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Brown's George Pyne '89 To Be Honored By Ivy Football Association
1/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Providence, R.I. - George Pyne, Brown Class of 1989, who recently launched Bruin Sports Capital, will be honored at the Ivy Football Association Dinner on Thursday, January 22, 2015, at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel in New York City. ESPN's Chris Berman, Brown Class of 1977, and Jack Ford (Yale '72) will be the Masters of Ceremonies at the dinner that will also honor Archie Roberts, M.D (Columbia '65), Gen. John M. Paxton (Cornell '73), Kenneth DeHaven, M.D. (Dartmouth '61), Matt Birk (Harvard '98), Terry W. Hensle, M.D. (Penn '64), William C. Powers (Princeton '79) and Sandy Cutler (Yale '73).
In 2013, Pyne was selected as one of the NCAA 2014 Silver Anniversary Award winners, recognizing distinguished individuals on the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of their college athletics careers, and was also the first inductee into the newly formed National Football Foundation's Leadership Hall of Fame.
Pyne, a two-year starter at offensive tackle and senior team captain for Brown University's football team, was named to the All-Ivy League team in 1987 and the All-New England Team in 1988.
The former President of IMG Worldwide's global sports and entertainment business, Pyne launched Bruin Sports Capital at the conclusion of a $250 million equity round, providing $500 million in buying power. This initial round of fundraising was conducted over a six month period of time. The new venture, a privately held media, sports, marketing and branded lifestyle company, will leverage Pyne's 25-year track record of building businesses and creating shareholder value. The company will acquire, build and operate businesses on a global basis.
Under Pyne's leadership, IMG entered the collegiate business in May of 2007 with the acquisition of the Collegiate Licensing Company and subsequent purchases of Host Communication (fall of 2007) and ISP (fall of 2010). Pyne was a member of IMG's Board of Directors, where he helped to shape the company's strategic initiatives. He is also on the Boards of 24 Hour Fitness, the National Football Foundation and the Brown Football Association.
Prior to IMG, Pyne was Chief Operating Officer of NASCAR and the second non-family member in 50 years to join its Board of Directors. During his 11-year tenure, NASCAR emerged as a dominant force in North American Sports. At the forefront of their explosive growth, Pyne's accomplishments included a $4.5 billion television rights deal in 2005, the $750 million sponsorship of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in 2004, investments by 100 of the Fortune 500 companies, the creation of a $2 billion licensing business and the recognition of the NASCAR brand as one of the most admired brands in North America.
Before NASCAR, Pyne worked at the Portman Companies where he helped develop a strategic plan for the company's $2 billion debt restructuring. He was later appointed Executive Director of AMC Events, a division of the Portman Companies that creates and manages marketing events for major sports properties.
Pyne was named to the Sports Business Journal's "Forty Under Forty" list three times as well as to the Sports Business Journal's "Hall of Fame." He has also has been named one of Advertising Age's 'Top -100 Marketers' and has been regularly listed as one of the most influential people in professional sports by Business Week and The Sporting News.
