Morgan, who made history in 2022 as the first Black woman president of an NFL sports team, the Las Vegas Raiders, recently revealed her advice for up-and-coming sports professionals after an exciting week for the city of Las Vegas, NV.
As previously reported by AFROTECH, upon taking the position of president, Morgan hoped to be an inspiration to other women who are leaders in the sports entertainment industry.
On the heels of helping host one of the year’s biggest events, Super Bowl LVIII, Morgan reflected on what she’s learned in an interview with The Cut.
“I wish someone would have told me to be more vocal in sharing my own goals, both personal and professional,” Morgan told the outlet.
She continued, “For me, it was always: Get a job, put your head down, go to work, do your best, go home, repeat. I always thought, do the job that’s given to me and chase those other interests on my own. But if I had shared my goals with a partner at a firm or someone a little more senior to me, maybe I could have had those opportunities earlier.”
Before she joined the Raiders, Morgan served as chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, leading the charge on implementing cashless wagering regulations, which ensured that gaming licensees would adopt policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment, per Raider Nation.
Morgan was also the first Black city attorney in the state and commissioner of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Through these positions, she has spent much of her professional career working to uplift athletes and sports fans in the state.
As a Las Vegas native, sports fan, and longtime business professional, Morgan shares that she understands there is little room for error in her job, and criticism will come. That’s because, according to Morgan, Raiders fans are very passionate.
“It’s part of the job, especially when you’re dealing with a team that has a very strong fan base, and you’re dealing with wins and losses every week. If I know that everything I’m doing is going to be in the best interest of the Raiders, then I’m going to be able to sleep at night,” Morgan affirmed to The Cut.
Overall, the Raiders franchise is making an effort to represent the diversity of players within its front office, as AFROTECH previously shared. The team is the only one in the NFL (as of this writing) with a Black president, Morgan; a Black head coach, Antonio Pierce; and a Black assistant general manager, Champ Kelly.
Morgan says part of her role is to help enrich these diversity efforts within the greater Las Vegas community. When discussing the goals for the franchise, she emphasizes that inclusivity in all forms is a core tenant of her mission.
“With the growth of flag football and it now being an Olympic sport, we know that more girls and young women are going to be fans of the game. Why not allow them to play and grow with it?” she shared in the interview.
The benefit of participating in sports entertainment couldn’t be better as the industry has proven itself to be a massive money-making entity. The 2023-2024 NFL season set major viewership records with its frequent celebrity sightings and controversial matchups, as reported by Forbes.
According to the NFL and Nielsen, a global leader in audience insights, regular season games in 2023-2024 drew an average of 17.9 million viewers, and postseason interest showed a 9% increase from the previous year, with an average of 38.5 million viewers watching the 12 playoff games, per Forbes.
And to top it off, Super Bowl LVIII set a Nielsen TV ratings record with approximately 123.4 million audience members tuning into the Feb. 11 event, per the Wall Street Journal.
With visibility and attention on the league only increasing, Morgan takes great responsibility in leading a powerful team.
Her final advice for herself and anyone else hoping to succeed in the business is to be open to growth.
“Criticism is challenging, of course, but I am open to receiving it,” she told The Cut. “It’s important to be able to grow, take feedback, and apply it.”
