April 7, 2026 • 31 mins
Union Omaha Chief Operating Officer Alexis Boulos explains the big changes for Omaha's professional soccer club as they prepare to build their own downtown stadium. She also talks about her personal journey to this position as well as the future of promotion/relegation in American soccer and how that could affect our team.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
The Emory Soccer podcast is on the air. We thank
you for listening as always to this feed. A very
special guest today. As you know, I love sports, I
love local sports, I love supporting local sports. And one
of the first teams I really got into when I
first moved to Omaha was I went to Werner Park
and watched Union Omaha and fell immediately in love with
(00:33):
this professional soccer team that they had here in Omaha.
And over the last few years that love has continued
to grow for me, and now I get a chance
to hear on my podcast to speak with the chief
operating officer of Union Omaha. Alexis Bulos, is in the
studio with us today. Alexis, thank you so much for
coming in.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Of course, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
I'm Arie, great to be here. I think this.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I need to start this with my first question of
Omaha Soccer Omaha. You like, how do you get involved
to a team like this, especially one that was so young,
and what was your history of getting into this organization
here in Omaha.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
So it's it's kind of interesting. I don't have a
soccer background, so it's a little unique in the soccer atmosphere,
specifically in leadership to not really have come from the
soccer world at all. So my my history kind of
goes back. I spent a lot of time in golf
and with the PGA Tour and the Pinnacle Bank Championship
(01:37):
here in Omaha and growing and building that event when
that started, and so that's kind of where Union Omaha
found me. I'm originally from Omaha, went away to college,
went away and worked outside of town, got married, had
some kids, and decided that Omaha was where I wanted
to raise my family, which you hear a lot of that,
(01:57):
a lot of that, a lot of that. So for me,
it was very important to stay in sports and get
back into the community. And so several years after moving here,
the Pinnacle Bank Championship came along and helped start that program.
And then along the way, my kids grew up and
started to love soccer, and so I became the sideline parent.
(02:18):
I became the one learning about the sport from and
through my kids. And so in twenty twenty, my son
had a very challenging accident with his leg and we
reached out to the team and they were all just
starting and hadn't started playing yet, and they sent us
some great messages of recovery to my son, and that
(02:40):
was a super touching moment for us in the community.
So then you know, they started playing and in twenty
twenty one we happened to be on the sidelines when
we won the first championship. All meanwhile, I'm just a
mom who is learning to love soccer through her kids.
You know, Omaha's a small community. And Marty Corderon and
I connected on a number of occasions, on an number
(03:00):
of things throughout the years, and so eventually he called
and said, hey, you know, we're looking to find a
new person. Would you be interested? And I said, well,
you know, let's talk. And eventually, after some time we
decided that it was a pretty good fit and I
decided to take It. Was a big change and it
was a big challenge and new steps along the way,
(03:21):
But that's kind of how I ended up at Union Omaha.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
That's pretty crazy because, like you mentioned, soccer is one
of those sports you get a lot of European imports
in South American imports in leadership, not just on the field,
but in leadership as well, because it's just a way
of life, you know, the way that we see like
basketball or football or even baseball. They see soccer, and
(03:44):
then they see soccer a game, and then they see
soccer a third time. You know, you watch some of
these communities that have, you know, like a sixth tier
team in their town of like fifteen thousand, which sounds
absurd to us, but everybody goes those matches and cares.
So in the United States, I don't, we don't have
anything like that culturally. So it's interesting that you got
(04:06):
involved so late in a sport that a lot of
people grow up with.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
What was your attraction.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
To the organization, Like, what made the organization feel like
it was the right fit even though this was kind
of a new frontier for you in terms of the
sport you were dealing with.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
You know, it's interesting because when you work in professional
athletics or collegiate athletics for as long as I have,
it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with it. What's
what's happening on the field or on the court or
wherever you are, right it's all about community, creating experiences
(04:41):
for your fans, supporting your player's staff and whoever that
might be, and building an atmosphere for everyone to be successful.
And I think regardless of what sport that is. We
all have the same opportunities to do that in our
communities with whatever it is, soccer, baseball, golf, and so
(05:01):
it has been a great transition for me to learn
more about soccer. But the best part about that is
to have a support staff and to hire people who
are extremely passionate about soccer. Jimi Henderson, who is our
new sporting director, is an amazing asset to us. He
went to BELLV University, played at BELLV University, went to
(05:21):
Atlanta United, had some experience scouting with the MLS and
so for me to build a team around myself that
is knowledgeable and that can help me understand the associations
between both the business and the sporting and I think
the greater connection we can continue to build and broach
(05:42):
between the two sides, the more successful will be. And
at the core of all of that is our community.
And how does the team and how does the front
office and how do we as an organization impact our community.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Well, there's a lot of questions to that because there's
been a lot of change recently and it's still a
break like a new team like you mentioned A twenty
twenty was when it was born already a couple of championships.
A lot of change has happened recently, and I want
to start kind of with the split with the Omaha
Storm Chasers. This is not a split of like, oh,
(06:15):
we hate them, we need a split. This was like
an ownership situation and the Storm Chasers, much like many
minor league teams over the last several years, have kind
of got bought by a group that really specializes in
minor league baseball ownership and operations and making sure everything
is right for the major league club, which the Storm
(06:40):
Chasers are kind of just they exist and it's great
to go to the ballpark, and I love them, but
you can't really get it too attached to the players
because they're on their way to a spot in the
major leagues if they have the ability to make that determination.
Union Omaha does not operate like that. It is a
very different type of structure. So can you explain kind
(07:03):
of how the relationship was before the ownership change and
then kind of what has happened in the last you know,
eight to twelve months since this kind of has manifested
with the new owners.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Sure you know when you knew Omaha started it was
an amazing asset to be a part of the storm
Chasers family, and so you know that really helped us
create systems and understand things that were in place to
help us be successful. And the use of Warner Park
and to be able to have that be our home
(07:36):
was incredibly impactful in our growth. And then you know,
as organizations evolve and change, it became important for the
storm Chasers to be able to take that opportunity to
have a different ownership group and to grow and be
successful within their ecosystem with Minor League Baseball and Major
League Baseball. So that our ownership group, Gary Green and
(08:02):
others made the sale, and I want to say it
was now that we're thinking back to it, the end
of twenty twenty four was when that all started to
kind of come together. And then at the end of
this past season was when the teams fully separated our staff.
