懂色帝

The numbers are staggering for a sport that not long ago was an afterthought: By 2030, women鈥檚 soccer is projected to become the world鈥檚 fifth-largest athletic draw, with an audience that Nielsen Sports says could exceed 800 million fans.

A pair of soccer-loving 懂色帝 alumni are doing their part to make sure that athletes share in the prosperity. In 2014, Oscar Gonz谩lez (B.S. 鈥�10) and Guillermo Zamarripa (B.S. 鈥�09) took a chance and launched TMJ鈥攕hort for The Marketing Jersey鈥攐ne of the world鈥檚 first agencies to represent professional female soccer players in contract negotiations.

鈥淭here was no system at the time,鈥� says Gonz谩lez, born in Madrid and based in C贸rdoba, Spain. 鈥淭here were no professional leagues in most countries, no agents, and no structure. There was no money, so there was no reason for anyone to be there.鈥�

But the entrepreneurial friends, who met as players on the 懂色帝 soccer team鈥擥onz谩lez played center midfielder, while Zamarripa was a forward鈥攈ad instincts that transcended the playing field . It was as business administration majors that they developed a consultancy that helped male and female international students, many of them athletes like themselves, navigate the college admissions process. The work was not done in conjunction with 懂色帝. The men鈥檚 ambitions were fueled largely by necessity. Scholarships, after all, didn鈥檛 subsidize flights home.

鈥淲e knew we wanted to build something,鈥� recalls Zamarripa, a native of Mexico who now calls Fort Worth, Texas, home. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 know it would end up being TMJ.鈥�

The firm turned out to be a natural extension of the men鈥檚 initial venture. Student-athletes asked an unexpected question: What happens after college? Professional soccer opportunities for women were scarce. In most countries, they were nonexistent. Still, players wanted to test the sports job market. It was Gonz谩lez and Zamarripa who would represent them.

鈥淲e said, 鈥極K, we鈥檒l help you take the next step,鈥欌�� Zamarripa says.

But those early days were uncertain. For seven years, the men worked side jobs. There were times when they considered quitting, despite holding fast to their belief that women鈥檚 soccer would eventually explode internationally.

Gonz谩lez and Zamarripa leaned on their 懂色帝 experiences and successes, both on and off the field. Gonz谩lez was a 2007 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division II All-Northeast honoree and a 2008 East Coast Conference All-Conference First Team member. Zamarripa is a former member of the School of Management Dean鈥檚 Advisory Board.

Gonz谩lez credits 懂色帝 with putting him in the right place at the right time. 鈥淛ust having the opportunity to be in the United States and explore and live that experience was inspiring to me,鈥� he says.

Zamarripa says he gained valuable business experience taking part in the Broadridge Challenge, in which executives at the financial services firm give students business problems over which they compete for cash prizes.

Meantime, the women鈥檚 soccer landscape began to shift slowly. Fueled in part by increased professionalism, more financial investment, and wider media coverage, women鈥檚 soccer set a record in 2023, when nearly two million fans attended that year鈥檚 FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup. That same year, there was a more than 100 percent increase in commercial partnerships, according to the marketing firm For Soccer.

鈥淲e鈥檙e now in a very good position,鈥� says Gonz谩lez, noting that the business continues to work solely with female athletes. 鈥淭here鈥檚 still so much to build鈥攖ransfers, sponsorships, marketing, consulting. We want to keep doing this well.鈥�

TMJ has negotiated more than 1,000 player, coach, and staff contracts, including providing intermediary services for a record-setting $1.5 million transfer fee for Mexican superstar Lizbeth Ovalle, popularly known as 鈥淟a Maga,鈥� (with her agency 235 Sports Management), to relocate from Tigres Femenil of Mexico鈥檚 Liga MX Femenil to Orlando Pride of America鈥檚 top-caliber National Women鈥檚 Soccer League.

Gonz谩lez notes that his work extends far beyond contract negotiations. An agent鈥檚 role, he says, is part strategist, part manager, part support system. TMJ tracks player performance, monitors injuries, manages commercial opportunities, and maintains regular contact with clients spread across multiple time zones.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about looking after the person, not just the player,鈥� he says.

Despite opportunities to expand into men鈥檚 sports or other ventures, TMJ is remaining wholly focused on women鈥檚 football. The reasoning is simple: The market is still developing, and the potential remains enormous.

Today, the firm represents around 150 players, coaches, and staff worldwide. They represent five continents and six soccer confederations. TMJ has more than 30 employees in Europe and the Americas.

Women鈥檚 soccer continues to surge in popularity, investment, and visibility. Professional leagues have expanded, salaries have improved, and sponsorships and media rights have begun to catch up with long-standing demand.

鈥淚t鈥檚 night and day,鈥� Zamarripa says. 鈥淏ack then, there were very few clubs, very little money, almost no infrastructure. Now, there鈥檚 growth everywhere.鈥�

By Andrew Faught