This event is presented by the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business Sports Business Initiative.

Guest Speaker: Jordan Kobritz, former owner, Maine Guides (AAA), Daytona Cubs, (Class A) the Daytona Cubs; Investor, Caribbean Baseball Initiative

About this Event
Minor League Baseball has become big business, with team valuations increasing dramatically over the last two decades. It has also been marked by consolidation and increasing labor-management issues as players recently unionized and a new collective bargaining agreement, the first in minor league history, has been concluded. Kobritz has first-hand knowledge of the structure and organization of minor league baseball, and his practical and academic expertise will give a unique perspective to an important facet of baseball.

Kobritz will discuss:
– MLB’s takeover of MiLB and contraction of 42 minor league teams
– The legal action by several of the contracted teams and their likelihood of success
– The future of baseball’s antitrust exemption
– How he became interested in owning minor league teams and how he became owner of his first team
– The process of acquiring a Minor League Baseball team
– The typical ownership structure of a Minor League Baseball team
– The typical financial structure of a MiLB team
– Stadium financing
– The most important factors in the success of a MiLB team
– Economic impact of the sport, franchise values, operating budgets
– The most challenging aspects of owning a MiLB team
– The future of Minor League Baseball

This event is open to all members of the Fordham Community and to the public.