First weeks of CSC leadership | Jason Yaman | CSC Voices, Beyond the Scoreboard

In this episode of the Beyond the Scoreboard podcast, host Trip Durham sits down with Jason Yaman, the new Executive Director of CSC as of March 2025. In this in-depth conversation, Yaman shares insights into his career journey, leadership philosophy, and the challenges and opportunities facing athletic communicators and creatives in today’s evolving college athletics landscape.

A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Yaman most recently served as associate commissioner for The Southern Conference. He joined SoCon in 2008 as director of media relations and transitioned to marketing and corporate sales in 2017. Prior to that, he held various roles in sports information, marketing, and media relations at NCAA Division I institutions (Maryland, Indiana State, Michigan) and Division II’s Saginaw Valley State.

Yaman is the fourth executive director in CSC history. In this episode, he discusses:

• 1:44 – Why he pursued a career in athletic communications.
• 3:17 – Key career moments and the role of mentorship in his development.
• 4:38 – The importance of building strong, authentic relationships and the value athletic communications brings to college athletics.
• 7:14 – What motivated him to apply for the CSC role and the momentum he sees in membership growth.
• 8:42 – The diversity of CSC’s membership and how the organization can best serve communicators of all types and job scopes. He emphasizes collaboration, revenue-driving communication strategies, and campus-wide value.
• 11:38 – Why Batman is his favorite superhero.
• 12:12 – His leadership style: consensus-building, listening, and a customer service mindset.
• 14:10 – His early priorities, including analysis of CSC’s recent career satisfaction and salary survey.
• 15:28 – The ongoing importance of mentorship in his personal and professional life.
• 16:58 – His commitment to playing an active role in CSC’s Mentorship Program.
• 17:39 – Given the chance to host three people at dinner, he’d invite Billy the Kid, DB Cooper, and Tupac—explaining his picks while noting he’s not a conspiracy theorist.
• 19:05 – Strategic planning in today’s turbulent college athletics environment.
• 20:43 – The need for adaptability and connection with others who share similar roles.
• 22:26 – Major industry challenges, including the House settlement and combating the “churn and burn” culture among communicators.
• 25:01 – Misconceptions about the profession.
• 26:27 – His favorite social media follows, including the Detroit Lions and Captain Andrew Luck X accounts.
• 28:00 – Outside interests: the coast over mountains, working out, and cooking as a creative outlet.
• 29:12 – A surreal moment from his grad school days at Michigan, unlocking the football press box at the Big House.
• 31:32 – What he misses about campus life: impromptu conversations and “darkening the doorway” of colleagues.

Tune in to get to know CSC’s new leader—his values, priorities, and perspective on mentoring, leadership, and the future of the profession. Plus, enjoy some fun insights into his personality, like his superhero pick and fantasy dinner guests.