SCOTT O'NEIL President, Madison Square Garden Sports

Scott O’Neil was named president, Madison Square Garden Sports on July 29, 2008.  In this role, Scott oversees all aspects of business operations for the three sports teams, the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty, as well as the Sports Properties area, which includes college and high school basketball, boxing, track and field and all other sports events.  He also oversees sponsorship sales for the teams, Arena and all arena events and is focused on expanding the Garden’s portfolio of events, franchises and properties.  Scott has also been named as a Board Member for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the non-profit charity that works with all areas of Madison Square Garden to “make dreams come true for kids in crisis.”

In making the announcement, Hank Ratner, vice chairman, Madison Square Garden said, “We are in a period of unprecedented growth - unlike any in our illustrious history - and it is imperative that Madison Square Garden has the strongest and deepest management team in place to drive our strategic plans.”  He went on to add, “We are pleased that Scott has joined our leadership group and are confident he will be a tremendous asset to MSG.  He has outstanding expertise in sports business, a proven track record of effective management across a variety of disciplines, including sponsorship and ticket sales, as well as the ability to achieve aggressive growth objectives – all of which will be crucial to our continued success.”

Scott comes to Madison Square Garden from the National Basketball Association, where, as senior vice president, he oversaw the league’s team marketing and business operations, advising NBA and WNBA teams on ticket sales and service, sponsorship development, and marketing.  He also oversaw the NBA’s Canadian business and the NBA Development League. Prior to joining the NBA, Mr. O’Neil oversaw the launch of HoopsTV, and honed his sales and marketing expertise with the Philadelphia Eagles and New Jersey Nets.

Mr. O'Neil was named to Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 Hall of Fame, and was named one of the nation's top marketing executives under 40 by Advertising Age (2006).  He holds a degree in Marketing from Villanova University and M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. Mr. O'Neil resides in New Jersey with his wife, Lisa and three daughters, Alexa, Kira and Eliza.

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