Bio

Named Prospect League Commissioner in Jan. 2023, David Brauer quickly made an impact on strengthening the League with a forward-thinking approach in the ever-changing world of intercollegiate athletics.

With a background in Division I athletics, Brauer pioneered a partnership with NOCAP Sports, a leader in collegiate Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) during his first season that provides players across the Prospect League access to education and resources to grow their off-field presence in a successful and compliant way. To further student-athlete wellness, Brauer established League relationships with ArmCare.com, a leading training aid to enhance health and performance, and Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression (AAAD), to provide players with meatal training and health resources.

Within his first two seasons in the commissioner’s chair, Brauer presided over consecutive seasons of record-setting attendance, drawing over 1.2 million fans to Prospect League games over a two-year span. With an increased emphasis on exposure, the League also saw a dramatic 23 percent gain in its social media following in Brauer’s first year. He forged a partnership with ProSource Media Group to expand the League’s focus on marketing and sponsorship opportunities which resulted in a 500% gain in sponsorship revenue in year one.

Brauer brought extensive college athletics administration experience to his post as commissioner, most recently spending a decade as Assistant Commissioner at the NCAA Division I Summit League. His background includes communications positions at four Division I universities and leadership roles in government and the private sector.

Brauer played an integral role in The Summit League’s transformation to national prominence. During his tenure, he secured a landmark broadcast agreement, the largest in League history, and launched weekly programming while building a network of television affiliates. Brauer directed all broadcast and media operations for The Summit League Basketball Championships, helping the event become a premier college tournament. He established The Summit League Hall of Fame, League marketing campaigns and policies, and oversaw a communications staff that garnered unprecedented media coverage for 19 championship sports.

A University of Illinois graduate, Brauer began his career as a student employee in the Fighting Illini athletic public relations department and as an intern for the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns. He worked closely with the baseball programs in communications positions at both Purdue and Northern Illinois and held an assistant role in South Carolina’s sports information department. Among his experience outside the sports industry, Brauer managed all communications, marketing, and advertising for the Wisconsin Lottery, including directing all media coverage for the state’s 2019 record-setting Powerball jackpot win.

Brauer authored "The Wizard of College Baseball: How Ron Fraser Elevated Miami and an Entire Sport to National Prominence" published in June 2024 by Nebraska Press. The title rose to No. 5 on the BookAuthority.org list of Top 20 Best College Baseball Books of All Time.

He resides in Mahomet, Ill., with his wife, Kendra, and their two children, Nic and Reagan.