This episode originally aired on July 14, 2025, and is our most listened-to episode to date. So, we thought we’d run it back.
We’ve spent much of our time on this podcast speaking about the burnout associated with working in college sports and how it affected our personal and work lives. In this week’s episode, we speak to someone who has quantified our feelings into groundbreaking research.
Dr. Matt Huml, an Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati, teaches sport administration courses in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services. He is also on the forefront of the work issues that people working in college sports face every day. We ran across a piece in Sportico he and Dr. Elizabeth Taylor wrote in 2022 titled - Why Employees Are Fleeing The College Athletics Industry - and quickly chased down the rabbit hole of his work, which explains a lot about the current state of the business. We identified with his research, personified it, and we wanted to talk with him.
In 2019, he helped write a groundbreaking study titled Workaholism In Sport: A Mediated Model Of Work–Family Conflict And Burnout, which detailed the conflict that many of us have faced doing a job that we were passionate about. He’s also studied remote work for college athletic department personnel, he’s done research on the spouses of sports workers, and recently, published a study called Working to Live or Living to Work? How Daily Work Experiences Affect Sport Employees’ Biometric Health.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Dr. Huml about some of the things he found out in his initial work on burnout (5:04), his findings and insight into work-family dynamics (9:55), the jaw-dropping turnover rate in collegiate sports (12:02), what burnout really is (18:21), how culture applies to actions on the field and not for the athletic department (27:45), do athletic directors really understand what’s happening (29:50), would staffers ever walk out (35:25), what he learned from actual staffers to try to even out work-life balance (36:50), and his advice for senior leadership to address burnout and to actually value the time of their staffers (37:20).
Dr. Huml also answers questions about generational trends in the industry (40:28), whether higher-ups will start building athletic culture around real family (41:30), and what would be the one big thing he would recommend for athletic directors (44:39). We wrap up the interview with Dr. Huml asking us a big question (58:46).
Special thanks to Dr. Huml for his time and insight for this fascinating interview.
For more of Dr. Huml’s research, you can find it here.
Oh, and before we forget, we want to thank our newest sponsors, Slim’s Magic Carpet Rides and We Build Moats (32:19). We hope to see their multi-figured check in the mail soon.
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
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In our last recording of 2025, we’ll take a look back at some of the things we learned this year, from the most mundane to the most thought-provoking.
We’ll also have an 80’s fever-dream of a recap of our show so far, and dive into our Spotify Wrapped for the year. We’ve got fans all over the world, people.
Timestamps
3:29 – College sports will never be fixed: the endless cycle of issues
9:31 — The Super League and Relegation in College Football
27:00 — The ACC Scheduling Fiasco
28:07 – Tennessee’s million-dollar balloon budget
33:01 - Boggs’ cat is smarter than a majority of collegiate administrators
52:48 – The episode that validated the mental health toll of working in sports
55:24 – Guests’ wisdom: lessons from the brave
1:03:10 – Golf Channel secrets: finding the TV camera
1:04:10 – Ice cream cake: the office secret weapon
1:04:31 – The Epstein mystery: why we’ll never get to the bottom of it
1:07:19 – Rapid fire: nuggets from 2025 and lessons learned
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
We’re back and better than ever and we’re in it to win it, people.
This week, after seeing a team radio sideline reporter reveal some interesting dynamics on a team charter flight, we dive into what these flights are all about (since we’ve been on a few in our day) and agree that making details public from a team’s inner sanctum is a complete no-no.
But, this conversation leads to what Boggs believes is the number-one conundrum facing sports PR pros in the 21st century. Access. Who gets it? How much should the media get? And, is it worth it, in the end, to give too much of it? Plus, we’ll address what happens behind the scenes when someone you trust, as a part of the team party, decides to go rogue and out some very private team interactions that involve your future star and recent number-one draft pick.
And, not everyone working in sports can afford a pool with their Christmas bonus, because, surprise, no one gets one working in the business. We think that should stop and offer up our ideas on what GMs and ADs could do to help out their staffers, who make little to no money in their demanding jobs.
Timestamps
16:17 - The Balancing Act of PR
18:02 - The Unwritten Rules of Access
22:23 - The Nightmare for PR Pros
23:48 - The Fallout: Who Gets Banned?
