The James H. Warsaw Sports Marketing Center's Advisory Board at the University of Oregon is moving forward this fall with a mix of both new and familiar faces at the table.

The confirmed board members are:

• Mike Belcher, vice president of media and partnerships at T-Mobile
• Barbara Blangiardi "79 (Journalism), senior vice president for strategies and creative partnerships at Fox Sports
• Akash Jain, MBA '04, vice president for international commercial development at the National Football League (NFL)
• Tom Kelley, senior brand director for North America retail brand at Nike
• Kara Linse "06 (Business), director of global sponsorship marketing for the Olympic Games at Visa
• Bob Warsaw, entrepreneur and brother of Jim Warsaw, for whom the center is named.

As previously announced, David Higdon will serve as chair for a three-year term. Higdon is vice president of integrated marketing communications for NASCAR. The NASCAR integrated marketing communications team was named the 2015 PR Week In-House PR Team of the Year.

“We're thrilled to secure such a versatile, talented and passionate mix of board members who are eager to help set the strategic direction of Oregon's Warsaw Center," said Higdon.

The first meeting of the board is scheduled for October 27-29 in Eugene. Board activities will integrate with the inaugural Warsaw Sports Business Analytics Symposium, which aims to provide a forum for industry professionals and students to address emerging applications of business insights and analytics to the sports industry.

Larry Scott, Pac-12 Conference commissioner and longtime advocate for Warsaw Center activities, will be a special guest during the board's activities.

“The Warsaw Center is committed to reaffirming our position as the top sports business education program in the world," said Whitney Wagoner, director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the UO Lundquist College of Business. “We are reinvigorating our offerings with bold new programming and impactful partnerships. This board will help us achieve both goals."

The board continues to build with the aim of assembling up to a dozen senior-level industry executives representing a broad array of sports industry segments and geographic markets. Each member will commit to strategic planning meetings; active engagement with our study tours, alumni events, and on-campus visits; fundraising; and sourcing projects and employment opportunities for our students.

Founded in 1993, the James H. Warsaw Sports Marketing Center was the first program of its kind housed within a U.S. college of business. Uniting alumni, practitioners, and faculty members across multiple disciplines, the Warsaw Center provides a platform for both research and education focused on the $500 billion dollar sports business industry. The Center will celebrate its 25th Anniversary leading up to and throughout the 2018-2019 academic year.