Appointed in November 2024, Al Boatright serves as the General Manager for Long Island University Men’s Basketball, bringing more than 25 years of high-level experience in sports media, athlete branding, business strategy, and grassroots basketball. A proven innovator at the intersection of athletics and entrepreneurship, Boatright has built a career around empowering elite talent and growing organizations through market-savvy leadership and cultural intelligence.
As general manager of NIL for LIU men’s basketball, Boatright is charged with designing a forward-facing ecosystem that equips student-athletes with the tools, resources, and mentorship necessary to monetize their name, image, and likeness—ethically, strategically, and sustainably. His approach integrates athlete mentorship, business consulting, content creation, and strategic partnerships, reinforcing LIU’s position as a model institution in the modern college sports landscape.
Boatright is a founding member of Breakdown Inc., one of the most respected names in grassroots basketball over the past quarter century. He was instrumental in the creation and expansion of Breakdown Magazine—the first full-color, nationally distributed high school basketball publication in the United States—where he served as a writer, evaluator, and strategist. His features, including “Man in the Mirror” on Amare Stoudemire and profiles on Sebastian Telfair and Dwight Howard, introduced future superstars to national audiences for the first time, setting a new bar for prep sports journalism. He later recruited top-tier athletes for Team Breakdown, a dominant AAU basketball program that captured back-to-back national titles and earned international acclaim.
Beyond publishing, Boatright produced and hosted “The Breakdown Show”, a 30-minute weekly sports program on Florida’s SUN Network (a FOX affiliate), expanding his influence into televised sports storytelling and content production. As CFO of Breakdown Inc., he led multiple business mergers and partnerships, including collaborations with the Florida Lottery and regional broadcast networks.
In the NIL era, Boatright has become a nationally recognized consultant, negotiating high-value contracts and developing brand strategies for a wide range of talent—from business management for world champion boxer Alycia Baumgardner, to media consulting for NFL quarterback Jameis Winston, and brand management to global fashion models and influencers. He wrote the international “Dwyane Wade Brand Book,” focusing on post-career ventures and legacy branding, and served as a sponsorship advisor to the CFDA during the inaugural NY Fashion Week: Men’s event. Boatright’s NIL work includes writing and negotiating contracts for international entertainers, guiding both rising and established talent across borders and platforms.
His business insight extends far beyond the sports arena. Boatright has provided tourism consultation for Telemundo Worldwide in the Caribbean, judged international aesthetic competitions, and supported the development of wellness brands like Root & Leaf—a cold-pressed juice company launched by a retired athlete seeking impact beyond the game. He has held executive and C-suite roles across the marketing, media, and hospitality industries, helping startups and major corporations alike navigate growth, brand expansion, and partnership development.
Boatright holds a Bachelor of Science in behavioral sciences from Florida State University and has been honored for his contributions to business consulting, startup success, and creative direction. With longstanding professional relationships in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and the Dominican Republic, Boatright’s network and expertise offer LIU a global advantage.