So we had a huge number of shared staff, both
(08:23):
in the sales department, client services, operations, lots of areas
that are extremely important to organizations. So we were able
to learn and grow the first few years, and then
at the end of last season, it was like, oh, look,
you're a startup again. You're back to being kind of
in your infancy and so I you know, having only
(08:46):
two staff members that were dedicated soccer staff when I started,
and I am now up to fifteen, and so it's
been it's been a huge explosion of both responsibility but
also growth, which has been great. And so you know,
Marty Cordero has been an excellent friend, mentor co worker
for me and for the rest of the staff and
(09:07):
continues to be while he leads the Storm Chasers, which
you know, it's it's great for him to be back
to baseball, right he he that's a sport that he
has always loved and he is still incredibly passionate about
Union Omaha and comes to our matches at Morrison Stadium
and is always a phone call away. But it's just
part of the growth process for both teams. And I think,
(09:29):
you know, in the years to come, we'll continue to
be supportive. You know, We're gonna have some events out
at Warner Park and I'm sure their team will come,
have some autograph events and Baseball Night at Soccer and
you know, ways that we can collaborate will continue. But
we're on our own now, right We've we've lost that
safety net at Union Omaha of the shared staff and
the shared expertise. So it's been it's been an exciting
(09:52):
change and we've got a lot of new faces in
the front office. We've got a lot of new faces
on the squad and it's fun and we're at you know,
we're playing at Morrison down at Creyton University, which is
again another great partnership for us to continue in this
growth process. So yeah, it's been exciting.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Let's talk about your role for a second.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
You mentioned fifteen new people or people in the office
after having just a couple of soccer specific did you have,
like what was your role in playing there, because you know,
I know you through Marty. Marty is like you got
to meet Alexis sure, and you were the GM at
the time, general manager and working on the operations that
(10:34):
you go, you'd be running around, you know, making sure
everything on the game.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
They were still doing that every day, but.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
You were making sure that everything was going well.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
And you know, I was familiar with Peter Marlette who
was the general manager before, and he comes from a
very soccer background, so it was a very different kind
of expectation in the way the job was operating for you,
but then all of a sudden to have the split
and have now, oh yeah, we have two people essentially
aligned with the soccer program and then to find you know,
(11:04):
a dozen more people that can be a part of
this staff. What was your role in finding those people
and how did your specific role change when this adjustment
has been made.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Yeah, you know, it's been kind of building different departments
at different times. You know, we tried to time the
separation of staff by department, so you know, Operations and
Stadium Ops really stuck with us till the very end,
thank goodness, because you know, they managed those field flips
and they managed all of the things for us, which
was fantastic. So you know, I had one marketing person
(11:38):
when I started in, one Soccer Ops person, and now
soccer Ops has grown not only from a coaching standpoint,
but a support staff standpoint. Our marketing department has grown exponentially.
You know, it really was a matter of myself and
Marty and Laurie at the Storm Chasers, along with Gary,
trying to find the right pieces to the puzzle, and
(12:00):
those aren't always easy. It's not always an easy thing
to do. We're recruiting a lot of people to come
to Omaha for the first time and work for the
Union Omaha and recruiting is easy when you're winning, especially
when you have folks that are excited about soccer. So
you know, we have a growing marketing department. Our sales
team was one of the last departments to split as well,
(12:21):
so we've been building that sales team and trying to
find continued leadership to help us with our partnerships in
the community. So, you know, my role when I started,
you know, was really learning a lot from Marty, but
managing the day to day operations with the team. And
I was a lot more involved on the sporting side
when I first started, because as you mentioned that that
(12:43):
was a lot of the things that Peter had worked on,
and so I worked a lot with coach Dom when
we were doing the recruiting and contracts and visas and
all of the things that was totally foreign to me
that I began to learn how that all worked. So
with those learnings into the twenty five season, about halfway
through was when we knew as the stadium stuff started
(13:04):
to ramp up and we knew we had this project
on the forefront that we needed to get focused on
that with the city. We needed a sporting director because
that's really what will continue to propel us forward with success,
is to have someone who understands the recruiting and the
scouting and help support our coaches so that the coaching
staff can coach and really wrap their arms around that
(13:25):
team and not be as worried about the ins and
outs of what are we feeding the players and housing
and you know, visas and contract negotiations with managers and
agents and all of those details. So that's been great
because Jamie and I have been able to work closely
on those types of things, and he is my counterpart
(13:47):
on the sporting side, which has been great. And then
I can kind of turn my attention and focus more
on working together with Gary and Marty and everyone on
the stadium piece. And so as Marty has transitioned to
solely baseball, I've taken on a lot more of those
relationships and the relationship with the league USL as you mentioned,
you know there it's not the same as with minor
(14:09):
league baseball. We don't have a parent organization that is
making a lot of decisions for us, especially with our players.
So that's been great. I'm I I hope that I'm
a good relationship person. I'm finding that communication styles are
one of my superpowers, I suppose, and helping get people
(14:29):
to understand each other's perspectives in different ways. So that's
my my role has more transitioned from a leadership perspective
and and and out of the kind of weeds of
the day to day. On the sporting side.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Yeah, so let's talk a bit about some of those projects.
And because this team winning is the point, you know,
winning is the whole point. Promotion relegation has been a thing.
