Theodore Loehrke Named President of Joint Venture Business to Promote Notre Dame Athletics

NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Legends and JMI Sports, today announced the appointment of Theodore Loehrke as President of their recently established Joint Venture Business, which will collaborate with the University of Notre Dame in the promotion of its athletics programs.

Through an exclusive 12-year agreement with the University of Notre Dame, Legends and JMI Sports have established a Joint Venture Business to oversee Notre Dame's athletics sales, marketing, sponsorship, hospitality, multimedia rights and branding services on a local and national level. It will also include Notre Dame's national football radio rights, which previously had been a stand-alone agreement for many years.  

In this role, Loehrke will be responsible for oversight and day-to-day support for the property and all JV employee functions. He will also be focused along with his team on delivering integrated national corporate partnerships that align with the strong mission and values of the University.

Mr. Loehrke joins after more than a decade in professional sports where he worked in various league and team roles. Most recently, Loehrke served as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Development at the Milwaukee Bucks and was responsible for spearheading key strategic initiatives around facilities and new business development.  Most notably, Loehrke helped lead the development and revenue strategy for the Bucks' new world-class arena, which will open for the 2018-19 NBA season, Fiserv Forum. Loehrke originally joined the Bucks in 2012 as Senior Vice President, Chief Revenue Officer.

Prior to the Bucks, Loehrke worked at the NBA in New York as Senior Vice President in the league's Team Marketing and Business Operations group. He advised NBA and NBA G League teams on all aspects of business operations including ticket sales, sponsorship development, customer retention, digital/social media, marketing, and business analytics. Prior to the NBA, Loehrke held various roles in consulting, marketing, and strategy at companies including Deloitte Consulting and American Family Insurance Group. Mr. Loehrke holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Notre Dame and an M.B.A from Duke University in Strategy and Operations.

Loehrke is an active community member and strong advocate for inclusion for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). He sits on the Board of Advisors for the Wisconsin Chapter of Best Buddies International, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with IDD.

"Because we are committed to maintaining the distinctiveness that makes Notre Dame a great brand, it was imperative that we find a leader for this collaboration who understands and can give voice to that distinctiveness. That describes Ted Loehrke. As a Notre Dame graduate and highly accomplished sports industry executive, Ted has the understanding, passion and experience that will help to ensure our success," said Jack Swarbrick, Director of Athletics at Notre Dame.

"I am thrilled to join Legends and JMI to lead this innovative new business," said Loehrke. "It's truly an honor to represent Notre Dame, and I look forward to working with our new team and our campus colleagues to develop strategic marketing partnerships and fan engagement platforms that support and amplify the values of the University."

"Legends and JMI Sports made a commitment to Jack Swarbrick and his team that we would recruit a team worthy of the remarkable Notre Dame brand and capable of implementing our aspirational vision for the partnership. Hiring Ted as the leader of this property is a clear demonstration that we have high expectations that we expect to meet," said JMI Sports CEO Erik Judson.

"In the 10 years that I have had the opportunity to work with Ted, his passion for constant evolution of the business has always stood out to me. This vision was exactly what we were looking for as we seek to develop a very different solution for the college space. Coupled with his deep passion and understanding of the institutional values of his alma mater, it made this a perfect platform for his accomplished career," said Mike Ondrejko, President, Legends Global Sales.

Notre Dame previously handled most of its athletic corporate sponsorships and marketing rights through Notre Dame Sports Properties, created in 2003.

About Notre Dame Athletics

The University of Notre Dame sponsors 26 varsity athletics programs (13 men's, 13 women's), dating back to 1887 when the Irish played their first football game. Notre Dame won its 30th and 31st national championships in 2018 when the Irish claimed the NCAA Fencing Championship and the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship following previous titles in football (11 consensus), fencing (three men, one women, five combined), women's soccer (three), men's tennis (two), plus one each in men's soccer, women's basketball, men's golf and men's cross country. Notre Dame remains an independent in football, but most other Irish sports in 2013-14 began competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Notre Dame student-athletes in 2017 recorded the highest NCAA Graduation Success Rate figure (98) among all Football Bowl Subdivision institutions.

About Legends

Legends is a holistic solution provider for brands in sports, music and entertainment. The Legends 360 approach leverages the company's collective unparalleled experience in Global Planning, Global Sales and Partnerships and Hospitality across professional sports, collegiate, attractions, entertainment, international and conventions worldwide. We are the architects of premium sports and entertainment guest experiences. Already a partner with Notre Dame since 2013, Legends was an integral part of executing the Campus Crossroads Project, developing capital gift and annual donation pricing models, packaging and marketing strategy, while also executing sales campaigns for new premium seating inventory. More information available at www.legends.net.

About JMI Sports

JMI Sports is a full-service collegiate marketing firm providing the highest quality management of athletics multimedia rights. By breaking new ground in the creation of the Total Campus Marketing program, JMI Sports maximizes the economic potential of universities. JMI Sports is also a highly regarded project manager for the development of collegiate and professional sports facilities. JMI Sports adds the University of Notre Dame to an impressive list of signature partnerships, including Clemson University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Georgia (with IMG College) as well as the Ivy League, the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. JMI Sports was founded in 2006 by Judson and technology entrepreneur John Moores, former owner of the San Diego Padres.

SOURCE Legends