25:02 - The GM's Wrath and Tightening Access
29:05 - The Sacredness of Team Flights
30:28 - The Domino Effect of Broken Trust
38:21 - The Unintended Consequences for Staff
40:03 - The Credentialing Dilemma
54:08 - The Trailblazers' Playoff Bonus Example
58:28 - The Reality of Staff Bonuses in Sports
59:41 - The Importance of Taking Care of Staff
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
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Link: Athletes.Org Collective Bargaining Proposal Framework
Speaking the truth about working in sports?? Blasphemy!
This week on the podcast, we’ll look back at Erin Andrews’ Thanksgiving-aggregated news-making comments and examine her truthful, straight-from-the-heart words about working in the business and the way the Internet quickly aggregates stories about celebrities, even when they’re taken out of context.
We’ll get into the sacrifices you have to make to work in the business and how Erin’s comments should be heard more often - that it’s not always sunshine and rainbows covering big-time events. Also, why do we condemn people who are successful, at least on social media, for having thoughts on work-life balance and mental health?
We’ve been lucky to work with some of the industry’s great personalities and relive some of those memories, and of course, you didn’t think we’d just let Lane Kiffin off the hook as he rode off on his pontoon boat to Baton Rouge, did you? He’ll play a starring role in one of our sponsor segments, “I Wanna Be A Ho”. Our other supporting sponsor for this week’s episode is Modern Computers, because sometimes comms pros need a little help remembering they’re actually living in 2025.
Timestamps
7:26 - Erin Andrews' Honest Advice
18:31 - Social Media Sucks: Barca Needs a T-Shirt
19:15 - The Value of Real-Life Connections
22:19 - Advice for Young People in Sports
24:22 - Living in the Moment in Sports
29:21 - The Highs and Lows of Sports Careers
49:14 - The Power of Relationships in Sports
53:08 - Dick Vitale and Bill Walton: Legends Off Camera
1:00:40 - Our New Sponsors, Modern Computers and I Wanna Be A Ho
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
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This week on a snack-sized edition of the podcast, we introduce new sponsors, The Sewage Suit and StaffDuel, and then pontificate on the glorious feeling of knowing that your season is over. We’ll also touch on MACtion, our favorite tailgating foods and KFC missing out on a great new business opportunity.
The BoggsOMeter is running red hot and he’s Up To His Ears about one particular fan base that regularly gives administrators and the league office the middle finger, and nobody does a thing about it. It falls through the cracks with most media, but not with us!
Timestamps
2:33 The Sewage Suit
4:04 StaffDuel
7:07 Exhaling When The Season Ends
13:17 Missing Out Working In Sports
14:02 The Joys of Tailgating
23:27 A Fan Base That Dares You To Tell Them No
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
You know that feeling when fall sports are wrapping up and winter sports are ramping up, and suddenly you're living at the office with nothing but energy drinks and broken dreams? Yeah, sports people call that Crossover Season. Some call it madness. Barca calls it hell. We call it content.
This week, we're joined by the legendary Eric "Stooche" Jones to swap war stories from the trenches of 14-hour workdays and office naps that didn't quite count as sleep. Sure, crossover season will test your sanity and obliterate your social life, but it also gives you the kind of stories you tell at reunions—the "remember when we literally didn't go home for three days" kind.
We're building our hypothetical Zombie Apocalypse survival bags (because if we had to do this all over again, we'd at least come prepared), comparing notes on what kept us functional during the calendar's most unforgiving stretch.
It's Thanksgiving week, which means it's time for gratitude, family, and... Barca's wildly controversial opinions about holiday food. We're running through what we're thankful for—some answers are snarky, some are surprisingly wholesome, and all are 100% honest.
But let's address the elephant (or turkey) in the room: Barca is categorically WRONG about Thanksgiving food. We said it. We'll defend this position. The rest of you can weigh in.
Happy Thanksgiving to our amazing listeners! May your turkey be moist, your in-laws be tolerable, and your crossover seasons be survivable.
