Samuda calls for commercial revolution in collegiate sports

Jamaica Intercollegiate Sports Association (JISA) must move beyond organizing competitions and embrace a more commercially driven approach to collegiate sports, building stronger governance, attracting investment and creating sustainable opportunities for student-athletes, Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) President Christopher Samuda has urged.

Addressing the launch of JISA’s 2026/2027 season at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean in Kingston, Samuda called on the association to position itself as a strategic player in the sports industry, capable of developing talent, delivering value to stakeholders and establishing partnerships that benefit the wider sporting community.

“The work of the Jamaica Intercollegiate Sports Association (JISA) is not divorced from the business of sport,” Samuda said, pointing to the organization’s role in developing collegiate sports infrastructure, sustaining the talent pipeline and securing meaningful returns from commercial partnerships.

He argued that the new season should be viewed not merely as a calendar of sporting events but as an opportunity to demonstrate the association’s value to prospective investors and existing sponsors.

Commercial thinking must drive the season

Samuda challenged JISA to make every event contribute to a broader commercial strategy, with clear financial objectives, documented investment opportunities and measurable benefits for partners.

“Each event that you stage must deliver currency in your value-added chain. Each event must be treated as a well documented financial prospectus to targeted investors. Each event must be a guarantee to existing partners of its profitability and success,” he said.

Acknowledging the intense competition for sponsorship, funding and services, he urged the association to respond to limited resources with greater creativity and determination.

He emphasized that innovation must become central to JISA’s operations, enabling the organization to distinguish itself in a crowded marketplace while increasing the value of its sporting properties.

From event organizer to industry advocate

Samuda said JISA’s responsibilities should extend beyond staging competitions to include advocating for collegiate sports, educating stakeholders, establishing industry standards and marketing the association’s value.

“JISA must innovate for it is not and can never be simply a body hosting sporting events,” he declared.

He called for the association to become a trade body that advocates for policies and regulations supportive of collegiate sports, while providing training and professional development opportunities.

He also urged JISA to strengthen its negotiating position with government and institutional authorities, enabling it to make a stronger case for improved conditions in collegiate sports and a fairer share of national funding.

According to Samuda, effective representation will depend on building credibility among member institutions, establishing sound governance systems and demonstrating that members receive value for their contributions.

Data, alumni and partnerships key to growth

The JOA president also identified alumni engagement and information management as important tools for expanding JISA’s commercial reach.

He encouraged the association to develop an efficient alumni database and management system that could reconnect former students, strengthen professional networks and generate opportunities for financial contributions, volunteering and in-kind support.

Such a system, he argued, could help transform past relationships into productive partnerships while making it easier for JISA to connect sponsors with the sporting properties and audiences they wish to support.

Samuda said the association should cultivate the expertise necessary to serve as an effective intermediary between sponsors and collegiate sports, helping both sides identify opportunities and build mutually beneficial relationships.

Samuda endorses Beckford-led vision

Despite his call for greater commercial discipline, Samuda expressed confidence in JISA’s direction under President Beckford, citing what he described as a willingness to innovate and improve representation for the association’s stakeholders.

He said a unified vision and coordinated strategy would be essential to securing collective success, particularly as international sport increasingly depends on knowledge-sharing, professional expertise and bilateral and multilateral partnerships.

The JOA, he added, recognizes the interconnected nature of the sporting community and supports JISA’s mandate.

“You are not descendants of the Olympic family but the sports in which you are involved are resident in our household,” Samuda said, emphasizing the shared interests of the two organizations in physical education, performance, recreation, health and wellness.

He stressed that the institutional relationship should be understood through their common commitment to developing sport, even where their structures and responsibilities differ.

A season for reflection and transformation

As JISA embarks on its 2026/2027 campaign, Samuda urged its leadership and members to combine reflection with decisive action, using the new season to strengthen the association’s foundations and expand its ambitions.

He challenged the collegiate sports fraternity to pursue not only competitive achievements but also the institutional and commercial changes necessary to secure its long-term future.

“This is your 2026/2027 season. A time for reflection and a time for action. A time to envision, a time for vision. A time to play the game, a time to transform the game. A time to conquer, and a time for victory,” he said.

“Let the season therefore begin!”