I think a lot of people in America. It's kind
of a foreign concept because there is really no precedent
(15:05):
in American sports for it, although it's been proposed by
some radicals for even college sports.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
You know, maybe this would be a better way to
do this.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
But soccer, especially in Europe in South America, like this
is the model where no matter how big or profitable
your club is, if you're not winning games, you finish
in the bottom. You know, I'll use the Premier League
in England as a base. The bottom three teams they
get sent down a league. And so there is no
(15:37):
benefit to tanking, There is no benefit to you know,
holding out for a draft pick or anything. You really
have to manage to win and get as many results
positive results on the field as possible, and that has
USL has kind of decided, you know over I'm sure
it's taken years to get here, but that is on
(15:57):
the horizon and it appears to be on the horizon
and for American soccer as well, which I think will
boom the popularity of the sport that a team like
Union Omaha could find itself one day competing in the
top tier of the sport. Can you explain from you know,
your experience over the last few years as this conversation
I'm sure has permeated and is in a way kind
(16:20):
of connected to the new stadium, and I'll get to
that in a bit, But how does that affect what
you guys are also doing? And how would that effect
once that begins, assuming everything begins the way that we
think it might, how would that affect what you guys
do in being able to recruit and then perform on
the field.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
You know, it's interesting because it has two kind of
components to this promotion and relegation, right, it would be
great for the sport, but there are the sporting implications,
and then there's the business implications of what happens with
that process. So you know, our team on the sporting
side has done a great job of focusing on recruiting
(17:02):
athletes that have great trajectory and prospect for creating a
team that could compete at the championship level, and that
would be in the twenty twenty eight season, as you mentioned,
would be how we would would move into our new
stadium as would not be a League One team, but
would would hopefully be as a championship team, and then
(17:23):
Division One above that when promotion and relegation starts. So
you know, as as our fans have seen, you know,
we've done very well in the US Open Cup, kind
of showing our ability to both win championships in our
league but also compete across the board with championship teams,
MLS teams and teams across the United States. So that's
(17:47):
kind of how we've always framed the program is recruit
a mix of young and mature talent so that we
can help guide those those young men that are talented
on the field, you know, in the long term, so
that you know, when we're ready to open in twenty eight,
that we're a championship level team, but that we've been
playing that way for a long time, so that it's
(18:08):
not a surprise, right, And then I would I would
also say that from a business perspective, it will be
a challenge for many teams with the you know, standardization
of protocols both on the field and off, but also
the financial implications, you know, salaries that rise when you
have to go up a league, fees for broadcast, all
(18:34):
of the things that come into being a business and
professional sports that yes, it is great for you to
get promoted, but you have to be ready to support
that promotion financially with your partners. And so it's really
going to be a community effort for all of these
teams to be able to know that they have buy
in from their community partners to be able to continue
(18:55):
to push that success.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I wonder, and this is the other thing too. You
see these conferences in college sports, like the SEC has
this billion something dollars that they get from ESPN to
broadcast their games, and even the dregs of that conference
are pulling in you know, one hundred million dollars a
year just because their conferences negotiated that media rights deal,
(19:21):
and that is one thing that is so different in England.
There isn't really the same like like or all of Europe.
The media rights is so different because you don't get
in market television. That's just not part of the game.
That is a huge part of the sport in America.
So I'd be curious to see how that works. But
you mentioned this the stadium situation and how important this
(19:43):
is for the community also and for the club. The
first part of this is the move from Werner Park
to Morrison Stadium at Creighton. For those who were not familiar,
Werner Park had to be flipped from a baseball field
into a soccer pitch, and that whole thing, you know,
a hydraulic lift underneath the mound to put it down,
(20:05):
you had to put sod like real grass over the
infield and where the mound would be. An arduous process
and one that somehow worked for years to allow this
team not just to compete in this league, but to
win games and have some really incredible players playing for it. Now,
(20:25):
the move to a pretty high standard collegiate soccer facility
that is soccer specific downtown. What was that conversation like
in that move is it directly related to the split
of ownership with the Storm Chasers, and what was the
conversation with Creighton like to be able.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
To get the dates that you needed for this stadium.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Sure, so you know, we were very lucky. You know,
those field flips were forty eight hours at a minimum
on either side of a match, So we knew we
had to have a good frame of time to success
fully get that done and weather permitting and all of
those things in Nebraska, right, So we were very lucky
(21:08):
to be successfully doing that for six seasons and the
agronomy staff and the grounds crew and they just they
figured it out and they got it done. And I
would say when we had our ref walks, we were
the best in the business said doing that, and we
were very lucky to have a team to be able
to do that. But you're right when when the ownership
(21:29):
changed and Major League in Minor League Baseball took a
look at their facilities and said, you know, we have
to there have to be positives and negatives to the
thing the people that are utilizing our stadium. And we
were really a tenant. We were a partner, but we
were really a tenant at Warner Park and so it
was taking a look at that and saying, okay, the
the positives and out and the negatives of the what
(21:52):
happens with the staff and how long they have to
be committed to doing this, and you know, potential wear
and tear on the stadium. Those things kind of outweighed
our ability to be able to stay there, and so
it kind of came at the right time where we
could say, Okay, we're starting to transition our space downtown
and this is the first step for us moving into
Morrison in that transition, in that movement towards our home downtown.
(22:18):
And so Creighton has been an amazing partner, you know,
where there was a lot of back and forth with
Creighton and with you and know we have two great
collegiate facilities in our town, which is amazing, soccer specific stadiums,
you know, that are wonderful. And so to be able
to have that conversation with Creighton about our needs and
their needs and how we can work together was very
(22:40):
positive and we were very happy to be able to
do that for the season because to have to move
around from stadium to stadium for a season is a
challenge both from sporting and an operation side, ticketing all
of the things. So you know, the schedule is tough.
You know, they've got a men's and women team, their
(23:01):
locker rooms are there are way locker rooms that we
utilize our shared space with you know, volleyball away teams
and softball, and there's a lot of things happening and
they have very successful athletic programs and so we don't
want to get in the way of any of that.