Timestamps
6:13 - Crossover Season: The Zombie Apocalypse
12:40 - Sickness and Survival
14:31 - The Crossover Season Scheduling Nightmare
23:25 - The Gingerbread Man Incident
27:07 - Saturday Triple Header Aftermath
37:10 - The Power of Guest Services
40:06 - Zombie Apocalypse Survival Kit
47:07 - EJ’s Famous Christmas Cards
57:56 - The Great Thanksgiving Debate
1:01:14 - Victory Oatmeal Cream Pies and Camaraderie
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
This week, we sit down with Joe Dubin, a Nashville native who spent over 20 years as one of Middle Tennessee's most beloved media figures. Known for his "Big Joe On The Go" series, Joe didn't just report stories—he celebrated people. But when the cameras stopped rolling and the identity he'd built came crashing down, Joe found himself in the darkest place imaginable, questioning whether life was worth living.
In this raw and powerful conversation, Joe opens up about losing everything, the "God moments" that pulled him back from the edge, and how he rebuilt his life with a completely different foundation. Today, Joe is thriving again—but this time, his identity isn't tied to the work. It's about the message: We are all worth it.
Timestamps
20:22 - Joe's 20+ year career in Nashville television and his "Big Joe On The Go" series
33:07 - The moment everything fell apart and he lost his sense of identity
34:09 - The "God moments"
36:26 - Rebuilding from scratch and discovering a new purpose
44:19 - Why getting off the couch and trying is the key to experiencing monumental things
1:02:00 - Working in Sports
1:07:00 - Jimmy Buffett words of wisdom
1:13:20 - State of local media
About Joe Dubin
Current Work:
Co-host of The Chase and Big Joe Show on 102.5 The Game in Nashville (with Chase McCabe)
Anchor for Fox 17's high school football coverage
Motivational speaker
Books:
Lord, Please Don't Hit That Mailbox
Website:
Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please know that help is available.
You can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also chat online at 988lifeline.org.
If you're not in the United States, you can find international crisis resources at findahelpline.com.
We encourage listeners to prioritize their mental health and well-being. If this topic may be difficult for you, please consider whether this is the right time to listen, and know that you can return to this episode when you feel ready.
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
Look, we've covered a lot of big events. We've survived March Madness. We’ve spent 15 days in Omaha. But this week? A wrinkled tablecloth nearly ended us both. We're diving deep into the weird, obsessive world of press conference staging—the stuff nobody sees but everybody would notice if it went wrong. Trust us, there are stories here.
We’ll then move into the ESPN/YouTube TV debacle. ESPN personalities begging fans to pick sides in a corporate carriage dispute? It's giving "please clap" energy. We break down why this whole standoff is theater of the absurd, and why Pat McAfee—of all people—became the voice of reason by telling his colleagues to stay in their lane. When Pat's the grown-up in the room, you know things have gone sideways.
And finally, since 2014, university presidents and athletic directors have lit a billion dollars on fire just to fire coaches. A billion. So we're offering athletic departments some free consultancy: the green flags and red flags you should actually be looking for when hiring a head coach. Spoiler—it's not just who wins the press conference.
This episode is brought to you by Drape Daddies and The Stapler Meltdown. Barca heard these new sponsors pay premium rates for unhinged ad reads, so we're expecting fat checks. Let's see if they deliver.
Timestamps
03:18 — The table-skirt trigger
13:10 — Pat McAfee, the voice of reason? ESPN personalities and the SEC shilling for The Mouse
46:08 — How to avoid burning through a billion dollars in coaching buyouts - red and green flags for hiring your new coach
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
This week on the podcast, we are thrilled to welcome longtime mentor, colleague and friend Eric Nichols to talk about the latest in digital marketing and technology in the sports universe.
Nichols is a longtime collegiate administrator who honed his craft at Vanderbilt and South Carolina before taking his talents to WMT Digital, a forward-thinking tech firm helping sports teams build personalized and immersive digital experiences.
We’ll reminisce about his early days about his groundbreaking marketing efforts at Vanderbilt, how Sandstorm took Gamecock Nation by storm, and his thoughts on the latest in digital marketing, AI and where he thinks digital efforts are going in the future.
Buckle up for a masterclass in sports innovation, storytelling, and what happens when you dare to think differently.
Special thanks to our new sponsors, Golden Slides and Drawl Generator. Their financial contributions are greatly appreciated (when we receive them).
