Sports Industry Veteran Driven by Ambitious Nature
By Matt Bixenstine (‘07)

Bruce Burge ('83) is not one to shy away from challenges and his well-known sense of ambition is evident both in and outside his professional life. When the longtime sports marketer is not busy serving as president of Elite Sports Marketing, the company he founded in 2008, he has undertaken the pursuit of earning a pilot’s license.  

But regardless of whether Burge, a 1983 graduate of the Ohio University Sports Administration Program, ever commands a cockpit, his career within the sports industry has long since taken off. A 27-year veteran of the industry, Burge has honed his sports marketing skills while working in the NBA, the NFL, intercollegiate athletics, minor league hockey and arena football, among other ventures.

Following a notable five-year tenure as vice president of business development for Palace Sports & Entertainment – a stint which included the Detroit Pistons’ 2004 NBA championship – Burge left Detroit in 2007 with the blessing of his boss, Pistons executive vice president Dan Hauser (’78), and headed south to greater Atlanta. There Burge founded Elite, a sports marketing firm specializing in managing retail vendor programs for professional sports franchises.

“It was a time in my life where I thought could take on a new challenge, and when I left Detroit, I was fortunate enough to already have a handful of clients before we opened shop,” said Burge of his aspiration to establish Elite Sports Marketing. “This was sort of a new challenge for me, but whether it’s been in minor league hockey or with the Pistons, I’ve always ran each business like it was my own and taken ownership of it. I’ve always taken ownership of everything I’ve done, but this time I just happen to be my own boss.”

Burge is quick to credit his experience in the Ohio Sports Administration program for aiding the development of his leadership qualities. And like so many Bobcat alumni, he has the program’s renowned network to thank for his involvement. While pursuing a broadcast career as an undergraduate student at Youngstown State, Burge worked with longtime Penguins employee Greg Gulas (’79), who introduced him to the world of sports administration at Ohio University.

Dr. Charles Higgins accepted him into the Ohio program in 1982, and Burge spent the next year bonding with his classmates and preparing for a sports marketing career. He volunteered with the Ohio Athletics Department and helped coordinate the annual ‘Friday Night at the Fights’ event.

“It was a tremendous experience, but it went by so fast,” said Burge of his time in Athens. “The days started early in the morning and went until late at night. Then you would go out somewhere to blow off steam and talk sports until midnight, and get right back up and do it again the next day. It’s a time I’ll never forget, and I really do owe it all to Greg Gulas.”

After commencing his career as an intern with the Cleveland Browns, his boyhood favorite team, Burge returned to Youngstown State to serve as assistant athletics director, crossing paths with the likes of Jim Tressel, Mark Dantonio, Mark Mangino and Bo Pelini (’93). But his most satisfying sports industry experiences were yet to come. 

Burge later served as vice president of marketing for the IHL’s Atlanta Knights and as CEO & Partner for the AFL’s Jacksonville Tomcats. The Knights enjoyed near-unprecedented popularity during Burge’s tenure, becoming one of the first minor league franchises to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and serving as an impetus for the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers. The Tomcats sold out every game for each of their first three seasons in Jacksonville.

“The Atlanta Knights and the Jacksonville Tomcats were my two jewels,” Burge said. “The Tomcats were the first team I’ve worked with where everything was my own, from the logo and colors to the advertising campaign. And with the Knights, we were able to take a minor league franchise in Atlanta and make it one of the hottest sports franchises in the city. The Knights have been gone since 1996 and to this day Thrashers fans still pay homage to them during the National Anthem (everyone yells 'KNIGHTS' during the phrase, 'Gave proof through the night'). I think we really touched the city.”  

Despite the success of his career initiatives, including the recently-established Elite Sports Marketing, Burge’s ambitious nature continues to thrive. The Southington, Ohio, native enjoys his current position yet contends his dream job remains unfulfilled, and his hunger for ambition still ever-present.

“When I was at Youngstown State, Jim Tressel and I would jog together every once in a while and talk about career goals. Jim’s goal was to be coach of Ohio State and my goal was to be president of the Cleveland Browns,” Burge said. “Everyone who knows me knows I’m a Browns fanatic. That’s my greatest passion, and it’s something I haven’t given up on.”

Matt Bixenstine is a 2007 graduate of the Ohio University Sports Administration Program who enjoys all things Bobcat. A native of Akron, Ohio, he currently serves as assistant editor for PR Newswire Association in Cleveland.

Bobcat Bio: The Bruce Burge File
Hometown: Southington, Ohio
Current Town: Kennesaw, Georgia
Education: B.A., Youngstown State University, 1982;  M.A., Ohio University, 1983
Career Summary: Founder & President, Elite Sports Marketing (2008-Present); VP of Business Development, Palace Sports & Entertainment (2003-07); Director of Marketing, NBDL (2002); CEO & Partner, Jacksonville Tomcats/Birmingham Steeldogs (2002); Partner, API (1999-2001); Senior VP, Atlanta Professional Hockey Inc. (1996-99); VP of Marketing, Atlanta Knights (1991-95); VP, World Basketball League (1990-91); Assistant Athletics Director, Youngstown State (1984-90); Intern, Cleveland Browns (1983-84)
Pro Championships: Atlanta Knights (IHL) – 1994; Detroit Pistons (NBA) – 2004
Favorite Team: Cleveland Browns
Hobbies: Sports, Fitness, Reading, Aviation, Law
Favorite OHIO Alumni: David Glazier (’83); Tim O’Connor (’83); Jim Kahler (’81); Greg Gulas ('79)
Quotable: “My advice to students is to get involved, get a good internship and then make yourself visible. Go above and beyond and be creative to show your initiative and drive. Make it hard for your employer to let you go.”