Blue Chip Academy - Presented by L.I.G. Sports Group

In this episode of Blue Chip Academy, host Justin King discusses the seismic shift in college sports with the advent of large NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals, exemplified by a $5.1 million deal for a Texas Tech offensive tackle. King emphasizes that athletes are now viewed as employees expected to deliver value on and off the field.  He explores the importance of strategy, network, and business...

In this episode of the Blue Chip Academy Podcast, hosts Ryan Mundy and Justin King discuss the critical aspects of recruiting commitments in college football. They emphasize that the real evaluation begins after an athlete commits, as scholarships are not guaranteed until signing day. The episode delves into the nuances of the recruiting process, how athletes can maintain their spot by continually...

The Evolution of College Athletics: Exploring the $2.8 Billion NCAA Settlement In this episode of Blue Chip Academy, hosts Ryan Mundy and Justin King, both former NFL athletes, break down the implications of the recent $2.8 billion class action settlement in the House vs. NCAA case. This landmark ruling allows schools to directly share revenue with athletes, signaling the end of the traditional am...

In this insightful episode of the Blue Chip Academy Podcast , former NFL players and sports industry leaders Ryan Mundy and Justin King dive deep into the broken model of athlete representation and the increasingly early commodification of young athletes in the NIL era. From middle school NIL deals and high school athlete branding to the flawed incentive structures of sports agents , this episode...

Episode Summary: In this powerful and honest episode of the Blue Chip Academy podcast, former NFL athletes and sports business experts Justin King and Ryan Mundy pull back the curtain on the most overlooked force in athlete development: parents. From NIL to college recruiting to youth sports, they explore how a parent's involvement can either position their child for greatness or unknowingly...

In this conversation, the host  Justin King  and  Ryan Mundy  discuss the evolving landscape of college sports, particularly focusing on the implications of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) for athletes. They reflect on their personal experiences, the opportunities and challenges presented by NIL, and the importance of financial literacy for young athletes. The discussion also delves into the press...

Character Counts: Building Value On and Off the Field Overview: In this episode of the Blue Chip Academy Podcast, hosts Justin King and Ryan Mundy deliver a raw, real conversation around one of the most misunderstood and high-stakes factors in sports: character. They explore how elite athletes are evaluated for their performance and identity, mindset, and behavior off the field. From Shaduer Sande...

“Draft Day Ain’t the Dream—It’s the Deal.” In this episode of Blue Chip Academy, hosts J. King and Ryan Mundy discuss the intricacies of the NFL draft experience, sharing personal stories and insights on the emotional journey of being drafted. They explore the expectations versus reality of the draft process, the importance of family support, and the transition from college to professional footbal...

Welcome back to the Blue Chip Academy podcast! We are talking to Victor Patterson, Human Resources Executive, and Talent and Leadership Consultant. He is revealing some amazing and extremely valuable insights on skills, competencies, and experiences needed to be successful in corporate America. It’s a very competitive environment that requires a lot of hard work and improvement. [00:00] Characteri...

Welcome back to the Blue Chip Academy podcast! Our guest today is Victor Patterson, Vice President, Human Resources Executive, and Talent and Leadership Consultant. Transitioning from sports to corporate America is tough and challenging. It can be very hard for an athlete to adapt to a change in culture and mindset. Hear how Victor Patterson overcame these obstacles and successfully found his plac...

In this episode of the Blue Chip Academy Podcast, we are still with our guest Andy Frank, a General Manager of Personnel and Recruitment at Penn State University. We are talking about the importance of young players having guidance from someone experienced, agents that do not necessarily have the best interest of a player in mind, checking the boxes in the evaluation process, different recruiting...

Welcome to another episode of the Blue Chip Academy Podcast. Our guest today is Andy Frank, PSU General Manager of Personnel and Recruitment. He left his engineering career to join the Vanderbilt staff and oversaw the two highest-ranked recruiting classes in Vanderbilt history. As a General Manager at Penn State University, he successfully oversees all aspects of the program’s recruiting departmen...

