The summit really showcased the interest and potential for having a more permanent and prominent franchise in Europe. It also allowed for experts in the industry, such as Ridpath, to gain new insights on sports from a global perspective and network with other leaders in the industry. The night before the game, Ridpath attended an NFL Europe reunion that former President of NFL Europe Oliver Luck hosted, with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his mom, OHIO alum Donna Kelce, along with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell all in attendance.
“It was incredible to not only watch an entertaining game, but see how it’s done in another country,” Ridpath said. “The games were played in a soccer stadium that was flipped and turned into an American football stadium, so I’m there focusing on everything else but the game at points. Looking at how the seating is set up, how they were able to transform this stadium, parking, concessions, how the screens in the stadium are working – they did a fantastic job in every aspect.”
Because of the response from the summit, Stroebel believes they have helped create an American Football network in Germany, connecting various stakeholders from local American football teams with politicians, interested community members, experts and administrators, as well as students from their own university who can greatly benefit from these types of connections.
“The summit came at a perfect time and is a good expression of where we are currently at in the context of interest in American football – we’re at a summit,” Stroebel explained. “More and more people are becoming interested and it’s only growing. This is not just a trending topic in the media, it has longevity to it and we at the University, along with our counterparts at OHIO, have the ability to research and analyze more about its impact.”