Timestamps
10:55 — The Grit Behind the Scenes: Early Mornings and Piss Bags
11:47 — Defying the Odds: Building Traditions at Vanderbilt
12:27 — The Birth of Sandstorm: How a Song Became a Tradition
24:05 — Digital Mindset: The Untapped Power of Athletic Websites
28:00 — Curating Content and Building Brand Personality
32:00 — The Power of Data: Knowing Your Fans
36:00 — Personalization and the Future of Fan Engagement
52:00 — Dynamic Ticket Pricing: AI Finds the Perfect Price
1:12:00 — Words of Wisdom: Writing, Selling, and Mastering AI
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
This week on the show, we examine what it takes to be a good storyteller, and how these tried-and-true patterns, which have shaped all of humanity regardless of culture, can affect your career, your relationships with others and your own journey to fulfillment and happiness.
We’re very passionate about these things and think they can add a lot of richness to everything you encounter.
This episode is sponsored by The Ungratefully Dead As A Duck Collection and everyone’s favorite AI assistant, My Sports Pal. We’ll take IOU’s in these trying times.
Timestamps:
Rags to Riches— 8:44
Man in a Hole: Resilience and Recovery — 32:36
Authenticity in Storytelling: Sharing the Lows — 36:32
The Icarus Arc: Flying Too Close to the Sun — 45:19
Cinderella Story Arc: Rising Again — 53:38
The Oedipus Arc: Fall, Rise, and Fall Again — 1:01:16
Breaking Cycles: Lessons from the Oedipus Arc — 1:05:51
The Simplicity of Storytelling — 1:10:07
Story Arcs in Everyday Life and Work — 1:12:21
The Story's Not Finished: Hope and Possibility — 1:15:10
Kurt Vonnegut’s Shape of Stories (Video)
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
After planning for a peaceful 25th episode of No Longer Credentialed, we took a U-Turn when we heard the latest from John Calipari and his take on NIL from SEC Media Days. Does he really believe what he’s saying? We’ll take a look at the absurdity of his comments and discuss whether this new era of player empowerment is cracking some of the old kingmakers of college basketball.
We then head to Barca’s old stomping grounds, MLS, to look into its AI slop, which they at least labeled and told us about, and their lack of access for reporters, even when it’s been collectively bargained with the players. Is the lack of access hindering the growth and popularity of their product? Especially with their horrible television deal and no eyeballs on their sport?
This “Silver Jubilee” episode is brought to you by The 5 AM Breakdown and Golden Image. Maybe we’ll get a private jet ride out of these latest partnerships.
Timestamps:
6:46 — Deep Dive: Calipari’s NCAA Scandals
9:41 — Top Transactional Coaches in College Sports
16:03 — MLS & AI Recaps Slop
28:00 — MLS Media Access Debate
32:40 — The State of MLS: TV Deals, Marketing, and Growth
57:07 — Comparing MLS to Other Leagues
1:04:47 — Final Thoughts on Media Relations and League Transparency
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
In this week’s episode, we’ll dive back into the Bill Belichick saga at North Carolina and as we predicted in the early days of the podcast, it isn’t working well. We’ll then dig a few layers deeper and ask, “Who really runs the department?” and provide you with stories of the absolute power of a head coach in a high-major college athletic department and of the ridiculousness of some of their requests and the mental toll it can take on a staffer that’s just trying to do their job.
How did coaches gain so much power? Is there a way to curb it? How much does media coverage play into this dynamic? And what are some ways to change how coaches are perceived?
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
X: https://x.com/nlcpod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
Timestamps:
UNC's Turbulent Belichick Era: We Told You So — (03:36)
Do College Coaches Wield Too Much Power? — (06:05)
The Cult of the College Coach — (20:22)
Who Really Runs the Athletic Department? — (26:01)
The Toll of Coach Ego and Burnout — (31:03)
The Watergate Moment: Hot Mic Revelation — (34:07)
Promoting The Coach And Forgetting The Players - (40:42)
Will the Power Structure Ever Change? — (1:06:38)
In this episode, we explore the search for meaning in sports careers, inspired by Viktor Frankl’s philosophy and his book, A Man’s Search For Meaning. We reflect on our own journeys, questioning whether fulfillment comes from titles, pay, or the deeper connections forged through teamwork and adversity. We discuss the universal nature of suffering, the importance of gratitude, and the challenge of finding purpose after setbacks or career changes. Through candid stories—ranging from service trips abroad to the grind of long hours—we reveal that meaning is often found in relationships, community, and the willingness to be vulnerable.
