Michael Lysko

Since graduating from the Sports Administration program in 1983, Michael Lysko has established himself as a leader in sports marketing. In his current position as director of the Sport Management program at Southern Methodist University (SMU), he has developed the SMU Sport Management brand through experiential learning opportunities and contacts with professional leagues; governing sports bodies and conferences; corporate sponsors; facilities; sports broadcasting companies; events; and various sports marketing agencies. Before moving to Texas, Lysko served as director of Athletics and Recreation Services for Western University. There he directed the overall operation of the largest intercollegiate athletics program in Canada, overseeing 38 men’s and women’s varsity sports. After three years at Western, he joined Intersport Inc. in Chicago, Illinois, as the vice president, Marketing Partnerships where he directed all marketing strategies and partnerships for a variety of events and initiatives. Prior to joining UWO, Lysko served as the youngest commissioner in North American team sports with the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 2000 to 2002. As commissioner, Lysko led all operations of the league, including championing the CFL Rivalries ad campaign which received numerous awards including Marketing Magazine’s Gold Medal and Best of Show, and a Cannes International Advertising Festival nomination. Lysko has also been a supporter of Durham College, teaching in the Sport Management program during the 1990s and occasionally returning as a guest speaker, as well as taking on several Durham College students as interns throughout his career. He has been recognized with several awards including an honourable mention for Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal’s Sports Business Executive of the Year in 2002 and was named one of Marketing Magazine’s Top 10 Marketers that Matter in 2001. He currently lives in Allen, Texas with his wife Kathryn, daughter Kelly, and son Max.