Month: September 2022

Legends to manage partnerships and business intelligence for the growing league

The American Cornhole League (ACL), the worldwide governing body for professional, competitive, and recreational cornhole, and Legends, a data-intelligence fueled global premium experiences company, announced today a strategic multi-year partnership centered around driving commercial growth for the league. As part of the new partnership, Legends will manage a global, data-driven partnership strategy for ACL and provide business intelligence with actionable insights to drive revenue across all areas of the burgeoning league.

The ACL will tap into multiple areas of Legends’ intelligence-fueled 360-degree service solutions as part of the comprehensive partnership. As such, the ACL joins a growing list of partners for Legends Growth Enterprises division, which launched earlier this year. Legends Growth Enterprises focuses on leveraging the company’s 360-degree service solution to support sports and entertainment properties, attractions, events, and platforms that are positioned for accelerated growth.

Since launching in 2016 the ACL has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with broadcast deals with ESPN and CBS / CBS Sports. The league’s tagline “Anyone can play and anyone can win” along with its ability to be played anywhere has the league on a fast track for success.  The ACL hosts a variety of pro and amateur events, including its popular “SuperHole” series which pairs ACL Pros alongside celebrities for a made-for-TV experience.

“As our sport and league continues to grow across the country and the globe we’re aiming to scale up and expand our revenue base and are excited to partner with Legends to drive insights that will allow us to do just that,” said Stacey Moore, Founder of American Cornhole League. “Their expertise and assistance will help us to take the ACL to the next level and beyond.”

“What Stacey and his team have built with the American Cornhole League is impressive – taking it from the backyard to major television networks and now into the global spotlight in a relatively short time,” said Gabby Roe, President of Legends Growth Enterprises. “Cornhole is forging a legacy as the world’s favorite new pastime accessible to all audiences. We are excited to work closely with the ACL to deliver solutions and expertise to support the league’s continued growth.”

– The Inaugural Citi Shamrock Classic Basketball Game will be Held in St. Louis on Saturday, Nov. 12, Featuring the Fighting Irish vs. the California Golden Bears; Airing as the First Ever Live Broadcast of Women’s College Basketball on NBC and Peacock –

Notre Dame Global Partnerships (NDGP), the multimedia rightsholder for the University of Notre Dame Athletics Department, today announced Citi as a new Championship Partner. As part of the sponsorship, Citi will also be the title partner of the first annual Citi Shamrock Classic basketball game airing live on NBC and Peacock on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 4:00 p.m. ET.

The Citi Shamrock Classic will include a weekend of basketball and thought leadership conversations on gender equity and women’s athletics. The day before the game, Citi and Notre Dame will host a luncheon infused with marquee speakers from the realm of business and women’s athletics. Citi’s new collaboration with Notre Dame will also create avenues throughout the year to amplify the joint commitment to elevate women’s athletics. Some of the promotional opportunities include digital content; television and radio promotion; and Citi’s participation in programs designed to close the gender gap in collegiate sports and across industries through workshops, speaker series and comprehensive mentorship of women student-athletes.

Held in St. Louis at the Enterprise Center, the Citi Shamrock Classic will see the Fighting Irish, who made the 2022 Sweet Sixteen under Karen & Kevin Keyes Family head coach Niele Ivey, face off against the California Golden Bears, led by Coach Charmin Smith. The showdown will mark the first live broadcast of a women’s college basketball game on NBC. The game is a homecoming for both head coaches as they both grew up in St. Louis. As a junior, Ivey led Cor Jesu Academy to its first state title before going on to play for Notre Dame and winning the 2001 National Championship in St. Louis. Cal’s Smith dominated the hardwood at Ladue Horton Watkins before appearing in three consecutive Final Fours with the Stanford Cardinal.

“I would like to thank Citi for the opportunity to showcase our women’s basketball program on this major stage in the inaugural Citi Shamrock Classic,” Ivey said. “This is a full circle moment to come back home to St. Louis where my basketball journey began. It’s an overwhelming feeling to think about the positive impact this will have in my community and for our sport. I hope to continue to inspire and empower the next generation of young leaders and athletes.”

“Citi has a proud history of working with partners who share our commitment to advance gender equity, so the opportunity to work with an institution shaping the next generation makes this even more rewarding,” said Ed Skyler, Head of Global Public Affairs, Citi. “We are excited about this new partnership with Notre Dame Athletics, and we will continue to support programs, like women’s basketball, that have been underrepresented for far too long.”

“We look forward to presenting the inaugural Citi Shamrock Classic and showcasing to a national audience on NBC and Peacock Notre Dame’s storied women’s basketball program in their game against Cal,” said Gary Quinn, Vice President, Programming, NBC Sports.

Game tickets for the Citi Shamrock Classic will go on sale to the general public on Friday, Sept. 23, at www.enterprisecenter.com/shamrock.

Legends, a global data-intelligence fueled premium experiences company, announced today the appointment of Kirta Carroll as President of the company’s Global Merchandise division.  Carroll brings a strong retail and marketing background, joining Legends after more than a decade at Foot Locker.

Carroll will lead Legends’ growing Global Merchandise division, which is a fully integrated vertical solution operating brick and mortar, pop-ups, e-commerce, and in-venue retail experiences for renowned brands such as the NFL, MLB, PGA, NASCAR, UFC, Activision Blizzard and global tentpole events including Super Bowl LVI, 2019 Rugby World Cup, and 2016 Olympics.

“Kirta is a strategic leader with a great depth of omnichannel retail and merchandise experience,” said Mike Tomon, Co-President and COO, Legends. “She brings a successful track record developing and leading merchandising, vendor, and consumer strategy to drive long term sustainability, growth, and scale. We are excited for her to join Legends and lead our Global Merchandise team as we continue to build upon the incredible business success of this past year.”

Legends Global Merchandise has grown substantially in the last 12 months, netting more than 20 new clients, including PGA, PFL, Cirque du Soleil, Madison Square Garden, Indiana University, Century 21 and setting merchandise per cap and sales records for 2022 Indianapolis 500, PGA Championship, Super Bowl LVI, UFC International Fight Week, MLB at Field of Dreams and more.

“I am thrilled to join the team of leaders at Legends and to continue to advance and accelerate our bespoke premium retail offerings while serving fans and consumers where they shop, buy, and intersect with our clients’ brands,” said Carroll.

Prior to joining Legends, Carroll spent 11 years at Foot Locker in increasingly broader roles. She most recently served as Vice President and Global General Merchandising Manager for the women’s division where she led the global footwear and apparel business across Foot Locker’s portfolio of brands. Before her product leadership role, Carroll led marketing for women’s focused retail concepts at Foot Locker, including strategic positioning and brand development, social media and ecommerce strategies, in-store merchandising and visuals. Carroll has a strong marketing background, having spent time working at marketing agencies across multiple industries as well as holding a position in public relations and marketing at Saks Fifth Avenue earlier in her career.