NCSN, Veteran Golf Writer Ward Clayton
Partner On “The Road to Augusta” Podcast
The North Carolina Sports Network (NCSN) announced today a partnership with veteran journalist Ward Clayton to launch “The Road to Augusta, With Ward Clayton,” a premium podcast and digital content series leading into the 2026 Masters Tournament.
Scheduled to debut in February, the weekly podcast will provide an insider’s look at the traditions, history, and people that bring the Augusta golf scene to life each spring. The series will culminate during Masters week (April 11-14), with daily coverage and special feature content.
Hosted by Clayton, a Durham native and University of North Carolina graduate, the series draws on his unmatched master's perspective. Clayton has attended and covered 41 consecutive Masters tournaments. He will welcome guests from across the golf world, including players, caddies, writers, long-time patrons, and individuals with deep ties to Augusta.
North Carolina’s connection to the Masters runs deep, both historically and in the current field.
The 2026 tournament will include competitors with various ties to the Bold North State, including Bryson DeChambeau (2024 U.S. Open champion at Pinehurst), Brian Harman (sponsored by Wilmington-based MegaCorp), Michael La Sasso (Raleigh native and NCAA champion), Cameron Young (Wake Forest University), Ben Griffin (UNC), Akshay Bhatia (grew up in Wake Forest, N.C.), Ryan Gerard (UNC, Raleigh) and Max Greyserman (Duke).
Historically, the Masters’ North Carolina roots extend to original broadcaster John Derr (Dallas, NC), 1950s amateur standout Billy Joe Patton (Morganton), four-time champion Arnold Palmer (Wake Forest University), 1959 winner Art Wall (Duke), and 1976 champion Raymond Floyd (Fayetteville).
Additional ties include Augusta National’s bunker sand originating from the North Carolina mountains and co-founder Clifford Roberts ' long-time summers at Grandfather Mountain.
“Road to Augusta, with Ward Clayton, was built as a premium, seasonal property with a clear beginning, a defined narrative arc, and a natural climax during Masters week,” said Mike Waddell, CEO of Brentwood Partners LLC and co-founder of the North Carolina Sports Network. “By partnering with Ward Clayton, NCSN delivers credible, high-quality storytelling that aligns brands with tradition, excellence, and one of the most respected events in sports. This is intentional content designed for partners who value association, not interruption.”
Clayton said the project represents his lifelong connection to the tournament.
“I first fell in love with the Masters through families in Durham who had attended since the 1950s, and later by attending my first Masters in 1985, while covering golf for the Durham Morning Herald,” Clayton said. “Augusta has always felt like a rite of spring — a pilgrimage. It’s not just a golf tournament, but a place, an atmosphere, and a tradition that people hold close to their hearts. I look forward to sharing the stories of the players, caddies, long-time patrons, and Augustans who make it so special.”
“The Road To Augusta, With Ward Clayton” is part of NCSN’s expanding original content lineup, which also includes the award-winning David Glenn Show, Bold North State Football Daily (featuring Glenn anlongtimeme college coaches Tim Brewster and Jim Collins), Time-Out: The Tobacco Road Basketball Show (featuring Glenn anlongtimeme college coach Kerry Keating), Court Vision (featuring Waddell and NC State basketball star Ven-Allen Lubin), Her Court (featuring women’s basketball, with host Chris Edwards), This Was Then (focused on sports history in North Carolina, with co-hosts Todd McGee and Tim Peeler) and The Old North State Tailgate. Together, these shows form the foundation of NCSN’s mission to deliver expert coverage to fans from those who have lived and led at the highest levels of sports.
Episodes of “The Road To Augusta, With Ward Clayton” will be featured on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, as well as on the NCSportsNetwork.com website. Fans can follow @TheNCSportsNet on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for exclusive clips, updates, and behind-the-scenes moments.
About the North Carolina Sports Network
The North Carolina Sports Network is a product of Brentwood Partners LLC. Since launching in July 2023, NCSN has produced more than 2,400 videos, generated 35 million-plus impressions, surpassed 3.2 million total views, attracted more than 64,000 YouTube subscribers (top two percent in the world),d) and delivered 90+ on-site events through its Old North State Tailgate platform, making it the fastest-growing sports and culture media network in the state. NCSN features on-air personalities who include coaches, journalists, athletes, and former sports executives, with coverage spanning college football, basketball, baseball, ACC Media Days, NASCAR, the PGA Tour, and major community events statewide.
About Ward Clayton
Ward Clayton is an author, editor, and communications professional with more than two decades of experience. He is the owner of Clayton Communications, a producer of the 2019 documentary “Loopers: The Caddie’s Long Walk” and the author of “The Legendary Caddies of Augusta National.” Clayton previously served as sports editor of The Augusta Chronicle, director of editorial services for the PGA Tour, and editorial director of Masters Digital. He currently resides in St. Johns, Fla.
