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Michael Murphy (sports executive)

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Michael Murphy
Michael Murphy in Cleveland, Ohio
Michael Murphy in Cleveland, Ohio
Born1977
University Heights, Ohio
EducationB.A. College of the Holy Cross, J.D. University of Akron School of Law
Alma materSt. Ignatius High School
TitleCEO & Co-Founder of Cleveland Soccer Group
Websitehttps://www.clevelandprosoccer.com/

Michael Murphy is an American sports executive. He is CEO and co-founder of Cleveland Pro Soccer, the ownership group of Cleveland's MLS NEXT Pro soccer team and prospective NWSL team.[1]

Early life and education

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Murphy was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. He graduated from St. Ignatius High School, a Jesuit high school in Cleveland, in 1996, and earned his B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross, in 2000. Murphy went on to graduate with his J.D. from University of Akron School of Law in 2003.

Military service

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Murphy was commissioned as an Army Officer in 2000. He was a Captain in the U.S. Army, where he served on active duty as a Judge Advocate from 2004-2008. In 2005, Murphy deployed as a member of the Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.[2]

Career

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Gravitas Ventures

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Murphy joined Gravitas Ventures in 2007 as SVP of Business Affairs, and became President[3] in 2009. In 2019, Gravitas Ventures moved its headquarters to Cleveland to "cement the city's impact on the entertainment industry."[4][5][6]

Murphy remained President of Gravitas Ventures throughout the company's sales in 2017[7] and 2021.[8][9]

Cleveland Pro Soccer

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Murphy left Gravitas Ventures in 2022 to co-found the sports ownership group Cleveland Pro Soccer with Nolan Gallagher.[10][11][12][13] He currently serves as CEO.[2]

In an interview with Front Office Sports, Murphy and Gallagher explained that the idea of bringing professional outdoor soccer to Cleveland came up in 2021 when they recognized that Cleveland was the only top-20 market without professional outdoor soccer teams.[14]

MLS NEXT Pro

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On November 21, 2022, Cleveland Pro Soccer announced its new independent club would join the MLS NEXT Pro soccer league in 2025.[15] In Feb. 2024, Murphy told Cleveland Scene "there's a good chance the team's debut is delayed from 2025 until a stadium is built, which could take up to two years from when ground is broken."[16] The team's name, colors and crest will be also revealed at a later date.

National Women's Soccer League

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In October 2023, Cleveland Pro Soccer announced the group was preparing to present a bid for the 16th NWSL expansion team.[17] The team would be the first and only professional women's soccer team in the state of Ohio. As of April 2024, 12,000 fans had made ticket pledges to support the bid for an NWSL team in Cleveland.[18][19][20][21] As of November 2024, 15,000 season ticket pledges have been made.[22]

In an interview with Cleveland Magazine, Murphy said, "Fandom is just going to increase significantly with the World Cup [...] So that Cleveland and Northeast Ohio really has a seat at the table as the whole world and the whole country is talking about this, that we are in the game, so to speak, and not on the sidelines anymore. We think the economic impact will be significant".[23]

New stadium efforts

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In an interview with Front Office Sports, Murphy said a stadium plan would be important for attracting an NWSL team to the city.[24] In February 2024, the Ohio House of Representatives earmarked funding for "Cleveland Women's Soccer Stadium."[25][26] Murphy has stated that the stadium will seat between 12,500[27] to 13,000 fans,[28] and the project will cost an estimated $150 million.[29]

In May 2024, Cleveland Soccer Group released renderings of the stadium.[30][31] In September 2024, Cleveland Soccer Group released updated renderings for the soccer-specific stadium and announced a partnership with Cleveland Metroparks with which CSG acquired land for the prospective stadium site.[32]

Personal life

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Murphy grew up and lives on the east side of Cleveland. He coaches track, basketball and soccer at St. Dominic’s School. A major supporter of Cleveland State University men’s and women’s basketball, Murphy believes sports have the power to transform the identity of the institution and the city.

Community involvement

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Murphy is a member of the Cleveland Chapter of Young Presidents' Organization (YPO), a member of the U.S. Soccer Development Council, on the board of Boys Hope Girls Hope of Northeast Ohio and on the advisory council for Play Gap (formerly Northeast Ohio Women's Sports Alliance).

