Team

Jamey Rootes, President

Jamey Rootes serves as President of Lone Star Sports & Entertainment (LSSE), a sports management agency associated with the Texans.

LSSE has been a catalyst for some of Houston’s most significant sporting events, especially in soccer. LSSE hosted the 2003 U.S. vs. Mexico soccer match which set a soccer attendance record for Texas and caused U.S. Soccer to recognize Reliant Stadium with the Best Soccer Crowd in America award.

More recently, LSSE has hosted America’s largest crowds for InterLiga in 2004-2006, Gold Cup in 2005 and then set a new Texas soccer record in 2006 with Barcelona on Tour. This success led to the establishment of Houston’s new Major League Soccer franchise, the Houston Dynamo in 2006.

Outside of soccer, LSSE manages the Texas Bowl, Houston’s only collegiate bowl game. In 2006, the Texas Bowl generated almost $30 million in economic impact which is comparable to premier bowl games like the Alamo, Gator and Cotton Bowls. The game attracted a Reliant Stadium bowl record crowd of 52,210, placing the Texas Bowl in the top-ten among non-BCS bowls for ticket revenue.

Also, the Bowl’s charity partner, Depelchin Children’s Centers received a check for $50,000 to support their important work with the youth and families of the Houston Area. Throughout the year, LSSE represents the marketing rights of the Shell Houston Open and other events in the Houston area.

Jamey Rootes serves as President of the Houston Texans and is responsible for all business functions of the club. Since joining the Texans, Rootes has overseen the team’s efforts to secure stadium naming rights and sponsorship, coordinated radio and TV broadcasting relationships, engineered the club’s successful ticket and suite sales campaigns, led creation and launch of the team’s identity, and developed the team’s highly-acclaimed customer service strategy.

Under Rootes’ leadership the Texans have earned many distinctions, including the American Marketing Association’s “Crystal Award” for the best overall marketing campaign. J.D. Power & Associates recognized the team for providing the best fan experience in the NFL and even featured the Texans as a service success story in their recent book entitled Satisfaction. Also, the Texans were recognized with Sports Business Journal’s PRISM Award, which is given annually to the top major league professional sports team based on business excellence criteria. In 2003, the Texans were also named by Sports Business Journal asthe best sports start-up over a five-year period. In 2006, the Texans extended their sell-out streak to 50 consecutive home games, a Houston NFL record and a testament to the consistent quality of service and entertainment provided by the organization on gameday. As a result, the Texans have consistently been recognized as one of the most valuable professional sports franchises both in the NFL and globally, as measured by a variety of business publications.

Rootes was selected twice by Sports Business Journal as a member of their distinguished “Forty Under 40” list of leading sports executives. Also, Rootes maintains an active role in the community and serves on a number of boards, including the United Way of Greater Houston and the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Prior to joining the Houston Texans, Rootes helped to launch Major League Soccer as President and General Manager of the Columbus Crew. During his tenure, the Crew was consistently among the league’s strongest teams both on and off the field and Rootes was recognized as Executive of the Year in 1996 and Marketing Executive of the Year in 1999. Rootes helped lead the construction of Crew Stadium in 1999, which was the first stadium of its type in America. This facility earned distinction as America’s Foremost Sports Facility of the Year.

A native of Stone Mountain, Ga., Rootes attended Clemson University and was a member of the Tigers’ soccer team that captured two NCAA titles and served as Student Body President. While earning an MBA at Indiana University, he served as an assistant soccer coach for the Hoosiers. Rootes previously held positions at IBM and Procter & Gamble before entering sports.

Rootes lives in West University with his wife, Melissa, and their children, Christopher and Caroline.