We just want to be a good partner. And so
there's been some scheduling challenges and you know, we don't
train at Creighton. We train at our facilities out by
(23:24):
Warner Park. We still maintain our offices and our locker
rooms out at Warner Park for our day to day
business operations. The team still trains at our facilities out
in Papillion, and so it's it's a lot of back
and forth, and so you know, anytime we have additional requests,
(23:45):
like I'll use the US Open Coupan as an example.
You know, we had the opportunity to host the Round
of thirty two that we're going to be playing in
next week against an MLS team, and unfortunately we just
couldn't make it work. You know, Creighton was very gracious
and trying to move things around for US to be
able to play and host an MLS team there, which
would have been fantastic for the city and fantastic for Creighton.
(24:08):
And you and O did the same because we played
against Kansas supporting Kansas City there in twenty twenty four
and had a great match at Coniglia. So, you know,
trying to utilize our partnerships and our assets in the
best way we can to bring an MLS team here.
But without our own home, it just we can't do
everything and we can't get it all done. And so
we're continuing to just push forward and take every little
(24:30):
step to get our own our own space, so that
we can always do as many of these things and
bring the best into our community as possible.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Yeah, the US Open Cup is quite an interesting thing
because you just don't really know what the schedule is
until you win, Yeah, and then you don't know the opponent.
You don't know whether you're hosting or not hosting. I
was at the match in twenty twenty four. What an
environment amazing, you know, basically a sellout and just people
excited to see an MLS team and then it to
(24:59):
go to extra time. It was just an unbelievable match.
Colorado Rapids are the next opponent for you guys in
that and you'll have to go play on the road.
You've beaten MLS teams on the road for the record.
We have yes in this we have in this event.
But it's quite an interesting conversation because you are communicating
with other people's facilities to use them, which leads to
(25:22):
the obvious as to what's the status of the new
stadium downtown. There's been a couple of different ideas proposed,
things that you know, we're hopeful that will happen, but
then have had to be adjusted. What can you tell
us about the plans that are laid out in what
it's going to take to actually get that project completed
(25:45):
by what your timeline kind of suggests in the next
couple of years.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
So you know, there's lots of steps in these processes, right,
There's lots of partnerships, there's so much negotiation that happens,
and we actually have a there's a city count on
the city council agenda today, so I'm headed downtown at
two o'clock to speak to them as well. For our
redevelopment agreement, and so it's we are taking it one
(26:10):
step at a time, and I would say we are
one hundred percent full steam ahead at the Millwork Commons property,
looking forward to that being our permanent home. You know,
it's a public private partnership with the city and the state,
and we're just doing our best to continue to cultivate
those relationships and those negotiations and you know, shovels in
(26:32):
the dirt this fall would get us where we need
to be. And so we've got a lot of hard
deadlines coming up soon that we're predicted and projected to reach.
We just have to continue to keep our eyes on
the proverbial ball, no pun intended. And it's exciting, and
there's just there's a lot of things that go on
(26:52):
and in the background, and it's it's it's been great,
a great process, and we are one hundred percent committed
to building this stadium in downtown Omaha.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Has there been any pushback from anyone in like high
places saying, you know, well, what's the use of this
beyond soccer? What is going to be gained by the
community with this type of investment or if we put
this here, Because it's not just a soccer facility. I
mean it's a big district that is going to be
able to house a lot of different types of businesses
as well. So has there been any pushback to kind
(27:27):
of the overall plan and is that what's kind of
set this back before?
Speaker 2 (27:31):
I don't. I wouldn't say it's pushback. I would say
that it is community investment. I would say it's people
that are truly interested in making sure that this works
for the entire community. And that really is what it
is meant to be. It's meant to be a community asset.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Will it house Union Omaha. Will it house our future
women's club? Absolutely? Will it house an academy, Yes it will.
Will it be just soccer, know, there's so many opportunities
to play other sports on the facility. On the you know,
there's opportunities for us to host concerts and community events,
(28:09):
have our space available during College World Series and Berkshire Hathaway.
It will be built as a wonderful community asset in
all aspects, and it's got to have other uses, you know,
community nonprofit walks. You know, there'll be club space that
can be available for rental for weddings, and all kinds
(28:29):
of things, and it will be twelve months out of
the year full season usage just in the stadium. And
you also made a great point, you know, the development
around it is going to be extremely important bringing businesses
into the northern downtown neighborhoods and continuing to bolster, you know,
(28:51):
the the growth of those spaces, whether that's you know,
with with living and community spaces, you know, grocery. There's
so many things that can be part of that community
to make it continue to be an asset that we're
just looking forward to being part of that process. So
I think the questions around the stadium are just more
(29:13):
about making sure that we will continue to make it
a space that is great for the community.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Well, I'm for one, very excited about it. I was
excited also about the move to Morrison just because of
it being a soccer facility.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Yes, and it being downtown.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Is going to just be generally easier for you guys,
but also I think a great way to attract a
new audience that maybe wasn't super pumped about driving to
Papillion to watch soccer matches regularly, and this being in
downtown I think is very exciting season just has begun.
You guys really are just getting going. Just a couple
of home games in so far. We have another home
(29:52):
match Saturday this Saturday, and what like twenty more like
on the schedule the rest of the season.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
We still have a ways to go. Do you have
ways to go?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
We do have a ways to go. We have sixteen
home matches left.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Okay, so there you go.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
I mean, we play into October and you know, knock
on some wood, but statistically speaking, we usually get into
the playoffs in November. So what is It's a long season.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Yeah, and it's a lot of fun to follow.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
You get to learn and know the players and not
have to worry about a major league club plucking them
off of the team at some point. You know, there's
a lot of fun to be had. And Alexis, I
really appreciate you coming in and being so open and
about all these things, the changes and the excitement moving
forward with this team. And I can't wait to be
at the home match coming up on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Looking forward to it. Thanks for having me, all.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Right, Alexis Bulos, the chief operating officer of Union Omaha.
