The Connection: LinkedIn DM. Zack posted about a sportstech event at the Star in Frisco and I sent him a message saying I wanted to go. We first met in person at the conference.
Quote of the Episode: ""I mean I do envy the money but... the decision making and what they're having to go through – especially the parents – I think that's tough... it was hard enough making a decision where to go school and [NIL] is adding a crazy multi-factor element."
Bet You Didn’t Know: Zack is now leading operations at Playground Productions, the company that is bringing back Backyard Sports.
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In this episode of Under the Number, I caught up with Zack Oliver, former Northwestern quarterback and current co-founder and CFO of MatchPoint Connection, an NIL platform. From his days as a star in Louisiana to his journey as a startup founder, Zack takes us inside his remarkable journey.
Growing up in Baton Rouge, Zack was surrounded by football talent. "I played against Jeremy Hill three years in a row," he recalls. "In my seven-on-seven teams, I played with Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham, Ameer Abdullah." But despite his athleticism, Zack admits, "I was a slow quarterback who just sat in the pocket and threw stuff."
At Northwestern, Zack had some memorable moments, like coming off the bench to lead a comeback win against Penn State. "It was a very close game at the end," he remembers. "I had like a third-and-15 that we ended up converting, leading to a field goal that ended up winning the game."
After graduation, Zack worked in finance, first at JP Morgan and then as a trader at Citigroup. But he kept his eye on the changing landscape of college sports, particularly the NIL (name, image, likeness) rules. "We basically saw the opportunity in where NIL was headed," he explains. "So we raised some money and built a platform that we thought was going to be the right fit."
The early days of MatchPoint were a grind. "I was still trading, having someone yelling at me in this ear," Zack laughs. "Then the trade's done, and I go over here at my laptop and I'm building a marketplace and a platform that I was very passionate about."
As the NIL space has evolved, with the emergence of collectives and revenue sharing, Zack sees both challenges and opportunities. "I think you're going to have a raising of the floor of how much these athletes are going to be receiving," he predicts. "But none of this will probably happen until '25, '26, because we're in an election year now and this is just not a priority."
Looking back, Zack is grateful for his journey. "Northwestern was the first team, the first program that really had the most trust in me," he reflects. "I ended up going down that path, and I think it was the right one in the long run."
Tune in for an insightful conversation with a true innovator at the intersection of sports and business. Like, subscribe, and catch every episode of Under the Number wherever you listen to podcasts!
