Episode summary
The National Squash League: Reinventing Pro Squash
Dakota Rainmaker Podcast
· · Hosts: Gui Costin · Guests: Spencer Lovejoy, BG Lemmon
Summary
The conversation centers on how the National Squash League is trying to turn an individual, travel-heavy sport into a team-based product that feels more natural to American fans. Spencer Lovejoy says the league was built around a problem he kept hearing as a pro: “What team do you play for?” The NSL answers that with city-based franchises, six-player rosters, three-player matches, timed periods, substitutions, and power plays designed to create more drama and more recognizable sports structure.
BG Lemmon explains how he became involved after repeatedly pushing for a Philadelphia team and eventually joining as a co-owner of the Philadelphia Lightning. He emphasizes the early-stage reality of the business: everyone wears multiple hats, and the league has to balance enthusiasm with discipline. Both speakers argue that the NSL’s long-term opportunity depends on proving the product first, then expanding carefully into new markets and a fuller match calendar.
The business discussion also ties the league to sponsorship and media growth. Lemmon says the real sports-league monetization path is media rights and sponsorships, but only after the league demonstrates that fans want the event experience. The biggest challenge, in their view, is internal alignment and keeping founders, owners, and partners focused on the same long-term plan.
Key takeaways
- Spencer Lovejoy says the NSL was built to solve the identity gap in pro squash by giving players and fans city-based teams to root for.
- The league uses six-player rosters, timed periods, substitutions, and two-minute power plays to make squash more watchable and strategic.
- BG Lemmon says he joined after pushing for a Philadelphia franchise and now helps with league operations as a hands-on co-owner.
- The founders want to expand into new U.S. markets, but they say the league must grow carefully rather than take every team opportunity immediately.
- Lemmon argues the biggest sports-business upside will come from media rights and sponsorships after the product proves itself.
- Both speakers say the hardest part is keeping a startup league aligned across personalities, ownership, and long-term goals.
Notable quotes
“What team do you play for”
“The rosters are six players total, but only three of them will play in the match”
“Our format is totally different. There's ti time timed periods. Um there's substitutions, there's power plays, and it's a little bit chaotic, but that's the fun part”
“the power play is what makes this league entirely special”
“the best way to make money, honestly, it's it's media rights and sponsorships”
How the episode opens
Welcome to the Rain Maker podcast with your host Geek Cen. The goal of this podcast is to give listeners a unique look into sales strategies from top industry executives. We introduce you to the heads of sales and heads of distribution who will help you understand the inner workings of the successful sales organizations from philosophy to execution.
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Visit dakota.comdoten marketplace today. What is up everybody? It's Geek Cen, founder and co of Dakota.
Welcome to a special edition of the Rainmaker podcast. I am so lucky to be joined by Spencer Lovejoy, co-founder of the National Squash League. So, welcome and his partner BG Lemon.
Guys, welcome. Spencer Lovejoy is the CEO of the National Squash League. He competed professionally on the global squash circuit from 2020 to 2025, reaching a career-high world ranking of number 64 and earning three professional titles.
A member of the team USA squash, Lovejoy was the US national runnerup in 2023. He is a Yale University graduate and a native of Brford, Connecticut.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- building a sports league
- professional squash
- team-based reinvention
- fan engagement
- sports partnerships
Companies and tickers mentioned
- National Squash League
- Philadelphia Lightning
- Dakota
Watch the episode
Watch “The National Squash League: Reinventing Pro Squash” on YouTube
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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Dakota Rainmaker Podcast, this episode and its artwork belong to Dakota Team. Octagon is not affiliated with the show; this page is an independent summary.