Thanks for listening to this Emory Songer podcast. This feed
we'll have another one coming for you tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Thank you so much for
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Listening on the iHeartRadio app and have a great rest
of your dad.
The Emory Soccer podcast is on the air. We thank
you for listening as always to this feed. A very
special guest today. As you know, I love sports, I
love local sports, I love supporting local sports. And one
of the first teams I really got into when I
first moved to Omaha was I went to Werner Park
and watched Union Omaha and fell immediately in love with
(00:33):
this professional soccer team that they had here in Omaha.
And over the last few years that love has continued
to grow for me, and now I get a chance
to hear on my podcast to speak with the chief
operating officer of Union Omaha. Alexis Bulos, is in the
studio with us today. Alexis, thank you so much for
coming in.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Of course, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
I'm Arie, great to be here. I think this.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I need to start this with my first question of
Omaha Soccer Omaha. You like, how do you get involved
to a team like this, especially one that was so young,
and what was your history of getting into this organization
here in Omaha.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
So it's it's kind of interesting. I don't have a
soccer background, so it's a little unique in the soccer atmosphere,
specifically in leadership to not really have come from the
soccer world at all. So my my history kind of
goes back. I spent a lot of time in golf
and with the PGA Tour and the Pinnacle Bank Championship
(01:37):
here in Omaha and growing and building that event when
that started, and so that's kind of where Union Omaha
found me. I'm originally from Omaha, went away to college,
went away and worked outside of town, got married, had
some kids, and decided that Omaha was where I wanted
to raise my family, which you hear a lot of that,
(01:57):
a lot of that, a lot of that. So for me,
it was very important to stay in sports and get
back into the community. And so several years after moving here,
the Pinnacle Bank Championship came along and helped start that program.
And then along the way, my kids grew up and
started to love soccer, and so I became the sideline parent.
(02:18):
I became the one learning about the sport from and
through my kids. And so in twenty twenty, my son
had a very challenging accident with his leg and we
reached out to the team and they were all just
starting and hadn't started playing yet, and they sent us
some great messages of recovery to my son, and that
(02:40):
was a super touching moment for us in the community.
So then you know, they started playing and in twenty
twenty one we happened to be on the sidelines when
we won the first championship. All meanwhile, I'm just a
mom who is learning to love soccer through her kids.
You know, Omaha's a small community. And Marty Corderon and
I connected on a number of occasions, on an number
(03:00):
of things throughout the years, and so eventually he called
and said, hey, you know, we're looking to find a
new person. Would you be interested? And I said, well,
you know, let's talk. And eventually, after some time we
decided that it was a pretty good fit and I
decided to take It. Was a big change and it
was a big challenge and new steps along the way,
(03:21):
But that's kind of how I ended up at Union Omaha.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
That's pretty crazy because, like you mentioned, soccer is one
of those sports you get a lot of European imports
in South American imports in leadership, not just on the field,
but in leadership as well, because it's just a way
of life, you know, the way that we see like
basketball or football or even baseball. They see soccer, and
(03:44):
then they see soccer a game, and then they see
soccer a third time. You know, you watch some of
these communities that have, you know, like a sixth tier
team in their town of like fifteen thousand, which sounds
absurd to us, but everybody goes those matches and cares.
So in the United States, I don't, we don't have
anything like that culturally. So it's interesting that you got
(04:06):
involved so late in a sport that a lot of
people grow up with.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
What was your attraction.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
To the organization, Like, what made the organization feel like
it was the right fit even though this was kind
of a new frontier for you in terms of the
sport you were dealing with.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
You know, it's interesting because when you work in professional
athletics or collegiate athletics for as long as I have,
it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with it. What's
what's happening on the field or on the court or
wherever you are, right it's all about community, creating experiences
(04:41):
for your fans, supporting your player's staff and whoever that
might be, and building an atmosphere for everyone to be successful.
And I think regardless of what sport that is. We
all have the same opportunities to do that in our
communities with whatever it is, soccer, baseball, golf, and so
(05:01):
it has been a great transition for me to learn
more about soccer. But the best part about that is
to have a support staff and to hire people who
are extremely passionate about soccer. Jimi Henderson, who is our
new sporting director, is an amazing asset to us. He
went to BELLV University, played at BELLV University, went to
(05:21):
Atlanta United, had some experience scouting with the MLS and
so for me to build a team around myself that
is knowledgeable and that can help me understand the associations
between both the business and the sporting and I think
the greater connection we can continue to build and broach
(05:42):
between the two sides, the more successful will be. And
at the core of all of that is our community.
And how does the team and how does the front
office and how do we as an organization impact our community.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Well, there's a lot of questions to that because there's
been a lot of change recently and it's still a
break like a new team like you mentioned A twenty
twenty was when it was born already a couple of championships.
A lot of change has happened recently, and I want
to start kind of with the split with the Omaha
Storm Chasers. This is not a split of like, oh,
(06:15):
we hate them, we need a split. This was like
an ownership situation and the Storm Chasers, much like many
minor league teams over the last several years, have kind
of got bought by a group that really specializes in
minor league baseball ownership and operations and making sure everything
is right for the major league club, which the Storm
(06:40):
Chasers are kind of just they exist and it's great
to go to the ballpark, and I love them, but
you can't really get it too attached to the players
because they're on their way to a spot in the
major leagues if they have the ability to make that determination.
Union Omaha does not operate like that. It is a
very different type of structure. So can you explain kind
(07:03):
of how the relationship was before the ownership change and
then kind of what has happened in the last you know,
eight to twelve months since this kind of has manifested
with the new owners.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Sure you know when you knew Omaha started it was
an amazing asset to be a part of the storm
Chasers family, and so you know that really helped us
create systems and understand things that were in place to
help us be successful. And the use of Warner Park
and to be able to have that be our home
(07:36):
was incredibly impactful in our growth. And then you know,
as organizations evolve and change, it became important for the
storm Chasers to be able to take that opportunity to
have a different ownership group and to grow and be
successful within their ecosystem with Minor League Baseball and Major
League Baseball. So that our ownership group, Gary Green and
(08:02):
others made the sale, and I want to say it
was now that we're thinking back to it, the end
of twenty twenty four was when that all started to
kind of come together. And then at the end of
this past season was when the teams fully separated our staff.
