Game Day Sports Case Competition

Photo: [L-R] Bret Thacher (HLS ’14), Ali Habib (HBS ’15), Matt Quinn (HBS ’15), Alex Rosen (HLS ’14), Christopher Adams (HLS ’14).

A team comprised of three Harvard Law School and two Harvard Business School students won first place at the inaugural Game Day Sports Case Competition, sponsored by UCLA Anderson School of Management. The competition, aimed at M.B.A. and J.D. students, focused on real-world sports business problems that require a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving.

The Harvard team, comprised of Chris Adams ’14, Alex Rosen ’14 and Bret Thacher ’14, and Harvard Business School Students Ali Habib ’15 and Matt Quinn ’15, received $5,000 for their first place showing.

This year’s competition, which took place on Feb. 8, focused on client consulting and negotiation related to the potential move of an NFL franchise to Los Angeles. Eighteen teams comprised of approximately 90 students flew in from around the country to participate in the event, which was judged by leading academics and sports industry professionals.

Event judges included Andrew Brandt, NFL business analyst for ESPN; Eric Johnson, executive vice president of multimedia sales for ESPN; Gillian Zucker, Auto Club Speedway president; Peter Guber, chairman of Mandalay Entertainment; and Irwin Raij, partner with Foley & Lardner LLP and co-chair of the firm’s Sports Industry Team.