Miami Athletics Selects Legends Global as Venue Manager for Watsco Center
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami has named Legends Global, the premier partner to the world’s greatest live events, venues, and brands, as the new venue manager for the Watsco Center. The management agreement extends the partnership through September 2028, with an option to extend an additional three-year term.
“We are excited to expand our partnership with Legends Global to include managing the Watsco Center,” Vice President/Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich said. “Legends Global is a world-class venue operator, and we are confident their expertise will help make Watsco a destination venue for years to come.”
The University of Miami and Legends Global began their partnership in April 2021, focusing on marketing and rights, which expanded in December 2023 to encompass all facets of revenue generation within Miami’s athletics programs. The transformative partnership, the first of its kind in collegiate athletics, includes overseeing athletics sponsorships, ticketing, annual fund initiatives, and an off-campus Miami Hurricanes retail store. In addition to the expanded scope within athletics, Legends Global helps the University to enhance campuswide partnerships that include both athletic and non-athletic assets. Since the expansion of the partnership, Legends Global has achieved all-time revenue records across athletics sponsorship, ticket sales, and annual giving.
“Over the last five years, our partnership with University of Miami athletics has seen a tremendous amount of success, and we’re excited to now extend that collaboration to include management of the Watsco Center,” said Tim Statezni, executive vice president, sales, Legends Global. “The arena is a cornerstone for both the Canes’ and broader community, and we’re proud to help carry its legacy forward.”
Jesse Marks, who was recently named chief revenue officer for Legends Global at University of Miami Athletics, will oversee the new agreement. A seasoned sports business executive with experience across both collegiate and professional sports, Marks previously served as Chief Revenue Officer at Northwestern University, where he led the program’s revenue strategy including ticket sales, merchandise, licensing, and partnerships and played a key role in the development of the new Ryan Field project. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Miami and spent nine years with the Hurricane Club, serving as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development. Marks also held the role of Executive Director for the Miami Dolphins Foundation prior to his tenure at Northwestern.
Additionally, Legends Global has selected Adam Sinclair as the Watsco Center’s new general manager. Formerly the director of facilities for the venue from 2004 – 2007, Sinclair returns to the Watsco Center with more than 23 years of experience in venue management. Throughout his career, he gained significant expertise in roles at prominent venues like NRG Park, American Airlines Center, Capital One Arena and The National Tennis Center and US Open. Sinclair will oversee day-to-day operations at the 8,000+ capacity Watsco Center, including the overall management, promotion and operation of the facility.
The Watsco Center is a 200,000-square foot, multipurpose entertainment facility, located in the heart of beautiful Coral Gables, Florida on the University of Miami campus. Opening its doors in January 2003 as the first mid-size venue that had opened south of downtown in Miami-Dade County, the Watsco Center currently remains the largest facility of its kind south of downtown Miami. The Watsco Center offers an ideal capacity for concerts, conferences, lectures series and banquets, and also houses locker rooms, training room facilities, convention space and banquet facilities.
Since its opening, the Watsco Center has hosted a number of memorable events and sold-out shows, including Green Day, Coldplay, John Mayer, Drake, The Fray, and Barry Manilow, as well as, being the setting for televised events and award shows such as the 2004 Presidential Debates, Unplugged featuring Ricky Martin and Thalia, Premio Lo Nuestro, Premios Juventud, Billboard’s Latin Music Awards, and most recently The X Factor. The venue has also welcomed world-renowned figures and politicians, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, former President Bill Clinton, former President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Senator John McCain.
The Watsco Center also plays host to the Miami Hurricanes men’s and women’s basketball teams and is flexible enough to accommodate other sporting events such as cheerleading, volleyball, and karate among others.
For upcoming events at the Watsco Center, please visit https://watscocenter.com/.
Photo by Sofiia Briantseva
About University of Miami Athletics
The University of Miami’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), supports more than 400 student-athletes across 18 sports. Miami has won 21 team national championships and 87 individual national championships in its storied history. UM Athletics is dedicated to developing and supporting its student-athletes in their efforts to achieve personal, academic and athletic excellence, resulting in the highest standards of achievement. For more information visit www.miamihurricanes.com.
About Legends Global
Legends Global is the premier partner to the world’s greatest live events, venues, and brands. We deliver a fully integrated solution of premium services, including feasibility & consulting, owner’s rep, sales, partnerships, venue management, hospitality, merchandise, and content & booking. Through our white-label approach, we keep our partners front and center while leveraging the power of our global network: over 450 venues, 20,000 events, and 165 million guests annually. To learn more, visit us at www.LegendsGlobal.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