Media Contacts
Michael Waddell
michael@brentwoodpartnersllc.com
(804) 467-2079
Ward Clayton
jaxclayton123@gmail.com
(904) 910-7728
MIAA Launches New Collaboration with Brentwood Partners
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has entered into a partnership with Brentwood Partners, LLC, becoming the first NCAA Division III conference to collaborate with the organization.
Founded in 1888, the MIAA is the nation’s oldest collegiate athletic conference and is home to a proud tradition of academic and athletic excellence. This new partnership reflects the league’s continued commitment to innovation and enhancing the student-athlete experience.
Brentwood Partners, LLC, a sports consulting firm established in 2013, collaborates with conferences and university athletic programs to help increase their revenue and support for their student-athletes.
"The MIAA has always been about more than just competition — it’s about community, tradition, and opportunity," MIAA Commissioner Jason Horn remarked. "Our partnership with Brentwood Partners creates new ways for corporate and community leaders to engage with our member institutions and student-athletes, while generating resources to grow and enhance the student-athlete experience."
Led by former collegiate athletic administrators Michael Waddell and Keith Tribble, Brentwood Partners offers strategies that go beyond sponsorships. The firm focuses on revenue innovation, fan engagement, NIL programs, brand building, content creation, and executive searches.
Tribble commented, “Our goal is simple—we want to help programs succeed on the field, in the classroom, and in the marketplace.”
"This collaboration highlights the MIAA’s rich history and bright future, while cultivating partnerships that benefit everyone involved," noted Horn.
Through this partnership, the MIAA will work alongside Brentwood Partners to identify opportunities for growth and to further enhance the student-athlete experience across "America's First Conference".
North Carolina Sports Network Announces
New NIL-Era Basketball Show, “Court Vision,”
With Wolfpack’s Lubin, Long-Time AD Waddell
The North Carolina Sports Network (NCSN) announced Wednesday the debut of Court Vision. This innovative weekly video-and-podcast series offers fans an authentic, behind-the-scenes look at college basketball in the modern Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era.
Hosted by Mike Waddell, co-founder of the North Carolina Sports Network and a former NCAA Division One athletic director, Court Vision features Ven-Allen Lubin, an NC State basketball standout with one of the most compelling stories in the Atlantic Coast Conference. A starter at forward for the Wolfpack during the 2025-26 season, Lubin previously played at Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and North Carolina, and for USA Basketball.
This partnership is among the first direct media-to-athlete NIL deals in North Carolina history.
Beginning with its November 30 launch, Court Vision will release 16 weekly episodes through the conclusion of the 2025-26 college basketball season. Episodes will explore life inside the locker room, the challenges of balancing academics and athletics, the realities of the transfer portal, and the unique pressures and opportunities of being a student-athlete in today’s fast-changing landscape, among other topics.
“Ven-Allen Lubin represents everything great about college basketball — talent, character, perseverance, and authenticity,” Waddell said. “This show gives fans access they’ve never had — directly from a player living it every day, paired with my perspective as someone who’s worked in the front office and on the sidelines for nearly three decades.”
“The NIL era has changed the game, and Court Vision captures that evolution in real time,” said David Glenn, NCSN’s director of content and an award-winning broadcaster and journalist with almost 40 years of experience covering sports in North Carolina. “Ven-Allen and Mike are breaking new ground here — a four-year college athlete and a long-time athletic director teaming up to have honest, informed conversations about what life in college basketball is really like.”
Court Vision is part of NCSN’s expanding original content lineup, which also includes the award-winning David Glenn Show, Bold North State Football Daily, Time-Out: The Tobacco Road Basketball Show, Her Court (featuring women’s basketball, with host Chris Edwards), This Was Then (focused on sports history in North Carolina), and The Old North State Tailgate. Together, these shows form the foundation ofNCSN'ss mission to bring fans expert coverage from those who have lived and led at the highest levels of sports.
Episodes of Court Vision will premiere weekly on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, as well as on the NCSportsNetwork.com website. Fans can follow @TheNCSportsNet on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook,k and YouTube for exclusive clips, updates,s and behind-the-scenes moments.
About the North Carolina Sports Network
The North Carolina Sports Network (NCSN) is a multi-platform media company celebrating the teams, traditions, and personalities that define the” Bold North State.” Featuring veteran journalists, championship coaches, athletes, and executives with more than 200 years of combined experience, NCSN delivers authentic, insider-driven sports coverage across North Carolina.
Since its launch in 2023, NCSN’s YouTube channel has attracted approximately 55,000 subscribers, ranking in the top 2% worldwide.
