Bio

Named Commissioner of the Prospect League in January 2023, David Brauer quickly positioned the league among the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball organizations through a forward-looking approach aligned with the evolving landscape of intercollegiate athletics.

Under Brauer’s leadership, the Prospect League enhanced its visibility, technology infrastructure, player development resources, and operational efficiencies. He spearheaded a partnership with HomeTeam Network to elevate the league’s streaming quality and accessibility with the launch of the Prospect League Network (PLN), the league’s most comprehensive broadcast platform to date, with expanded distribution through Roku and Amazon. He also led the league’s entry into advanced analytics through a partnership with TrackMan, providing players and college coaches with industry-leading performance data while enhancing fan experiences through expanded in-game statistics.

Drawing on his extensive NCAA Division I background, Brauer established a partnership with NOCAP Sports, a leader in collegiate Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), to provide Prospect League players with educational resources and tools to strengthen their personal brands in a compliant and effective manner. He prioritized player wellness by developing league partnerships focused on pitcher health and performance training through ArmCare.com, and with mental health support initiatives. Internally, he implemented operational procedures that significantly improved efficiencies in the administration of nearly 1,000 annual player contracts, financial operations, and league-wide information management.

During Brauer’s tenure, the Prospect League achieved consecutive attendance records, surpassing 1.2 million fans during the 2023 and 2024 seasons including the largest year-over-year attendance increase in summer collegiate baseball. His emphasis on exposure and strategic partnerships also contributed to a 23 percent increase in social media following and a 500 percent increase in sponsorship revenue.

Prior to becoming commissioner, Brauer spent a decade as Assistant Commissioner for Communications for The Summit League, where he played a key role in elevating the conference’s national profile. He negotiated a landmark broadcast agreement that expanded regional and national audiences, directed media operations for The Summit League Basketball Championships, and helped establish both The Summit League Hall of Fame and the “Reach the Summit” marketing campaign.

A graduate of the University of Illinois, Brauer began his career in athletic communications as a student employee in the Fighting Illini athletic public relations department and later interned with the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns. He subsequently held communications roles with the baseball programs at Purdue University and Northern Illinois University and served in the sports information department at University of South Carolina.

Outside of athletics, Brauer served in communications leadership roles across government and the private sector, including overseeing communications, marketing, and advertising initiatives for the Wisconsin Lottery. There, he developed the “WINsconsin” branding initiative and directed national media coverage surrounding the state’s record-setting 2019 Powerball jackpot win.

Brauer is the author of two books, including The Wizard of College Baseball: How Ron Fraser Elevated Miami and an Entire Sport to National Prominence, published by Nebraska Press in June 2024. The book reached No. 5 on BookAuthority.org’s list of the Top 20 Best College Baseball Books of All Time.

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