New Gift Establishes Sports Business Program for Undergraduates

Egon P. (B'95) and Abby Durban (Parents '28) have made a transformational commitment that establishes the Durban Sports Business Program at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, which will prepare students for careers as business leaders in the dynamic and rapidly growing sports industry.

"Abby and I have spent years in the business of sports-across franchises, leagues, media, and the ecosystem around them-and one thing we've seen too often is a gap between what young talent brings out of school and what the industry actually demands on day one," says Egon. "This program is our attempt to close that gap by integrating sports business, not as a niche track, but as a full business education with sports as the lens."

The program launched this spring with an inaugural cohort of 40 Durban Fellows, who will have access to specialized coursework, internships, speaker events, mentorship opportunities, career advising, and collaborative research with faculty. Fellows will have opportunities to attend industry conferences and participate in "treks" to meet with industry leaders and alumni in cities with a high concentration of sports business opportunities. The Durban Sports Business Program is led by Executive Director Luis Maes, whose extensive industry experience includes leadership positions with the Kansas City Royals, EA, and Nike.

"We are deeply grateful to Egon and Abby Durban for their visionary investment in the future of sports business at Georgetown McDonough," says Paul Almeida, dean and William R. Berkley chair at the McDonough School of Business. "Their generosity will help us accelerate our ambition to become the leading school for sports business education-expanding opportunities for our students, strengthening our global sports connections, and advancing a distinctly Georgetown approach to leadership in this dynamic and rapidly evolving field."

"The Durban family's commitment is transformative, enabling us to build a fully integrated sports business platform from day one-spanning curriculum, global experiences, and industry access," says Maes. "It positions McDonough as a leader in a rapidly evolving sector while creating new opportunities for students to engage with an industry increasingly shaped by the convergence of technology, finance, media, data, and policy. The long-term impact will be a new generation of thoughtful, values-driven leaders prepared to shape the future of sports."

Building on Georgetown's values-driven business education

Egon, who earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in finance, credits Georgetown for giving him a foundation that led to his success as a prominent figure in technology, media and sports investing.

"The Jesuit tradition-the idea of becoming a 'man for others'-wasn't abstract," says Egon. "It was embedded in the professors who pushed me, the peers who collaborated with me, and, frankly, helped me land my first job, and a community that held itself to a standard. That environment stays with you."

After graduating in 1995, Egon joined Morgan Stanley before helping launch tech-rooted investment firm Silver Lake as a founding principal, where he is now co-CEO and managing partner. Silver Lake's sports portfolio spans some of the most prominent properties in the industry-including City Football Group (home to Manchester City FC), UFC, WWE, Fanatics, Oak View Group, MSG Sports (parent of the Knicks and Rangers), Diamond Baseball Holdings, and New Zealand Rugby (home of the All Blacks). It extends further into interactive entertainment through recently announced investments in TikTok US and Electronic Arts-platforms where sports and fandom often sit at the very center of their cultural and commercial appeal. He also holds a significant ownership stake in the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders and the London Spirit cricket team, and co-owns the Austin Gamblers-a professional bull-riding team-with Abby, a managing partner at ASK Capital, the Durbans' family investment office. For Durban Fellows, that depth and breadth translates into unparalleled access and insight across the industry.

Unlike other industries where artificial intelligence is tightening the job market for recent college graduates, the sports industry continues to rely on the human touch, connecting millions around the world through entertainment and a shared sense of belonging. The growth of women's sports has also increased viewership and fueled the industry's global financial and cultural impact, the Durbans note.

"As AI and technology reshape every corner of business, sports are becoming more valuable, not less-because sports are irreducibly human," says Egon. "The shared experience of competition, the emotional stakes, the sense of community and partnership-technology can enhance all of that, but it can't replicate it."

With their extensive experience in the finance and sports industries, the Durbans see Georgetown, and its values-based approach to business, as the best place to start a program that deepens undergraduate students' understanding of the economics and ethics of the global sports marketplace.

"Georgetown students are exceptionally smart and driven-but what distinguishes them is that they also tend to have high emotional intelligence and a genuine commitment to doing things the right way," says Abby. "In most industries, those qualities are nice to have. In sports, where relationships, reputation, and public trust are core to the business, that combination is a superpower. That's the key reason we wanted this program to be built here."

"This innovative program builds on Georgetown's longstanding strengths in business education, values-based leadership, and the sports industry and opens new avenues for students to become leaders at the intersection of these fields," says Interim President Robert M. Groves. "Our University community is deeply grateful to Egon and Abby for their vision, leadership, and extraordinary philanthropic investment to create the Durban Sports Business Program."

An investment 'that changes what's possible for students'

The Durban Sports Business Program, which accepts 40 fellows each year, is currently available exclusively to Georgetown McDonough undergraduates, though there are plans to expand offerings. Fellows will be required to complete the program's 9-credit requirement prior to graduation through participating in sports-specific coursework, such as sports marketing and finance and decisions in sports. Because the program sees experiential opportunities as just as important as coursework, students will also have opportunities to gain real industry experience through summer internships, attending industry conferences, traveling to cities with a large sports business footprint, and making connections with industry leaders.

"That's the kind of foundation a graduate can stand strong on and continue to develop over the course of a career," says Egon.

"Our goal for the Durban Sports Business Program is to become the global leader in sports business education and scholarship through building a pipeline of leaders who are not only highly capable, but thoughtful and values-driven," says Michael O'Leary, academic director of the program. "We are building not just a program, but a platform-one that combines academic excellence, mentorship, experiential learning, and a world-class alumni and industry network to prepare students not just to enter the field, but to lead it."

The sports industry has quickly grown into a multifaceted, complex global enterprise that needs visionaries and strategic thinkers who have a deep passion for the field.

"Part of what we hope students take from this program is that sports isn't just a $1 trillion+ industry-it's something people genuinely love. We certainly do," Abby says. "That emotional connection is an asset we see Georgetown McDonough students carrying into careers they can cultivate and build on for decades."

The Durbans' generous philanthropic investment adds another dimension to Georgetown McDonough's view of business as a vehicle for change and human connection. With support from the Durban Sports Business Program, students will be equipped to drive advancements and address the most pressing issues in the sports industry today and in the future.

"Abby and I have wanted to find a way to give back that is genuinely additive-not just a gift, but something that changes what's possible for students and the world-class teachers and mentors who guide them," says Egon. "A dedicated sports business program at McDonough didn't exist. Now it will. That feels right for Georgetown and resonates with us."