Event Overview

United Sports & Entertainment
Houston vs. Auburn | BJCC Legacy Arena Birmingham, AL

Battleground 2K25 was a sold-out, high-impact collegiate basketball showcase hosted at the BJCC Legacy Arena, featuring a marquee matchup between the University of Houston and Auburn University. With attendance exceeding 5,000 fans, the event transformed the arena into a premium, nationally relevant sports experience that energized the host city and elevated both programs on a neutral stage.

Designed as more than just a game, the event integrated sponsor activations, VIP hospitality, media engagement, and community-driven programming to create a fully immersive game-day environment. From strategic partnership alignment to in-venue fan engagement and operational execution, every touchpoint was built to deliver brand visibility, revenue generation, and elevated fan experience.

Battleground 2K25 successfully aligned universities, corporate partners, media stakeholders, and city leadership—demonstrating the power of intentional event strategy to drive attendance, amplify exposure, and create measurable economic and brand impact at scale.

Role & Scope

As Director of Strategy & Business Development, I co-led a cross-functional events team in the planning and execution of the Battleground 2K25 Fan Fest and official press conference at the BJCC Legacy Arena.

Working alongside operations, marketing, partnerships, production, and city stakeholders, our team delivered a fully integrated experience—from logistics planning, merchandising strategy, staffing, permitting, and budgeting to vendor coordination, radio promotions, online ticketing management, and influencer engagement. My role focused on aligning moving parts, empowering team leads, and ensuring each functional area operated cohesively toward a shared outcome.

Together, we built a collaborative execution framework that prioritized communication, accountability, and precision. The result was a sold-out event welcoming 5,000+ fans, strong media coverage, seamless operations, and a unified game-day experience that reflected the strength of the collective team effort.

Scope of Responsibility

• Co-led cross-functional event team across strategy, operations, marketing, partnerships, and production

• Oversaw logistics, budgeting, staffing, merchandising, and vendor management

• Managed city permitting, media coordination, radio promotions, and influencer strategy

• Directed online ticketing operations and on-site execution

• Aligned university partners, sponsors, media, and city stakeholders toward shared objectives