Campus Connection

Former NBA head to speak on campus

The former vice president of team marketing and business operations for the National Basketball Association will speak at UW-La Crosse as part of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science’s Distinguished Scholar program. William A. “Bill” Sutton, professor and director of the Vinik Sport and Entertainment Management Program at the University of South Florida, will speak on “The Battle for Attention – How the Sport and Entertainment Industry Attracts Interest and Influences Behavior.” The presentation runs from 5-5:45 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, in 1400 Centennial Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public. Sutton, the inaugural director of the USF Sport and Entertainment Management MBA, knows what it takes to get fans in the seats. He had a direct report to NBA Commissioner David Stern. Recently, Sutton has been recognized both for his scholarship and professional experience. He received the Academic Achievement in Sport and Entertainment Award from the Sport Entertainment and Venues Tomorrow Conference; the Sport Management Scholar Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Sport Management Association, and the Inaugural Sutton Award from the Sport Marketing Association. The Sutton Award is named after him and recognizes contributions by an academician to link theory, practice and industry with academia. Since 2008, the Distinguished Scholar program in the UWL Department of Exercise and Sport Science has brought outstanding educators and researchers from the fields of exercise and sport sciences to campus. Previous speakers have included national and international academic leaders in the professions of physical education teacher education, exercise science, athletic training, and sport management.   If you go— Who: William A. “Bill” Sutton, former vice president of team marketing and business operations for the NBA     What: “The Battle for Attention – How the Sport and Entertainment Industry Attracts Interest and Influences Behavior” When: 5-5:45 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, Where: 1400 Centennial Hall, UW-La Crosse, 308 N. 16^th St.          Admission: Free.