The 2026 Experience is a wrap. Thank you to everyone who joined us in Durham. More info about 2027 coming soon. Express interest for 2027
The McLendon Experience 2026 Agenda
Unite
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Tap any session to see time, room, and details.
7:00 to 10:00 AM
General
7:00 to 10:00 AM
Lobby / Registration Desk
Start here. Grab your badge, your agenda, and your first cup of coffee, and let our team point you toward the rooms, people, and moments you do not want to miss. Download the McLendon app to join the event game, complete quests, and start earning points before the first session begins.
7:30 to 8:30 AM
Networking
7:30 to 8:30 AM
Junior Ballroom BC
The easiest room you will ever work. Sit down with people who came for the same reason you did, trade stories over breakfast, and knock out a few app quests while you are at it. Every point moves you up the leaderboard.
8:30 to 9:30 AM
Keynote
8:30 to 9:30 AM
Junior Ballroom BC
An unfiltered conversation with the executive who helped build Tribeca, Major League Soccer's New York City Football Club (NYCFC) and Athletes Unlimited. Hear how he bet on ideas nobody else believed in, what he looks for in the people he hires, and how you can start building that reputation now. Unite, Uplift, Unleash.
9:30 to 9:45 AM
Break
9:30 to 9:45 AM
Fifteen minutes to stretch, refill, and find your next room.
9:45 to 11:15 AM
The Essentials
Two concurrent sessions
9:45 to 11:15 AM
Junior Ballroom A
The skill AI cannot replace: building relationships that open doors. A hands-on workshop on reading a room, starting the conversation you are nervous about, and turning a five-minute introduction into a relationship that lasts your whole career.
9:45 to 11:15 AM
Junior Ballroom D
AI will not replace you; someone who knows AI will. Get practical with the tools already reshaping scouting, ticketing, marketing and media, and learn how to use AI to work smarter and stand out in the sports industry. You will also receive access to the NXTClick platform, combining structured coursework and competitive challenges to continue building your career readiness beyond the session.
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Networking
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Junior Ballroom BC
Refuel, sit with someone new, and keep climbing the leaderboard. Meals are built-in quest time, so every conversation can turn into points.
12:15 to 1:50 PM
Career Pathways
Choose 2 of 4 · Choice 1 (12:15-1:00) · Choice 2 (1:05-1:50)
12:15 to 1:50 PM
Meeting Room 1-2
Building a career in professional sports. The people inside league and team offices walk through how they actually got hired, what a first year really looks like, and the roles that are hiring right now.
12:15 to 1:50 PM
Junior Ballroom A
Guiding the next generation of leaders in college athletics. Athletic directors and NCAA leaders on revenue sharing, NIL, and how to build a career on a campus in the middle of the biggest change the industry has ever seen.
12:15 to 1:50 PM
Meeting Room 3-4
Technology, media and the future of sports. From stadium spectacle to sports betting to storytelling that travels, meet the builders creating the fan experience that does not exist yet, and learn what skills get you on those teams.
12:15 to 1:50 PM
Junior Ballroom D
Brands, agencies and commercial growth. Follow the money: how deals get made, how partnerships are sold, and how the commercial side of sports quietly runs the whole thing.
1:50 to 2:20 PM
Break
1:50 to 2:20 PM
Junior Ballroom BC
Catch the panelist you wanted to talk to, swap contacts, and keep the conversation going before the afternoon block. Breaks count toward the game, so stay active on the app.
2:20 to 3:50 PM
The Essentials
Groups swap sessions
2:20 to 3:50 PM
Junior Ballroom A
The skill AI cannot replace: building relationships that open doors. A hands-on workshop on reading a room, starting the conversation you are nervous about, and turning a five-minute introduction into a relationship that lasts your whole career.
2:20 to 3:50 PM
Junior Ballroom D
AI will not replace you; someone who knows AI will. Get practical with the tools already reshaping scouting, ticketing, marketing and media, and learn how to use AI to work smarter and stand out in the sports industry. You will also receive access to the NXTClick platform, combining structured coursework and competitive challenges to continue building your career readiness beyond the session.
4:00 to 5:00 PM
Optional
4:00 to 5:00 PM
Meeting Rooms 1-4
A smaller, informal room for the questions you did not want to ask on a mic. Resume looks, interview reps, and honest advice from people a few steps ahead of you. Bonus quests run here for extra points.
Antwann Joseph
Early Commercial Talent, Intercollegiate Athletics
Stryker
Elena Mikulsky
Manager, Human Capital
Deloitte
Mike Caragher
Strategy Manager
Deloitte
Drew Turner
Panelist
Legends Global
Bert Zevzavadjian
Founder
Do Work Team
Sam Renaut
US Sports, College Athletics Leader
Deloitte
Joseph Johnson
Panelist
adidas
5:30 & 5:45 PM
Transport
5:30 & 5:45 PM
Marriott Entrance
Shuttles depart the Marriott entrance at 5:30 PM and 5:45 PM for Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Do not be the one left in the lobby.
6:00 to 9:00 PM
Beyond the Dugout
6:00 to 9:00 PM
Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Stand where 180+ big-leaguers once started their career. Feel the history under the lights, then meet companies ready to open doors for you in sports. Move table to table and talk with the organizations hiring right now. Deloitte · Octagon · USGA · STM · Fanatics · Under Armour · Legends Global · Playfly · MLB · NFL · Hudl · NCAA · Carthage College
6:00 to 9:00 PM
Durham Bulls Athletic Park
The whole class on the field, under the lights. This is the picture you send home.
6:00 to 9:00 PM
Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Ballpark dinner with the people who can hire you, mentor you, or introduce you to whoever will. No badges required, just good conversation, and a few more chances to earn points before the day ends.
Sessions and titles are subject to change. Speaker and panelist announcements coming soon.