On October 12 and 14, 2005, SDSU Sports Business Management MBA students had the opportunity to host two guest lectures with Katie Pothier, Vice President and General Counsel for the San Diego Padres. As a part of the MBA program’s ongoing partnership with the team, Ms. Pothier is one of many Padres front office executives who have held interactive discussions with the students. Ms. Pothier joined the Padres in 2002 after working as an attorney for ten years, most recently for the San Diego law firm of Coughlan, Semmer & Lipman where her practice included litigating a diverse field of complex business cases.
As a guest lecturer in the Sports Law segment of the program’s curriculum, Ms. Pothier touched upon a number of legal issues that impact the Padres relationship with fans, players, sponsors, Major League Baseball leaders, and the San Diego city government.
Ms. Pothier led the class in a lively discussion about sponsorship, using her experience with the opening of PETCO Park in 2004 to frame the discussion.
She challenged the students to solve a hypothetical scenario of selling sponsorship for a new ballpark and explained how ballpark naming rights, prior sponsorship contracts, and league sponsors affect the decisions made by the club.
Additionally, Ms. Pothier explained contract arbitration from the perspective of the team, player and arbitrator. She outlined the Padres’ strategy for dealing with an arbitration-eligible player, including the process of player valuation and determining a salary amount to submit for arbitration.
San Diego State University wishes to thank Ms. Pothier for her commitment to the success of the Sports Business Management MBA program. Ms. Pothier’s support has been an invaluable addition to the academic experience in the program’s inaugural year, and the students in the program wish to sincerely thank both Ms. Pothier and the San Diego Padres organization for their continued support.
