A growing pipeline of major, large-scale, and youth sports events has led the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) to move forward with hiring a chief sports officer, setting compensation up to $347,400 to manage programming tied to visitation and venue coordination.
LVCVA President and CEO Steve Hill outlined the agency’s plan following a board meeting last week, where directors unanimously approved the salary range for the incoming executive. Hill said the LVCVA expects to make an appointment once interviews conclude.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the role will oversee three categories of sports activity. The first includes high-profile events that draw international and national attention, including the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball Final Four and next year’s College Football Championship game. A second category involves major sporting events that fall below the scale of F1 or the Super Bowl. The third covers youth and amateur tournaments in basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball and soccer.
“Each one of those we want to maximize,” Hill said. “There’s an awful lot of opportunity left in sports to do that. And, there are a lot of properties in Las Vegas that are counting on us to help bring those events, so we’re excited about that opportunity, and that’s why we are building this team in order to do that. We think it is really important.”
Hill added that youth and amateur events contribute to visitor traffic because the city’s hotel capacity allows multiple teams and families to stay during tournaments.
The board approved a minimum salary of $248,600, a mid-range of $298,000, and a maximum of $347,400 for the position. The chief sports officer will also be eligible for a bonus of up to 25% of their annual salary.
The salary level places the role below the CEO and president, the chief marketing officer and the chief sales officer, and above the general counsel, the chief financial officer, the chief strategy officer, and the chief operating officer.
Hill said discussions about the position began during the summer, when former Chief Operating Officer Brian Yost handled both his regular responsibilities and duties tied to sports events. After Yost retired, the LVCVA opted to separate the functions to provide additional focus on the sports component.
The new executive will coordinate with venues hosting these events. Hill pointed to Allegiant Stadium, which seats more than 60,000 for football and soccer, and the nearly complete $600 million Las Vegas Convention Center upgrade, which will support large basketball and volleyball tournament formats.
Hill noted that within two years, the city is expected to add another major facility: the planned domed baseball stadium at Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue, with capacity for more than 30,000 people, serving as the future home of the Athletics.
Meanwhile, LVCVA named Jennifer Hawkins vice president of sports business development. She begins the role on January 5.
Hawkins most recently worked at Fastbreak AI, where she oversaw national growth strategy for the company’s event activation and data platform, Fastbreak Pulse. She previously spent 12 years as the executive director of SportsPittsburgh, the sports tourism division of VisitPittsburgh.
She will report to the new chief sports officer and, during the interim, directly to Hill.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/12/15/116737-lvcva-moves-to-hire-chief-sports-officer-to-manage-growing-events-calendar