We’ll challenge you to reconsider what truly matters: Is it the accolades, or the impact you have on others? The episode closes with a reminder that the search for meaning is ongoing, and that embracing curiosity, kindness, and inspiration can transform even the most difficult experiences into something profound.
Key Moments and Timestamps
0:00 — Introduction: The hosts set the stage, inspired by Viktor Frankl’s search for meaning.
1:47 — Why meaning matters in sports and life; the pressure and purpose of coaching.
7:10 — Suffering & Setbacks: Losing a job, facing adversity, and realizing suffering is universal.
17:54 — The Power of Relationships: Meaning found in community, not just career achievements.
24:51 — Service Trip Story: Brandon’s transformative experience in Tanzania, finding purpose beyond work.
29:54 — Gratitude & Belonging: The importance of gratitude, diversity, and belonging in sports.
38:16 — Vulnerability & Boundaries: Honest talk about setting boundaries and the difficulty of leadership.
54:00 — Letting Go of Control: Wrestling with control, technology, and the ongoing search for meaning.
1:09:00 — Closing Reflections: Embracing curiosity, kindness, and the journey to find meaning.
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
X: https://x.com/nlcpod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
In this episode of "No Longer Credentialed," we dive deep into the transformative power of AI in the sports industry. We’ll discuss how AI is reshaping workflows, content creation, and communication strategies for sports professionals. From practical tips on using ChatGPT for copywriting and PR to the importance of maintaining a human touch, the conversation is packed with real-world examples and candid stories from decades in the field.
Barca is Up To His Ears with certain content traditions that are overdue for retirement.
Whether you’re a comms pro, coach, or just curious about the future of work. We’ve got it all.
We’re also sponsored by, shoot we forgot because we generated it in AI. Either way, we hope that the check is in the mail.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction: Why AI matters in sports
1:17 – The real story behind sports comms careers
3:17 – Main segment: Practical AI tools for workflow and efficiency
5:41 – Copywriting, brand voice, and the role of AI
14:21 – PR, media relations, and AI’s impact
45:00 – Rethinking social media: this idea needs to head to retirement home
61:33 – Final thoughts and what’s next
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
In this episode of 'No Longer Credentialed,' we interview Andy McNamara, a legendary collegiate athletics communicator who spent nearly 13 years at the University of Oregon (3:19). We cover Andy’s significant contributions, including spearheading two Heisman Trophy campaigns and leading the Ducks football communications effort in two national championship runs. The conversation also delves into Andy's transformative experience after leaving the sports industry in 2017, his perspective on the demise of the Pac-12, and the unusual but liberating transition to a different pace of life. Anecdotes feature special moments like traveling with Heisman finalists and behind-the-scenes experiences at high-profile events, including a memorable encounter with Bob Seger and Emma Stone at the Ed Sullivan Theater on The Late Show With David Letterman. We wrap up by discussing the impact of conference realignments on collegiate sports and the importance of maintaining a work-life balance in the sports industry.
Are we really this stupid? Boggs is 'Up to His Ears' about the impracticalities and logistical challenges of the current college sports conference alignments, proposing a swap of three schools each between the Big 12 and the ACC for a more sensible setup (39:46).
Sponsors for this week’s episode are The Third Lane Booster Club and Get Off Your Ass and Refill the Damn Printer Paper (36:16). Our Venmo is NLCPod.
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
This week on the podcast. We’ve made it to episode 20 and we kick off the podcast with a new segment called "Dear Formerly Credentialed" where we read listener submissions from the sports industry community (3:00).
We shout out Middle Tennessee State for their common-sense approach to football uniforms and have a get-off-of-my-lawn-old-man conversation about the absurdity of ruining brands, sometimes well-established brands, all in the name of recruiting and frivolous spending (10:53).
We then go on-and-on about two of our favorite brands, Chick-fil-A (22:35) and Buc-ee’s (38:31), and Barca is Up To His Ears about whether current athletic directors are equipped to handle today’s world of college athletics (29:16).
