🏆 From Rural Iowa to the NFL: A Career Built on Grit, Growth, and Purpose

Eric Sudol is the Chief Revenue Officer at Tepper Sports & Entertainment (TSE), overseeing revenue across the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte FC, and Bank of America Stadium. Before joining TSE, Eric spent 18 years with the Dallas Cowboys organization, rising from Suite Sales Executive in 2007 to Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships Sales & Marketing. Along the way, he also held dual roles as SVP of Global Partnerships at Legends and President & CEO of the Jones family's energy company, Pro Star Energy.

The Hilltop That Changed Everything

Eric's story starts in a town of 1,500 in northeast Iowa. “There are things I took from that experience that I carry with me every day,” he reflects. Lessons from his parents – his dad’s unshakable work ethic and his mom’s steady guidance – left an early mark. Sports were always his passion, but not his future as an athlete. “I wasn’t good enough to play Division I, but I knew I wanted to stay close to the game.” That path led him to Cornell College, a small DIII liberal arts school that expanded his worldview. “It was sitting on a hilltop,” he says, “and little did I know that hill would help me see things I hadn’t seen before.” A chance conversation with the commissioner of his college’s athletic conference introduced him to Ohio University – and, more importantly, the idea of turning a love of sports into a career.

He cold-called his way into an unpaid internship with the Memphis Grizzlies. “He answered the phone, which rarely happens,” Eric recalls. “I told him my story and he said, ‘We’ll take you. But we can’t pay you.’” That leap of faith led to his first full-time job selling sponsorships for the Grizzlies and helping open FedEx Forum, where his team consistently outperformed expectations in the NBA’s smallest market.

Betting on Himself – and the Cowboys

When Eric learned about the Cowboys’ plans to open AT&T Stadium, he saw another inflection point. “I thought, a new stadium, the NFL, this could change my career.” The Cowboys told him the role might only last 20 months. He took the risk anyway. The 2008 recession hit soon after, but Eric stayed on, proving his value in a downturn when suite sales got tough. “Probably the only reason I lasted 18 years in Dallas,” he says with a laugh.

From there, he took on broader leadership roles – overseeing ticket and suite sales, then eventually leading sponsorships. By 2017, he was simultaneously heading up Legends' global partnerships, where he helped close major naming rights deals for SoFi Stadium, Allegiant Stadium, and other landmark venues.“I was on the road every single week for three years—except two,” he says. Eventually Cowboys leadership asked him to lead their energy company, Pro Star Energy. “I told them I knew nothing about energy. But Steven Jones said, ‘You’ve been around here long enough to understand the standard of the brand – go deliver that and get the best people you can.’” Eric grew the business and eventually led it through a successful exit.

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The 3 C’s and Leadership

Eric has a simple but firm framework when hiring: the three C’s – Care, Character, and Capacity. “Do you care about what you do? That’s non-negotiable,” he says. "Character isn't just about being a good person, it's about how you show up to work every day and support those around you." And capacity? “It’s not just experience. It’s intellectual and emotional capacity – and the resourcefulness to grow.”

Through his years leading massive teams, building stadiums, and managing dual careers, Eric’s philosophy hasn’t changed. “It’s always about the people,” he says. He credits his leadership growth to recognizing when to let go of trying to “pull people up” who didn’t want it – and instead investing in those who did. “That comes back to you in spades.” He values grit, conviction, and the ability to navigate ambiguity. “The best leaders I’ve been around aren’t territorial,” he explains. “They’re confident in what they know – and what they don’t. And they surround themselves with people who make the whole thing better.”

Anchored in Purpose

So what drives him? Purpose. He and his wife keep a quote in their home: “If you want to know your true purpose in life, know this for certain: It will only be found in service to others and connecting to something larger than your own mind, body, and ego.”

To Eric, sports are exactly that – “a great unifier, a respite in people’s lives.” It’s why he wakes up energized every day. “When you work for a purpose-driven organization, and you make decisions rooted in that – everything changes.”