PLANO, TX (November 26, 2024) — Learfield, the leading media and technology company powering college athletics, announced today that it named sports industry veteran George Scott as President of SIDEARM Sports, the leading website, mobile, app and digital experience provider for college athletics. As President, Scott will oversee business strategy, operational management, and client satisfaction, ensuring that SIDEARM Sports remains at the forefront of technology and continues to meet the evolving needs of its clients.
“SIDEARM is the digital front door to college sports and drives billions of engagements with fans through the school’s athletics websites and mobile apps each year. As the college industry rapidly changes, SIDEARM continues to evolve to meet the needs of an increasingly complex ecosystem to ensure our clients engage their fans in captivating ways. George is the perfect person to help guide SIDEARM through the next chapter,” said Cole Gahagan, President and Chief Executive Officer at Learfield.
Scott is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience working with some of the largest organizations in digital sports and entertainment. Scott was the Chief Strategy Officer of YinzCam, a leading mobile application and digital product provider for over 200 sports and entertainment organizations. Before YinzCam, Scott was Vice President of the Club Media Group at the National Football League (NFL) for twelve years, where he was responsible for building and managing NFL-owned digital, mobile and social properties for all 32 clubs.
Scott and his team also provided prescriptive strategy and consulting to each team, tailored to meet their fan and business initiatives. Before the NFL, Scott served as Chief Operating Officer at CBS Interactive, overseeing operations for over 200 collegiate digital sports properties.
“I am honored to lead this amazing company with a rich history of providing powerful digital solutions to an incredible customer base,” said George Scott. “My mission is to advance our mobile, app, and web technologies while providing strategic data-driven guidance to help our schools meet the needs of their unique fanbase.”
Under Scott’s leadership, SIDEARM Sports will continue to provide innovative solutions to its client community of over 1,600 college athletics organizations. SIDEARM Sports customers deliver immersive fan interactions through video, social, ticketing, and gameday experiences.
Scott will report directly to Ben Mathan, Chief Strategy Officer at Learfield. “George has an incredible track record of building digital products and strategies that set a standard of excellence for sports organizations,” said Mathan. “His experience in delivering consultative services and solutions to the ever-growing needs of the sports industry is perfectly aligned with the needs of our community.”
Scott holds a B.A. in Accounting and a Master of Business in Finance from the University of San Diego.
About Learfield
Learfield is the media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.
About SIDEARM Sports
Operating in the Learfield portfolio of companies since June 2014, SIDEARM Sports is the nation’s leading digital provider for college athletics.
SIDEARM is based in Syracuse, N.Y., and is trusted by some of the biggest brands in the industry, including most NCAA programs and Power Five athletic departments. As a leader in digital fan engagement, SIDEARM Sports provides the best-in-class software and technology that powers websites, mobile applications, OTT media services, live stats, video streaming and more for its partners. Clients continue to trust SIDEARM for its support, reliability, customization and easy-to-use interface that allows schools to tailor their content and digital presence directly for their fans.
To see more about SIDEARM, please visit www.sidearmsports.com.