Major League Soccer (MLS) Commissioner Don Garber—one of the chief architects of the U.S. bid to host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup—will present “The Creation of a Soccer Nation in America: Why the sport matters here in the U.S. and why it will matter more in the future,” on Thursday, Oct. 21. Sponsored by the David B. Falk Center for Sport Management in the College of Human Ecology, the presentation is free and open to the public, taking place in Huntington Beard Crouse Hall’s Kittredge Auditorium, at 7 p.m.
As MLS commissioner, Garber has provided leadership and management of the league, securing a long-term national television agreement for the MLS. He implemented player initiatives such as the MLS Designated Player Rule and created the MLS Youth Development Initiative. During his tenure, the MLS has added 12 new investors, expanding and diversifying its ownership group, including six new expansion teams since 2005. Garber has also led the effort to develop soccer-specific stadiums for MLS teams. Seven stadiums have been built during his tenure, with several more in development.
Prior to serving as commissioner of the MLS, Garber spent 16 years in various roles with the National Football League, finishing his tenure as the senior vice president/managing director of NFL International.
Garber has received numerous community and industry honors during his career, including the 2008 March of Dimes Sports Leadership award and the 2007 UJA Federation Sports for Youth award for his a strong commitment to caring for the community. Garber was a finalist for the SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily’s 2008 Sports Executive of the Year. He was listed among the most influential people in American sports in 2008 by Time magazine and Business Week, and has been named among the top 50 most influential people in sports business by the SportsBusiness Journal each of the last five years.
Garber serves on the board of directors for the United States Soccer Federation, the United States Soccer Foundation and the FC Harlem Youth Soccer Club, as well as on the board of the Hope and Heroes Foundation at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. He is on the board of advisors for the World Congress of Sports.
For more information about the event, contact the Department of Sport Management at (315) 443-9881.
