XFL St. Louis Names Kurt Hunzeker Team President
One of the last remaining spots for an XFL high-ranking official has been filled. The organization announced via a press release that Kurt Hunzeker has been named the President of the unnamed XFL St. Louis team.
A 1999 graduate from the University of Missouri, Hunzeker studied journalism. Hunzeker will be responsible for the business operations of the St. Louis team, including ticket sales, corporate partnerships, marking, community relations and game day experience. He will also be responsible for maintaining fan engagement.
"I'm thankful for this incredible opportunity to be part of the team that is bringing football back to town," Hunzeker stated. "The XFL team in St. Louis will be the first modern professional football team born in and exclusively for this great city. Each neighborhood is proud to be a unique subset of the greater St. Louis metropolitan area, and I've been blessed to live in quite a few. I pledge to work with Coach Hayes to make this team an integral part of this terrific, sports-loving community and look forward to bringing reimagined football and fan-centric fun to the Dome in 2020."
Prior to joining the XFL, Hunzeker was the Vice President of Marketing Strategy and Research for Minor League Baseball. Starting in 2015, Hunzeker was responsible for identifying potential commercial partners and was in charge of providing innovative marketing plans for over 160 teams. He utilized several campaigns to get people invested, including "It's Fun to Be a Fan" and "The Fun Cup", celebrating the heritage and contributions of each team's Hispanic communities. Prior to joining MiLB, Hunzeker spent five years in St. Louis as a Senior Director of Brand Marketing for Rawlings Sporting Goods. He became a huge part in the integration of sabermetrics in the selection process for the Gold Glove Award in baseball.
Between MiLB and Rawlings, Hunzeker was also an adjunct professor in 2014 for Maryville University's School of Business in St Louis while also serving as a member of the St. Louis University Sports Business Advisory Board from 2011-2014.
Hunzeker joins a team that includes head coach/GM Jonathan Hayes. The relaunched XFL season is expected to start in February of 2020, just a few days after the Super Bowl. The XFL's St. Louis team will be housed inside The Dome at America's Center.