So we had a huge number of shared staff, both
(08:23):
in the sales department, client services, operations, lots of areas
that are extremely important to organizations. So we were able
to learn and grow the first few years, and then
at the end of last season, it was like, oh, look,
you're a startup again. You're back to being kind of
in your infancy and so I you know, having only
(08:46):
two staff members that were dedicated soccer staff when I started,
and I am now up to fifteen, and so it's
been it's been a huge explosion of both responsibility but
also growth, which has been great. And so you know,
Marty Cordero has been an excellent friend, mentor co worker
for me and for the rest of the staff and
(09:07):
continues to be while he leads the Storm Chasers, which
you know, it's it's great for him to be back
to baseball, right he he that's a sport that he
has always loved and he is still incredibly passionate about
Union Omaha and comes to our matches at Morrison Stadium
and is always a phone call away. But it's just
part of the growth process for both teams. And I think,
(09:29):
you know, in the years to come, we'll continue to
be supportive. You know, We're gonna have some events out
at Warner Park and I'm sure their team will come,
have some autograph events and Baseball Night at Soccer and
you know, ways that we can collaborate will continue. But
we're on our own now, right We've we've lost that
safety net at Union Omaha of the shared staff and
the shared expertise. So it's been it's been an exciting
(09:52):
change and we've got a lot of new faces in
the front office. We've got a lot of new faces
on the squad and it's fun and we're at you know,
we're playing at Morrison down at Creyton University, which is
again another great partnership for us to continue in this
growth process. So yeah, it's been exciting.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Let's talk about your role for a second.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
You mentioned fifteen new people or people in the office
after having just a couple of soccer specific did you have,
like what was your role in playing there, because you know,
I know you through Marty. Marty is like you got
to meet Alexis sure, and you were the GM at
the time, general manager and working on the operations that
(10:34):
you go, you'd be running around, you know, making sure
everything on the game.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
They were still doing that every day, but.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
You were making sure that everything was going well.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
And you know, I was familiar with Peter Marlette who
was the general manager before, and he comes from a
very soccer background, so it was a very different kind
of expectation in the way the job was operating for you,
but then all of a sudden to have the split
and have now, oh yeah, we have two people essentially
aligned with the soccer program and then to find you know,
(11:04):
a dozen more people that can be a part of
this staff. What was your role in finding those people
and how did your specific role change when this adjustment
has been made.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Yeah, you know, it's been kind of building different departments
at different times. You know, we tried to time the
separation of staff by department, so you know, Operations and
Stadium Ops really stuck with us till the very end,
thank goodness, because you know, they managed those field flips
and they managed all of the things for us, which
was fantastic. So you know, I had one marketing person
(11:38):
when I started in, one Soccer Ops person, and now
soccer Ops has grown not only from a coaching standpoint,
but a support staff standpoint. Our marketing department has grown exponentially.
You know, it really was a matter of myself and
Marty and Laurie at the Storm Chasers, along with Gary,
trying to find the right pieces to the puzzle, and
(12:00):
those aren't always easy. It's not always an easy thing
to do. We're recruiting a lot of people to come
to Omaha for the first time and work for the
Union Omaha and recruiting is easy when you're winning, especially
when you have folks that are excited about soccer. So
you know, we have a growing marketing department. Our sales
team was one of the last departments to split as well,
(12:21):
so we've been building that sales team and trying to
find continued leadership to help us with our partnerships in
the community. So, you know, my role when I started,
you know, was really learning a lot from Marty, but
managing the day to day operations with the team. And
I was a lot more involved on the sporting side
when I first started, because as you mentioned that that
(12:43):
was a lot of the things that Peter had worked on,
and so I worked a lot with coach Dom when
we were doing the recruiting and contracts and visas and
all of the things that was totally foreign to me
that I began to learn how that all worked. So
with those learnings into the twenty five season, about halfway
through was when we knew as the stadium stuff started
(13:04):
to ramp up and we knew we had this project
on the forefront that we needed to get focused on
that with the city. We needed a sporting director because
that's really what will continue to propel us forward with success,
is to have someone who understands the recruiting and the
scouting and help support our coaches so that the coaching
staff can coach and really wrap their arms around that
(13:25):
team and not be as worried about the ins and
outs of what are we feeding the players and housing
and you know, visas and contract negotiations with managers and
agents and all of those details. So that's been great
because Jamie and I have been able to work closely
on those types of things, and he is my counterpart
(13:47):
on the sporting side, which has been great. And then
I can kind of turn my attention and focus more
on working together with Gary and Marty and everyone on
the stadium piece. And so as Marty has transitioned to
solely baseball, I've taken on a lot more of those
relationships and the relationship with the league USL as you mentioned,
you know there it's not the same as with minor
(14:09):
league baseball. We don't have a parent organization that is
making a lot of decisions for us, especially with our players.
So that's been great. I'm I I hope that I'm
a good relationship person. I'm finding that communication styles are
one of my superpowers, I suppose, and helping get people
(14:29):
to understand each other's perspectives in different ways. So that's
my my role has more transitioned from a leadership perspective
and and and out of the kind of weeds of
the day to day. On the sporting side.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Yeah, so let's talk a bit about some of those projects.
And because this team winning is the point, you know,
winning is the whole point. Promotion relegation has been a thing.