And just when you think you’ve heard it all, we hear about Boggs’ cat’s very doglike skillset (47:22).
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
X: https://x.com/nlcpod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
This week on the podcast. We have some fun and go back in time to advise our younger selves about some career paths we’d encourage them to take (2:37).
Some advice may be absurd. Some may be futuristic. Either way, sit back and hop in the time machine with us as we embark on the inaugural “If We knew Then What We Know Now Sports Career Redraft”.
Today’s episode is sponsored by The Quiet Quits Retirement Home and the Sweatshop TI-81 calculator (22:51). We need the check, ASAP!
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
Brayden Figueroa is the definition of betting on yourself.
For five years, he worked as a video producer for the LA Lakers. Then one day, he woke up, quit his job with one of the biggest sports franchises in the world, and decided to chase his dream of starting his own business.
As a Barca protege at the University of Oregon, Brayden didn’t have the best video equipment, but he still made some dope shit. And more importantly—he gave a shit. He’s always had that “it” factor. He was a leader among his peers, always learning, collaborating and pushing to get better.
Fast forward to today—he’s the host of The 505 Podcast, a hub spotlighting some of the best creators and marketing minds in the world, while helping others learn and grow. Recent guests include industry titans like Gary Vee and Seth Godin.
The 505 Podcast is closing in on 200 episodes, with more than 20,000 YouTube subs, 80,000 followers on IG, and 1.2 million likes on TikTok. He’s also the co-founder of Blue Stripe Studios, a full-service creative production company making stories built for mobile.
What separates B Figgy from the rest is his generous advice and stories of the mistakes that he has made on his business journey. That this whole thing is more than just being creative with a camera.
In this episode, you’ll find out that the time is ripe for creatives to reshape and reinvent how we think about communicating in the digital space. He’ll talk about the beginning of his business journey (6:11), how and why he quit the Lakers (8:19), how being on-the-go early in his career set him up for success with his own company (15:17), how he handled hitting his ceiling in a job (17:42), how sports creatives and workers can toot their own horn more (19:19), did he ever think about what he was worth as a freelancer when he was working for someone else (24:18), how he develops pricing plans for projects (29:29), how he makes money and adds value for clients (35:22), what he thinks about AI in the creative space (40:09), why he thinks sports teams are stuck in their same-old ways when it comes to digital media (45:07), two pieces of advice for people who want to go out on their own (47:35), and how he arranged and secured a podcast with industry leader Gary Vee (50:18).
You can connect with Brayden on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bfiggy/ and on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/bfiggy/.
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
Another week, another damning article about working in sports, this time by AthleticDirectorU.com titled D1 Administrative Burnout, Exhaustion & Disengagement, Part 2: Qualitative Analysis, where many athletic department staffers, at all levels, express their dismay about working in the business. Many of the complaints are the same ones you have heard on our show.
So, we decided to bring in an industry expert, Matt Brown, the author of the ExtraPoints newsletter and a longtime reporter on off-the-field and business happenings in college sports, to talk to us about what he’s hearing about the crisis from his sources and if changes are in the works to stem the tide of the brain drain and exhaustion felt by the entire industry (2:41).
Barca and I then rattle off some free advice for athletic directors everywhere, with many of the ideas costing very little or nothing at all (39:22). We know that being an athletic director is hard, so we’re here to help. Take notes AD’s and our DM’s are open if you need us to come in and keep your people from leaving.
This week’s episode is sponsored by Total ReKool and We’ve Got Colors (36:55). Check is in the mail, right?
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod
A prank that lived for over 10 years? Is that possible?
It is indeed possible, and we have the mastermind behind a prank that had Boggs fooled for over a decade. Former colleague Ryan Schulz joins us this week to relive the moment and recounts how he pulled off the joke of the century (2:03), one that would probably still be going on if everyone still worked in the same office.
We’ll also take a look back and some other infamous pranks and stories from around the office (42:09), and Schulz lets us in on an improbable story from a trip to the NCAA Tournament (52:31)
This week’s episode is sponsored by Gone, But Not Forgotten, Funeral Home and Drinks of Delusion (39.58). We’re still waiting for payment - maybe they put our direct deposit account number wrong?
This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.
Find us on all of the socials at NLCPod.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NLCPod
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nlcpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nlcpod