As director of business development for Andell Holdings, Kevin Spudic has brought several events to Toyota Park -- such as concerts, prep football and college soccer -- to the home of the Chicago Fire, but the 1981 Highland High School and 1985 Valparaiso University grad said he wants to bring more to the Bridgeview venue.

Spudic also said he would like to see some Region schools come over and play football.

"If it can be accommodated with their schedules, maybe get a little border war going on," Spudic said. "It's not that far and it is a chance to play in a bigger stadium.

"It would be a great chance to show off Region football."

He doesn't want to stop at seeing more prep football at the stadium.

"One of my next goals is to bring a college football game here," Spudic said. "We're realistic with a 20,000-seat stadium, so a Division I-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) or a Division II game is more realistic."

Andell Holdings, a Los Angeles-based company, owns the Fire and manages Toyota Park. Spudic has been involved with several pro franchises and venues in Chicago and Northwest Indiana. He also was the RailCats' assistant general manager.

"To be able to work in the area you grew up in and to see people coming from the suburbs to downtown Gary is just great," Spudic said. "It was also great to be involved in the naming rights (of The Steel Yard). to get U.S. Steel, the company which built Gary, to have their name on it was perfect."

Spudic also was vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Steelheads when they were in a summer league.

While in graduate school at Western Illinois, Spudic decided he wanted to work in sports management.

"I didn't realize you could make a career doing this," he said. "My passion was to get into baseball because I grew up such as big White Sox fan."

He got an internship and later worked for the White Sox.

"That was a dream come true when I walked into the old Comiskey Park," Spudic said. "I realized the opportunities there are behind the scenes with marketing and entertainment."

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? | KEVIN SPUDIC

The Kevin Spudic file

The Highland native is director of business development for Andell Holdings, which manages Toyota Park and owns the Chicago Fire.

Spudic was a star baseball player at Highland and Valparaiso University.

He and his wife Liz, a T.F. North grad, have three children -- Matt (16), Eric (14) and Natalie (10).

Spudic was the RailCats' first assistant general manager and has worked for various sports teams and venues, including doing some consulting work for the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.

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