I think a lot of people in America. It's kind
of a foreign concept because there is really no precedent
(15:05):
in American sports for it, although it's been proposed by
some radicals for even college sports.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
You know, maybe this would be a better way to
do this.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
But soccer, especially in Europe in South America, like this
is the model where no matter how big or profitable
your club is, if you're not winning games, you finish
in the bottom. You know, I'll use the Premier League
in England as a base. The bottom three teams they
get sent down a league. And so there is no
(15:37):
benefit to tanking, There is no benefit to you know,
holding out for a draft pick or anything. You really
have to manage to win and get as many results
positive results on the field as possible, and that has
USL has kind of decided, you know over I'm sure
it's taken years to get here, but that is on
(15:57):
the horizon and it appears to be on the horizon
and for American soccer as well, which I think will
boom the popularity of the sport that a team like
Union Omaha could find itself one day competing in the
top tier of the sport. Can you explain from you know,
your experience over the last few years as this conversation
I'm sure has permeated and is in a way kind
(16:20):
of connected to the new stadium, and I'll get to
that in a bit, But how does that affect what
you guys are also doing? And how would that effect
once that begins, assuming everything begins the way that we
think it might, how would that affect what you guys
do in being able to recruit and then perform on
the field.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
You know, it's interesting because it has two kind of
components to this promotion and relegation, right, it would be
great for the sport, but there are the sporting implications,
and then there's the business implications of what happens with
that process. So you know, our team on the sporting
side has done a great job of focusing on recruiting
(17:02):
athletes that have great trajectory and prospect for creating a
team that could compete at the championship level, and that
would be in the twenty twenty eight season, as you mentioned,
would be how we would would move into our new
stadium as would not be a League One team, but
would would hopefully be as a championship team, and then
(17:23):
Division One above that when promotion and relegation starts. So
you know, as as our fans have seen, you know,
we've done very well in the US Open Cup, kind
of showing our ability to both win championships in our
league but also compete across the board with championship teams,
MLS teams and teams across the United States. So that's
(17:47):
kind of how we've always framed the program is recruit
a mix of young and mature talent so that we
can help guide those those young men that are talented
on the field, you know, in the long term, so
that you know, when we're ready to open in twenty eight,
that we're a championship level team, but that we've been
playing that way for a long time, so that it's
(18:08):
not a surprise, right, And then I would I would
also say that from a business perspective, it will be
a challenge for many teams with the you know, standardization
of protocols both on the field and off, but also
the financial implications, you know, salaries that rise when you
have to go up a league, fees for broadcast, all
(18:34):
of the things that come into being a business and
professional sports that yes, it is great for you to
get promoted, but you have to be ready to support
that promotion financially with your partners. And so it's really
going to be a community effort for all of these
teams to be able to know that they have buy
in from their community partners to be able to continue
(18:55):
to push that success.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I wonder, and this is the other thing too. You
see these conferences in college sports, like the SEC has
this billion something dollars that they get from ESPN to
broadcast their games, and even the dregs of that conference
are pulling in you know, one hundred million dollars a
year just because their conferences negotiated that media rights deal,
(19:21):
and that is one thing that is so different in England.
There isn't really the same like like or all of Europe.
The media rights is so different because you don't get
in market television. That's just not part of the game.
That is a huge part of the sport in America.
So I'd be curious to see how that works. But
you mentioned this the stadium situation and how important this
(19:43):
is for the community also and for the club. The
first part of this is the move from Werner Park
to Morrison Stadium at Creighton. For those who were not familiar,
Werner Park had to be flipped from a baseball field
into a soccer pitch, and that whole thing, you know,
a hydraulic lift underneath the mound to put it down,
(20:05):
you had to put sod like real grass over the
infield and where the mound would be. An arduous process
and one that somehow worked for years to allow this
team not just to compete in this league, but to
win games and have some really incredible players playing for it. Now,
(20:25):
the move to a pretty high standard collegiate soccer facility
that is soccer specific downtown. What was that conversation like
in that move is it directly related to the split
of ownership with the Storm Chasers, and what was the
conversation with Creighton like to be able.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
To get the dates that you needed for this stadium.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Sure, so you know, we were very lucky. You know,
those field flips were forty eight hours at a minimum
on either side of a match, So we knew we
had to have a good frame of time to success
fully get that done and weather permitting and all of
those things in Nebraska, right, So we were very lucky
(21:08):
to be successfully doing that for six seasons and the
agronomy staff and the grounds crew and they just they
figured it out and they got it done. And I
would say when we had our ref walks, we were
the best in the business said doing that, and we
were very lucky to have a team to be able
to do that. But you're right when when the ownership
(21:29):
changed and Major League in Minor League Baseball took a
look at their facilities and said, you know, we have
to there have to be positives and negatives to the
thing the people that are utilizing our stadium. And we
were really a tenant. We were a partner, but we
were really a tenant at Warner Park and so it
was taking a look at that and saying, okay, the
the positives and out and the negatives of the what
(21:52):
happens with the staff and how long they have to
be committed to doing this, and you know, potential wear
and tear on the stadium. Those things kind of outweighed
our ability to be able to stay there, and so
it kind of came at the right time where we
could say, Okay, we're starting to transition our space downtown
and this is the first step for us moving into
Morrison in that transition, in that movement towards our home downtown.
(22:18):
And so Creighton has been an amazing partner, you know,
where there was a lot of back and forth with
Creighton and with you and know we have two great
collegiate facilities in our town, which is amazing, soccer specific stadiums,
you know, that are wonderful. And so to be able
to have that conversation with Creighton about our needs and
their needs and how we can work together was very
(22:40):
positive and we were very happy to be able to
do that for the season because to have to move
around from stadium to stadium for a season is a
challenge both from sporting and an operation side, ticketing all
of the things. So you know, the schedule is tough.
You know, they've got a men's and women team, their
(23:01):
locker rooms are there are way locker rooms that we
utilize our shared space with you know, volleyball away teams
and softball, and there's a lot of things happening and
they have very successful athletic programs and so we don't
want to get in the way of any of that.
We just want to be a good partner. And so
there's been some scheduling challenges and you know, we don't
train at Creighton. We train at our facilities out by
(23:24):
Warner Park. We still maintain our offices and our locker
rooms out at Warner Park for our day to day
business operations. The team still trains at our facilities out
in Papillion, and so it's it's a lot of back
and forth, and so you know, anytime we have additional requests,
(23:45):
like I'll use the US Open Coupan as an example.
