NEW ORLEANS (October 6, 2023) – Long-time New Orleans sports executive Jeff Rossi has joined the staff of the Allstate Sugar Bowl as its chief operating officer, the Bowl announced on Friday.
 
"We're pleased to have Jeff joining the Sugar Bowl team," said Jeff Hundley, CEO at the Allstate Sugar Bowl.  "Over the years, he's demonstrated aptitude and leadership at the highest levels.  His input will be most valuable as the Sugar Bowl sets its sights on the expanded College Football Playoff beginning next year."
 
Rossi joins the Sugar Bowl after 13 years at the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation. During his time with the Sports Foundation, he served as executive director of the 2022 Men's Final Four Local Organizing Committee, the 2020 Women's Final Four Local Organizing Committee, and the 2017 NBA All-Star Host Committee. Most recently, he had been serving as executive director of the Host Committee for the 2025 NFL Super Bowl, and he's also been the co-executive director of the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
 
Rossi also has extensive operations experience with events such as the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship, the 2019 SEC Gymnastics Championship, and Wrestlemania in both 2014 and 2018. In 2012, he was selected by the NFL as one of eight Fans First Managers – a program focused on improving the fan experience of those attending the Super Bowl.
 
Prior to joining the Sports Foundation, Rossi worked for the National Basketball Association at the league office in New York for seven years.
 
A New Orleans native and a graduate of Brother Martin High School, Rossi earned his bachelor's degree from the University of New Orleans. He earned his master's degree in business administration from Seton Hall University while working with the NBA.
 
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 103 Hall of Fame players, 52 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 89-year history. The 90th Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will double as a College Football Playoff Semifinal, is scheduled to be played on January 1, 2024. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting nearly $2.4 billion into the local economy in the last decade.