summit

Name: Next Game Summit 2027
Start: 2027-05-07
End: 2027-05-07
Location: United Center

United Center | Friday, May 7, 2027

THE END OF A SEASON CAN FEEL UNCERTAIN. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO.

THE NEXT GAME SUMMIT BRINGS TOGETHER ATHLETES, EXECUTIVES, AND BUILDERS FOR A FULL DAY FOCUSED ON WHAT COMES AFTER COMPETITION: CAREER DIRECTION, WELLNESS, COMMUNITY, AND ACTIONABLE NEXT STEPS.

Former college athletes talking together at a Next Game event

Group of Next Game athletes outdoors on a sunny winter day

Group photo of athletes in the United Center atrium in Chicago

Save the Date

The 3rd Annual Next Game Summit is Friday, May 7, 2027 at the United Center in Chicago. Thank you to the leaders, partners and athletes who made the 2nd Annual Summit such a great day.

Registration opens early next year. Hit the button to join our community and you’ll hear first.

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2026 SCHEDULE

7:15 AM - 8:00 AM | CHECK-IN

8:00 - 8:30 AM | Breakfast & Nutrition ROADMAP

8:30 - 9:30 AM | Pro Athlete Panel

9:30 - 9:35 AM | Break

9:35 - 10:10 AM | Fireside Chat: ATHLETE ADVANTAGES

10:10 - 11:40 AM | MOVEMENT: THE SCIENCE OF RECOVERY

11:40 - 11:55 AM | Break

11:55 AM - 12:40 PM | Lunch and Learn: BUILDING YOUR BRAND

12:40 - 1:45 PM | Life After Sport Panel

1:45 - 2:00 PM | Break

2:00 - 2:25 PM | Fireside Chat: LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE

2:25 - 3:35 PM | Life After Sport Panel

3:35 - 4:35 PM | Arena Tour

4:35 - 6:30 PM | HAPPY HOUR WITH HAILEY VAN LITH

2026 happy hour: exclusive fire side chat

The 2026 Summit closed with a conversation about sport and life with Hailey Van Lith and Reggie Williams at the Summit Happy Hour.

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Hailey Van Lith

Chicago Sky WNBA & Team USA 3v3 Basketball

Hailey Van Lith is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA. Known for her competitiveness and scoring, she was a five-star recruit and the all-time leading high school scorer in Washington state history before a high-profile college career.

Career Highlights

College Career: Van Lith spent three seasons at Louisville, where she led the Cardinals to the 2022 Final Four and earned two First-team All-ACC honors. She later played for LSU and finished her collegiate career at TCU, where she was named the 2025 Big 12 Player of the Year.

WNBA Transition: She was selected in the first round (11th overall) of the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky.

International Success: A decorated 3x3 basketball player, she won a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup and a bronze medal representing Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

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Hailey Van Lith

Louisville, LSU, TCU | Basketball
WNBA & Team USA 3v3 Athlete

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Reggie Williams

NBA Veteran | 2x NCAA Scoring Leader | Coach

Reggie played college basketball at the Virginia Military Institute, where he is the school's all-time leading scorer and led the country in scoring twice.

Reggie's professional basketball career spans 2008-2020 and he competed both in the NBA and abroad.

Since retiring, Reggie has coached at East Carolina University and led Team Loaded VA’s 16U AAU team on the Adidas 3SSB circuit, helping young players take the discipline of the game into the rest of their lives.

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Reggie Williams

Virginia Military Institute | Basketball
NBA Veteran & Former College Coach

MEET THE 2026 PROS

Check out the lineup from our 2026 Pro Athlete Panel.

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Nicole Mendes

2x NCAA Champion | Olympian | Professional Athlete & Broadcaster

Nicole Mendes won national championships with the University of Oklahoma softball team in 2017 and 2021.

She represented Team Mexico at the Tokyo Olympics and played professionally with Athletes Unlimited.

She now works in sports broadcasting and media, and wants athletes to know their identity doesn’t end when they hang up their cleats. At the Summit, she talked about turning the discipline of a championship program into a career after sport.

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Nicole Mendes

University of Oklahoma | Softball
Former Athletes Unlimited Athlete & Team Mexico Olympian

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Ben Brecht

Former Professional Baseball Pitcher | Wealth Management @ Private Vista

Ben Brecht pitched at UC Santa Barbara on scholarship before the Tampa Bay Rays selected him in the 2019 MLB Draft. He spent five seasons in professional baseball, including a shoulder injury that changed the course of his playing career.