References

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  1. ^ Cunningham, Danny (2024-05-16). "Women's Professional Soccer Could Be Coming to Cleveland. Meet the Group Behind That Effort". Cleveland Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  2. ^ a b "#108: Michael Murphy (Cleveland Soccer Group)". Lay of the Land Podcast. 2023-03-02. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  3. ^ Kay, Jeremy (April 27, 2017). "Gravitas Ventures expands into international sales". Screen Daily. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  4. ^ Cotton, Kierra (2021-04-26). "Local film distribution company, Gravitas Ventures, hopes to further cement Cleveland's impact on the entertainment industry". WKYC. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  5. ^ Gardner, Chris (2023-02-17). "Gravitas Ventures Founder Nolan Gallagher Stepping Down to Focus on MLS Next Pro Team Ownership". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  6. ^ Ujek, Will (2016-04-12). "Film company plants roots in Cleveland". WKYC. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  7. ^ Alcinii, Daniele (2017-11-08). "Red Arrow takes majority stake in Gravitas Ventures". Real Screen. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  8. ^ Suttell, Scott (November 16, 2021). "Cleveland film distributor Gravitas Ventures is sold in $73 million deal". Crain's Cleveland Business. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  9. ^ Kay, Jeremy (2021-11-16). "Anthem Sports & Entertainment acquires Gravitas Ventures". Screen Daily. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  10. ^ Gardner, Chris (2023-02-17). "Gravitas Ventures Founder Nolan Gallagher Stepping Down to Focus on MLS Next Pro Team Ownership". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  11. ^ Lang, Brent (2023-02-17). "Nolan Gallagher Steps Down as CEO of Gravitas Ventures". Variety. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  12. ^ Welk, Brian (2023-02-17). "Gravitas Ventures Founder Stepping Down as CEO to Focus on His… Cleveland Soccer Team". IndieWire. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  13. ^ Cunningham, Danny (2024-05-16). "Women's Professional Soccer Could Be Coming to Cleveland. Meet the Group Behind That Effort". Cleveland Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  14. ^ Myrick, Daniel (2024-02-19). "What it Takes to Bring Pro Women's Soccer to Cleveland". Front Office Sports. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  15. ^ Cross, Ian (2022-11-22). "New professional soccer team coming to Cleveland, part of MLS NEXT Pro league". News 5 Cleveland WEWS. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  16. ^ Grzegorek, Vince. "Debut of Cleveland's MLS NEXT Pro Team May Be Delayed Until Soccer Stadium Built". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  17. ^ Chavkin, Daniel (2023-10-17). "Ohio Group Announces Pursuit of NWSL Franchise in Cleveland". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  18. ^ Ross, Catherine (2024-04-08). "Final Four proved there's an appetite for women's sports. Could it help bring pro women's soccer to Cleveland?". News 5 Cleveland WEWS. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  19. ^ Marc Bona, cleveland com (2024-04-03). "Cleveland Soccer Group announces 12,000 season-ticket pledges in drive to secure women's NWSL franchise". cleveland. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  20. ^ Scalzo, Joe (2024-04-03). "Cleveland's proposed NWSL team gets 12,000 season ticket pledges". Crain's Cleveland Business. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  21. ^ "Cleveland Soccer Group announces 12k season-ticket pledges for possible NWSL expansion franchise". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. 2024-04-04. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  22. ^ Anzidei, Melanie. "NWSL expansion: Where things stand as the league looks to add a 16th team". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  23. ^ Cunningham, Danny (2024-05-16). "Women's Professional Soccer Could Be Coming to Cleveland. Meet the Group Behind That Effort". Cleveland Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  24. ^ "What it Takes to Bring Pro Women's Soccer to Cleveland". Front Office Sports. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  25. ^ Trau, Morgan (2024-02-09). "Cleveland could get women's pro soccer stadium under proposed Ohio House spending bill • Ohio Capital Journal". Ohio Capital Journal. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  26. ^ Trau, Morgan (2024-02-09). "Cleveland could get women's pro soccer stadium under proposed Ohio House spending bill • Ohio Capital Journal". Ohio Capital Journal. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  27. ^ Ross, Catherine (2024-04-08). "Final Four proved there's an appetite for women's sports. Could it help bring pro women's soccer to Cleveland?". News 5 Cleveland WEWS. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  28. ^ Rascon, Matt (2024-02-08). "The push for a women's professional soccer stadium (and a team) in Cleveland". wkyc.com. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  29. ^ Allard, Sam (2024-02-07). "Ohio appropriations bill includes $1M for pro women's soccer stadium in Cleveland". Axios. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  30. ^ Scalzo, Joe (May 16, 2024). "Cleveland Soccer Group seeking $90 million in public money for proposed downtown stadium". Crain's Cleveland Business. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  31. ^ McMullen, Justin (2024-05-16). "Cleveland Soccer Group releases renderings of proposed downtown women's soccer stadium". WKYC. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  32. ^ "Cleveland Soccer Group, aiming for NWSL bid, acquires state-owned land for planned $150 million stadium". Yahoo Sports. 2024-09-19. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
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