at Clemson drew me in right away. As one of the leading brands in collegiate athletics, Clemson’s dedication to developing a new commercial strategy will pay off in the long run for supporters, student-athletes, and the university as a whole. In order to realize this goal, I am eager to begin working with the Clemson Ventures team and our amazing partners.
As a subsidiary of Clemson University sports, Clemson Ventures is dedicated to optimizing revenue-generating tactics in the dynamic world of collegiate sports, which calls for creative commercial methods to support the attainment of competitive greatness. In order to increase income, Clemson Ventures was created with a full-service marketing strategy and NIL agency capabilities, as well as a proper private-sector corporate structure.
Director of Athletics Graham Neff, who is on the Ventures Board and assisted in its formation, stated, “Michael impressed us with his ability to grasp what we’re trying to accomplish at Clemson with our partnerships team, and sees our potential for growth.” “Our sales, original content, broadcast productions, NIL, and events teams are amazing, and Michael will have a big influence on how we can keep expanding.”
With over 20 years of expertise in sales, marketing, and business development, Drake is a successful sports and entertainment executive who has worked for major teams including the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers.
Since 2018, Drake has headed a 34-person team as the Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. In this role, he oversees corporate partnerships, premium sales, and a real estate portfolio in addition to managing an annual budget of $73 million. In that capacity, he oversaw the establishment of NBA 2K and G League clubs for the league and created and carried out one of the NBA’s biggest stadium naming rights agreements with State Farm. Significant revenue growth has been achieved as a consequence of his strategic leadership in process reform and the use of creative sales and sponsorship strategies.
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