While he played, Ben prepared for what came next: he took continuing education courses in the offseason, studied for the GMAT while rehabbing and sought out professionals to learn how his skills would carry over. After his release, he went to business school at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and moved into wealth management, where he now works at Private Vista.

After watching former teammates struggle financially once their careers ended, Ben helps athletes avoid preventable mistakes, with a focus on basics like budgeting, understanding debt and long-term planning.

At the Summit, Ben talked candidly about preparing for life after sport while you are still playing.

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Ben Brecht

University of California, Santa Barbara | Baseball
Former Tampa Bay Rays Athlete

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Clarissa Flores

Team Puerto Rico | Director of Operations @ Tao Hospitality Group | Owner @ Level Sporting Club

Clarissa Flores played basketball at Northwestern, represented Puerto Rico’s women’s national team and played professionally in Puerto Rico and Greece. After her playing career, at a time when women’s sports offered little financial stability, Clarissa moved into hospitality in Chicago, where she now works for a global hospitality group.

Inspired by the growth of women’s sports and bars like The Sports Bra, she founded a women’s sports bar in Chicago to build community around women’s athletics. She credits basketball with teaching her hustle, resilience, grit and teamwork, and says she is “indebted to the game” for opening doors, from throwing out a first pitch at Wrigley Field to giving a TED Talk.

At the Summit, Clarissa talked about growing opportunities for women athletes and how this generation can build careers during and after sport.

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Clarissa Flores

Northwestern University | Basketball
Former Team Puerto Rico & Pro Athlete

2026 speakers & panelists

Chloe Marotta

Marquette University | Basketball
Sports Analyst @ BIG EAST Conference
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Bardia Kimiavi

Northwestern University | Soccer
Director, Business Operations & Development @ Intentional Sports
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Corbin Thomas

Midwestern State | Basketball
Marketing Consultant @ Nike Jordan
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Annie Cazares

Purdue University | Track & Field
VP Strategy & Development @ 1901 Project
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Meghan McLean

Augustana College | Water Polo
Director of Strategy & Growth @ Mathena Construction Group
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Christopher Knight

Dartmouth College | Basketball
Investment Banking Associate @ Loop Capital
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Madison Burrier

Marquette University | Soccer
Project Manager @ Riddell
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Zach Gordon

University of South Carolina
#LinkedInSport Mentor @ LinkedIn
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Chris McCoy

Lawrence Technological University | Football
Manager, B2B Business Development @ Molson Coors
LINKEDIN

Annika Altekruse

Illinois Wesleyan University | Volleyball
Creative Account Manager @ Campus Ink & the NIL Store
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Kevin Kauling

Lewis University & University of Hawaii at Manoa | Volleyball
Financial Advisor @ Equitable Advisors
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Kyra Hungerford

University of Missouri St. Louis | Basketball
Registered Dietitian
LINKEDIN

2026 Session highlights

Professional athletes pull back the curtain on life after college sports: how their world has shifted, what they’ve seen happen to teammates and how they think about life after the final season.
A candid conversation with a nutritionist about how diet and wellness routines change after college athletics, and why they matter for your long-term health and performance.
A guided mobility session to improve range of motion, prevent injury and keep your body ready for the long haul.

Recent grads who have made the move from college athletics to the working world share honest stories, lessons learned and practical advice on identity, career paths and building a balanced life after sport.
A behind-the-scenes look at an iconic venue.
Industry leaders share their own career paths, from first jobs to big wins, and talk about what they look for when hiring.

FAQs

Where is it?
The Summit is at the United Center, 1901 W Madison St, Chicago. Entrance details will be shared before the event.

Where should I park?

Parking details for 2027 are still being finalized. We’ll share them with registered attendees before the event.

What time should I be there?

The 2027 schedule is still being finalized. Plan on a full day, and we’ll share check-in times with registered attendees.

If you have other obligations and need to arrive late, just let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate.

Do I need to bring anything?

Nope. We’ve got notebooks, pens, water bottles, and everything else you’ll need. Just bring yourself.

What should I wear?

Wear team travel gear. The day mixes movement with professional networking, so dress for both. Feel free to bring a change of clothes.

What’s the Happy Hour?

The day closes with a happy hour to meet professionals from Chicago companies and connect with other athletes. Timing and guests for 2027 will be announced closer to the event.