DETROIT – The Detroit Sports Commission (DSC) announced today Mark Hollis as its new chair of the Detroit Sports Organizing Corp (DSOC). 
"It's an honor for me to lead a diverse and talented group of community leaders in metro Detroit that are committed to elevating the sports landscape here," said Hollis. "I've been fortunate enough to experience some of the greatest sporting events around the globe and believe Detroit is one of the best sports destinations. There is no other city where events can impact it more immediately and significantly than Detroit. I look forward to working with the DSOC members, Claude Molinari, Dave Beachnau and the DSC staff to bring world-class events here."

Hollis currently serves as the Vice President of Business Development for Rock Ventures, one of the primary companies comprising Dan Gilbert's affiliated Family of Companies. In his role, he oversees the  tying of threads across 100+ companies in the FOC portfolio, creating value and connecting those companies to their surrounding communities. Hollis helped launch and coordinates the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Detroit's annual PGA TOUR event, and the Forbes Under 30 Summit.

In 2018, Hollis retired from a 30-plus year career in intercollegiate athletics, including serving 10 years as the athletics director at Michigan State University. Hollis is credited with developing some of college athletics' most innovative events. He helped design a 16-team men's college basketball tournament with Nike-sponsored schools in 2017 to celebrate Nike President Phil Knight's 80th birthday. In 2011, Hollis' vision led to the first basketball game to be played on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. In 2003, he was the architect of the "BasketBowl," which established a then-world record crowd of 78,129 who witnessed the Michigan State-Kentucky game at Detroit's Ford Field. The in-the-round concept is now used for the NCAA Men's Final Four. In 2001, Hollis helped mastermind the Michigan State-Michigan outdoor hockey game that attracted a then world-record crowd of 74,554 in Spartan Stadium, setting the NHL's annual Winter Classic blueprint.

Hollis has been a DSOC member since 2018 and replaces Michael G. Wright, chief of staff, Wayne State University, who has served as chair since the DSOC's inception. Wright has been instrumental in the growth of the DSC and its success securing national and international events, including the 2018 USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships, 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, 2021 USA Weightlifting Nationals Week and the 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Regionals. He also oversaw the strategic planning process that led to the DSOC's formation in 2017.

"It's been a great privilege to chair a special group of leaders to help make Detroit a top sports destination, bringing events that result in true economic impact and an enhanced quality of life for community and youth," Wright said. "I know Mark will do a great job as our next DSOC chair, continuing to build Detroit's reputation and advance the sports landscape in the region."

Wright will remain active on the DSOC and will continue to support the work of the organization.

"Under Michael's leadership, Detroit made significant headway in the eyes of the major events rights-holder organizations, and there is a pathway to consistent success for Detroit," said Claude Molinari, president and CEO of the DMCVB. "We're equally excited for Michael to remain an important member of our team and for Mark to take the reins as chair of the DSOC. Mark's knowledge, creativity and experience will help the sports commission in all facets of strategic planning and development for the future as we bid on and host marquee events in our city."

Hollis earned his bachelor of arts degree in communication from Michigan State in 1985, where he served as a basketball team manager under Jud Heathcote. In 1992, he earned his MBA in business administration from the University of Colorado. He and his wife Nancy, have a daughter, Katy, and two sons, T.R. and Michael.
About the Detroit Sports Commission
The mission of the Detroit Sports Commission (DSC) is to market and sell metro Detroit as a premier destination for regional, national and international amateur sporting events. The DSC is a not-for-profit charitable organization, IRS 501 (c)(3), and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB). For more information, visit detroitsports.org.

About the Detroit Sports Organizing Corp
The Detroit Sports Organizing Corp (DSOC) prioritizes, evaluates, and executes significant future bid opportunities to enable the Detroit Sports Commission to attract major sporting events to metro Detroit, accelerate economic growth, and enhance the quality of life. Formed in 2017, the all-volunteer DSOC represents the ranking private-sector, civic, philanthropic, community and sports leadership across metro Detroit.