When Danny Morrison resigned as Charlotte Panthers president after eight successful years, he knew he wanted to return to working with college students. He joined the faculty of the University of South Carolina Department of Sport and Entertainment Management, and has played a key role in growing that world-renowned program.
While at South Carolina, Morrison has also served since 2019 as chief executive officer of the Charlotte Sports Foundation, a role that led to even more opportunities for his students. As of April 1, Morrison has stepped away from that position but will remain with the foundation as an executive advisor. He will also continue to open doors for students.
“The timing is perfect. People think about entering an organization, but it's also important to think through transition and succession. Will Pitts [Morrison’s successor as Charlotte Sports Foundation CEO] is very talented. He’s ready,” Morrison says. “I've committed to staying on as an executive advisor for at least a couple of years, so it gives me a lot more flexibility and hopefully I can be helpful as we continue to make progress.”
During his time as CEO, Morrison helped navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, grew the number of events and economic impact of CSF, and earned numerous awards including Charlotte Business Journal’s Business Person of the Year in 2023. His new role with the organization allows continued collaboration with the entire staff as well as a focus on bringing new and exciting events to Charlotte. Morrison, who earned his Ph.D. from South Carolina, will continue to serve as a professor of practice, and continue to foster the relationship between the university and the foundation.
“That's been a really valuable thing for the students, a wonderful learning experience, and it's also been great for the foundation, so that's one of those win-win things,” Morrison says. “The students get to see firsthand the operational side, and it also is helpful for the foundation to have some extra hands around these high profile events.”
The Charlotte sports scene is booming, thanks in no small part to the work of CSF, making the opportunities for experiential learning for South Carolina students even more varied and more valuable.
“Charlotte is a great destination for these signature events. Our students also get to see the importance of harmony. In Charlotte, we're blessed that the city, the county, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, the venues like Bank of America Stadium and the Spectrum Center, and the Charlotte Sports Foundation all work so well together. Nobody's worried about who gets the credit: we just want to have successful events in Charlotte,” Morrison says. “So that's been a really good thing for our students to see the importance of teamwork, the importance of people working together for the betterment of all.”
Morrison works with graduate students in the Master of Sport and Entertainment Management program, along with some senior undergraduates. The Department of Sport and Entertainment Management’s reputation and the caliber of students and alumni who worked under him in his time with the Panthers were key factors in his decision to join the faculty.
“We're always so proud of the University of South Carolina students. They always represent the university so well and it's great to have students that have an excellent background and insightful knowledge about the sports industry,” he says. “I'm just so glad that we have this relationship that allows us to expose them to some of the best venues in the country as well as high profile events that they get to work and get to see all the back of the house kind of things that it takes to put on really outstanding events.”