You know, we had the opportunity to host the Round
of thirty two that we're going to be playing in
next week against an MLS team, and unfortunately we just
couldn't make it work. You know, Creighton was very gracious
and trying to move things around for US to be
able to play and host an MLS team there, which
would have been fantastic for the city and fantastic for Creighton.
(24:08):
And you and O did the same because we played
against Kansas supporting Kansas City there in twenty twenty four
and had a great match at Coniglia. So, you know,
trying to utilize our partnerships and our assets in the
best way we can to bring an MLS team here.
But without our own home, it just we can't do
everything and we can't get it all done. And so
we're continuing to just push forward and take every little
(24:30):
step to get our own our own space, so that
we can always do as many of these things and
bring the best into our community as possible.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Yeah, the US Open Cup is quite an interesting thing
because you just don't really know what the schedule is
until you win, Yeah, and then you don't know the opponent.
You don't know whether you're hosting or not hosting. I
was at the match in twenty twenty four. What an
environment amazing, you know, basically a sellout and just people
excited to see an MLS team and then it to
(24:59):
go to extra time. It was just an unbelievable match.
Colorado Rapids are the next opponent for you guys in
that and you'll have to go play on the road.
You've beaten MLS teams on the road for the record.
We have yes in this we have in this event.
But it's quite an interesting conversation because you are communicating
with other people's facilities to use them, which leads to
(25:22):
the obvious as to what's the status of the new
stadium downtown. There's been a couple of different ideas proposed,
things that you know, we're hopeful that will happen, but
then have had to be adjusted. What can you tell
us about the plans that are laid out in what
it's going to take to actually get that project completed
(25:45):
by what your timeline kind of suggests in the next
couple of years.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
So you know, there's lots of steps in these processes, right,
There's lots of partnerships, there's so much negotiation that happens,
and we actually have a there's a city count on
the city council agenda today, so I'm headed downtown at
two o'clock to speak to them as well. For our
redevelopment agreement, and so it's we are taking it one
(26:10):
step at a time, and I would say we are
one hundred percent full steam ahead at the Millwork Commons property,
looking forward to that being our permanent home. You know,
it's a public private partnership with the city and the state,
and we're just doing our best to continue to cultivate
those relationships and those negotiations and you know, shovels in
(26:32):
the dirt this fall would get us where we need
to be. And so we've got a lot of hard
deadlines coming up soon that we're predicted and projected to reach.
We just have to continue to keep our eyes on
the proverbial ball, no pun intended. And it's exciting, and
there's just there's a lot of things that go on
(26:52):
and in the background, and it's it's it's been great,
a great process, and we are one hundred percent committed
to building this stadium in downtown Omaha.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Has there been any pushback from anyone in like high
places saying, you know, well, what's the use of this
beyond soccer? What is going to be gained by the
community with this type of investment or if we put
this here, Because it's not just a soccer facility. I
mean it's a big district that is going to be
able to house a lot of different types of businesses
as well. So has there been any pushback to kind
(27:27):
of the overall plan and is that what's kind of
set this back before?
Speaker 2 (27:31):
I don't. I wouldn't say it's pushback. I would say
that it is community investment. I would say it's people
that are truly interested in making sure that this works
for the entire community. And that really is what it
is meant to be. It's meant to be a community asset.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Will it house Union Omaha. Will it house our future
women's club? Absolutely? Will it house an academy, Yes it will.
Will it be just soccer, know, there's so many opportunities
to play other sports on the facility. On the you know,
there's opportunities for us to host concerts and community events,
(28:09):
have our space available during College World Series and Berkshire Hathaway.
It will be built as a wonderful community asset in
all aspects, and it's got to have other uses, you know,
community nonprofit walks. You know, there'll be club space that
can be available for rental for weddings, and all kinds
(28:29):
of things, and it will be twelve months out of
the year full season usage just in the stadium. And
you also made a great point, you know, the development
around it is going to be extremely important bringing businesses
into the northern downtown neighborhoods and continuing to bolster, you know,
(28:51):
the the growth of those spaces, whether that's you know,
with with living and community spaces, you know, grocery. There's
so many things that can be part of that community
to make it continue to be an asset that we're
just looking forward to being part of that process. So
I think the questions around the stadium are just more
(29:13):
about making sure that we will continue to make it
a space that is great for the community.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Well, I'm for one, very excited about it. I was
excited also about the move to Morrison just because of
it being a soccer facility.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Yes, and it being downtown.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Is going to just be generally easier for you guys,
but also I think a great way to attract a
new audience that maybe wasn't super pumped about driving to
Papillion to watch soccer matches regularly, and this being in
downtown I think is very exciting season just has begun.
You guys really are just getting going. Just a couple
of home games in so far. We have another home
(29:52):
match Saturday this Saturday, and what like twenty more like
on the schedule the rest of the season.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
We still have a ways to go. Do you have
ways to go?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
We do have a ways to go. We have sixteen
home matches left.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Okay, so there you go.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
I mean, we play into October and you know, knock
on some wood, but statistically speaking, we usually get into
the playoffs in November. So what is It's a long season.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Yeah, and it's a lot of fun to follow.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
You get to learn and know the players and not
have to worry about a major league club plucking them
off of the team at some point. You know, there's
a lot of fun to be had. And Alexis, I
really appreciate you coming in and being so open and
about all these things, the changes and the excitement moving
forward with this team. And I can't wait to be
at the home match coming up on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Looking forward to it. Thanks for having me, all.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Right, Alexis Bulos, the chief operating officer of Union Omaha.
Thanks for listening to this Emory Songer podcast. This feed
we'll have another one coming for you tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Thank you so much for
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Listening on the iHeartRadio app and have a great rest
of your dad.
Popular Podcasts
Hey Jonas!
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.