New York, N.Y., April 16, 2019 – The XFL today announced that Janet Duch, most recently Senior Vice President of On Location Experiences and a long-time executive at Madison Square Garden, has been named President of the XFL football team in New York.
The New York team will play at MetLife Stadium when the league kicks off in February 2020. Kevin Gilbride, a former NFL head coach with nearly four decades of football coaching experience, was today named the team’s head coach and general manager.
Duch will be responsible for the team’s fan engagement and business operations, including ticket sales, corporate partnerships, marketing, content, communications, community relations, and the game day experience.
“Vince, Oliver and I are happy to welcome Janet to the XFL and know that she and Coach Gilbride will successfully deliver an outstanding gameday experience,” said Jeffrey Pollack, XFL President and Chief Operating Officer. “Janet has a seasoned understanding of New York sports fans and the skills required to help us quickly connect with the community.”
“It’s a great privilege to help lead the XFL’s New York team and help evolve the football experience, on and off the field,” said Duch. “I’m excited for the opportunity to build a new organization and engage the passionate football fans we have in the tri-state area. Our mission is to bring fans closer to the game they love.”
Duch served since 2016 as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for On Location Experiences, a leading premium hospitality business. Prior to that she spent 18 years with Madison Square Garden. As Senior Vice President of both the New York Rangers and New York Knicks, she was a principal architect in developing and managing the brand identities of both teams and leading go-to-market ticketing and retention strategies, along with in-game entertainment, merchandise, community relations, and digital and fan engagement initiatives and programs.
Duch was named to the Sports Business Journal’s prestigious Forty Under 40 in 2015, the same year she was honored by Leaders in Sports as one of its Forty Under 40, Marketing & Communications.
Duch earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a student-athlete on the volleyball team. She resides in New Jersey.
Media Contact: Stephanie Rudnick – XFL Stephanie.Rudnick@xfl.com media@xfl.com
