Darin White Details Samford University’s Mark on Sports Business & Analytics
President Bruce Rogers with Rotarian Beck Taylor and Darin White
This week, the Rotary Club of Birmingham (RCB) welcomed Dr. Darin White, Executive Director of the Samford University Center for Sports Analytics. He discussed the evolution of the sports industry and the role Birmingham plays in shaping its future. Dr. White traced the transformation of Major League Baseball and the rise of player empowerment, beginning with Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter and labor leader Marvin Miller, who helped usher in free agency and a new era of sports business innovation. He described how advancements in sponsorship, fan engagement, and player contracts have redefined the game, with modern stadium experiences offering everything from gourmet food delivery to hotel stays overlooking the field.
Dr. White spotlighted Samford’s leadership in sports business education, becoming the first business school in the south to launch a dedicated sports marketing program in 2011. The university now offers a five-year combined undergraduate/MBA track and a nationally recognized sports analytics program—home to the country’s first Center for Sports Analytics. White highlighted graduates who now work with major league teams like the Atlanta Braves and how the program provides cutting-edge analytics and business strategy across the sports industry.
Bio for Darin White
Darin W. White, Ph.D., is the Margaret Gage Bush Distinguished Professor and the founder of the sports industry program in the Brock School of Business. He also serves as the executive director of the Andrews-White-Cooney Center for Sports Analytics.
White has crafted business relationships with some of the most prestigious sports organizations in the world, including Los Angeles Dodgers, MLS, Atlanta Braves, UEFA, Celtic FC, NBA, Dallas Cowboys, Leeds United FC, New Orleans Saints, Bayern Munich FC, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Wild, Learfield, NWSL, Atlanta Falcons, U.S. Swimming, Legion F.C., Birmingham Barons, Atlanta United F.C., Philadelphia Fliers, FC Dallas, Seattle Storm, SEC, ACC, Denver Broncos, NASCAR, LPGA, Tennessee Titans, Nashville Predators, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, San Francisco Giants, Carolina Panthers, Walsall F.C., Harlequins Rugby, Indy Car, NFL Play 60, Peach Bowl, Senior Bowl, PGA, Atlanta Hawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Portland Trailblazers, MiLB, Israeli Football League, Atlanta Dream, Indianapolis 500, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kyle Busch Group, Atlanta Talons, Connecticut Sun, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Orlando Magic, Oakland A’s, Freedom Football League, USFL, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Pelicans, Houston Astros, Top Golf, USA Soccer, Milwaukee Bucks, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Tigers, Birmingham, Squadron, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, Rocket City Trash Pandas, Montgomery Biscuits, Harlem Globetrotters, SEC Network, Talladega Super Speedway, Conference USA, Zoom Motorsports, State Farm Arena, World Rugby Shop, World Soccer Shop, Soccer.com, Indianapolis Pacers, Flo Sports, Memphis Grizzlies, New Jersey Devils, Watford F.C., NHRA, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and Bandwagon Sports.
On the college athletics side, White has been the keynote speaker at the NCAA Division 1 Athletic Directors spring meetings in California. He has also been invited to speak at various college athletic director events on the topic of sports business and data analytics. White helped launch an innovative sports science data sharing partnership between Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center and Samford Athletics entitled Project Samson.
On the corporate sponsorship side, White has worked with Coca-Cola, Nike, Adidas, TransAmerica, Phillips 66, Chick-fil-A, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ibotta, Mutual of Omaha, Toyota, Regions Bank, TIAA, Under Armour, Milo’s Tea, Mizuno, Zoomph, SponsorUnited, WARC, CBS Sports and AON.
On the agency side, White has worked with Octagon, Tigris Sponsorship & Marketing, MELT, Bruno Event Team, Revel XP, Knight Eady, Ticket Solutions, Independent Sports & Entertainment, Legends, Aspire, Excel Sports Management, Wasserman, BF Gibson & Associates, Premier Sports Management, Collegiate Licensing Company, Host Communication, JIBB and Airstream Ventures.
White is a highly sought resource for media seeking insights into sport business. His comments have appeared in media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, Washington Post, Forbes, L.A. Times, Athletic, USA Today, ESPN Radio, Al Jazeera, Sports Business Daily, Bond Buyer, International Business Times, NPR, Bleacher Report, and the Capital Gazette. He served as a judge for the Yahoo Sports Technology Awards gala, the "Oscars of Sports Technology," in London.
White has served on numerous boards including Aspire Football Academies, Daniel Summit, Advance Baseball International, Sport Forward, Coach Safely, Alabama Sports Foundation, and Youth Sports of the Americas. He has authored more than 60 journal articles and conference proceedings during his career and published in prestigious academic journals such as the International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship, Sports Business: An International Journals, Journal of Business Research, and European Journal of Marketing. White served as the national chair of the Sports Marketing & Sponsorship-Linked Marketing special interest group of the American Marketing Association for four years.
White spent 12 years as a college soccer coach at Union University and was named Coach of the Year by Adidas and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NAIA south region). Two years earlier he led Union University men’s college soccer team to an NCCAA national championship. In 2023, White was inducted into the Union University Sports Hall of Fame. Since leaving college coaching, White has coached elite youth soccer teams in Tennessee and Alabama. His teams have advanced to the state championship game 13 times in 15 years and have won nine state championships.
In his spare time, he enjoys traveling to Europe with his family to attend Leeds United F.C. matches, reading about Ancient Near East culture and history, and teaching Biblical theology classes at his home church, Church at Brook Hills. He recently began publishing articles for the Gospel Coalition that investigates various sports business topics from a theological perspective. You can follow his theological musing on social media @BibleBigStory on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. He and his wife, Laura, have seven children and four grandchildren.