David B. Falk, one of the most influential figures in the history of professional sport, will deliver the keynote address at the David B. Falk College of Sport's Convocation Ceremony on Saturday, May 9, at 12:30 p.m. at the John A. Lally Athletics Complex at Syracuse University.
The event marks a historic milestone for the College, which was reimagined to the David B. Falk College of Sport in July 2025. Falk College entered a new era with a sharpened focus on sport and continues its evolution as one of the nation's premier sport-focused academic programs.
"Long before the sport industry looked the way it does today, David saw where it was headed and his vision, and his generosity, gave us the foundation to build a college around a 360-degree perspective of sport,” said Jeremy Jordan, professor and dean of the Falk College of Sport. “In a year as significant as this one, having David here to address our inaugural class as the ‘College of Sport’ isn't just fitting. It's full circle."
David Falk is widely regarded as the most influential player agent in NBA history. As founder of Falk Associates Management Enterprises (FAME), he spent more than 50 years reshaping the business of professional sport, negotiating record-breaking contracts, pioneering athlete marketing, and redefining what it means to represent elite talent.
Among his most celebrated achievements, David negotiated Michael Jordan's landmark partnership with Nike in 1985, giving rise to the Air Jordan brand – the most successful athlete endorsement relationship in history. He secured the highest contracts in NBA history for Patrick Ewing in 1985 and Danny Ferry in 1990, and in 1996 negotiated professional sport's first $100 million contract, for Alonzo Mourning, during a six-day free agency period in which FAME negotiated more than $400 million in contracts for its clients. David also served as executive producer of Space Jam (1996) and has been prominently featured in the Netflix docuseries The Last Dance.
He began his career representing professional athletes with ProServ in 1974, rising to Vice Chairman of the company. He left ProServ in 1992 to form FAME.
David graduated with honors from Syracuse University's College of Arts and Sciences with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He later received a law degree with honors from George Washington University.
Rhonda Falk ‘74 and David Falk ‘72 attended the Falk College of Sport Kickoff Celebration in September 2025.
The Falk family's generosity to Syracuse University spans decades. In 2008, David and his wife Rhonda, who is a 1974 Syracuse alumna, made a $5 million gift to establish the David B. Falk Center for Sport Management. Then in 2011, he furthered his commitment to academic sport with a transformational $15 million gift to the University, leading to the naming of what was then the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.
He serves as a Life Trustee of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees and remains an active member of the Falk College of Sport Advisory Board, of which he is chair emeritus.