Welcome to part 2 of another great episode of Blue Chip Academy Show with our fantastic guest Nayli Russo-Long, MLB Pittsburgh Pirates VP of Strategy. We are talking about her responsibilities as a VP of Strategy, the importance of confidence and competence for building a successful career and creating connections with people based on merit and value. As a successful life and business strategist,...

Welcome to another episode of the Blue Chip Academy show! Today our guest is Nayli Russo-Long, MLB Pittsburgh Pirates VP of Strategy. Nayli came to the US from Venezuela and built herself a successful career in sports. We are talking about her journey, the obstacles she had to overcome, and her main strategies for success. As a talented and thriving life and business strategist, she emphasizes the...

Welcome to the Blue Chip Academy podcast and the second part of our conversation with Andrew Goodman, a Director of Football Operations at the University of Tennessee. Andrew is talking about coming to Princeton, a bit of a culture shock he experienced there, and the great mentorship programs available to Princeton students. We are also talking about the harsh reality of making your way into the s...

Here we are in another episode of the Blue Chip Academy podcast with Andrew Goodman, a Director of Football Operations at the University of Tennessee. We are talking about his beginnings, what his recruiting process looked like, the hardships of being a walk-on player, and the right mentality to overcome them. Andrew is sharing his experience with Penn State University and providing some good advi...

Here we are again with Jamie Smith, a former college basketball player and a coach, a founder of Katalyst and BrandME, a branding firm for athletes and entertainers. We are excited to hear how she realized she had talent not only for sports but also for branding, marketing, and management in entertainment business and made a successful career out of it. She has a very unique and fascinating approa...

Our special guest today is Jamie Smith, a former college basketball player and a coach, a founder of Katalyst and BrandME, a branding firm for athletes and entertainers. We are talking about her specific athletic journey, her very unique, bold and competitive personality and excellent perception that led her to being a very successful coach and entrepreneur. Her main goal as a coach is to be authe...

We are here again with Jeremy Kelley, Buffalo Bill’s Director of Alumni Relations and former NFL player. We are talking about his unusual and long journey to the NFL, which taught him a lot about being a confident player and a true professional. Jeremy provides some good advice on how to use the resources and support one can get as a successful player. This then helped him develop as a person, cre...

We are happy to talk to Jeremy Kelly, Buffalo Bill’s Director of Alumni Relations, a great player and an amazing person. He is sharing with us his experience on the way to success, from his first football trainings in Buffalo, through high school days to coming to University of Maine. He is talking openly about his journey, football culture in Buffalo, changes of his mindset throughout the years,...

Here we are again with Jonathan Wade, NFL Vet and Coach of National Championship FBU Team, this time talking about his career and his coaching techniques. He has unique experience of coaching middle schoolers and has committed to prepare them for the future by giving them true fundamental skills and all the information they need to start building successful careers. He wants them to be ready to se...

Today we are talking to Jonathan Wade, NFL Vet and Coach of National Championship FBU Team, about his high school days and his records, still unbroken today, his dreams and hopes, and a college camp in Tennessee that changed everything. We’ll hear about his experience with a recruiting process, the importance of showing how good you are in front of a coach, getting to the University of Tennessee a...

Today I am really glad to talk to Den Bravato, the president of SeventySix Capital Sports Advisory and co-founder of Pitch 15 Sports Group, an e-sports agency focused on connecting e-sports community with the rest of the sports world. We are talking about his journey into the venture capital and sports advisory, the venture capital in college sports and betting space, and the importance of authent...

Hello! Today we’re going to talk about the transfer portal in college sports. The transfer portal is a really great idea and it was created to benefit students by giving them more opportunities and more control over their careers. But there are some tricky things about the transfer portal no one really talks about. We’ll look into the reasons players decide to transfer, risks that are involved whe...

Essential advice from former 1st round pick Jared Odrick. Going through this journey, giving yourself the best chance to reach the pinnacle is important. Through that metamorphosis your relationship with the game that opened all the doors for you starts to shift based on outside factors. With that happening younger and younger, it is essential to protect your heart! Connect with Justin and the Blu...