NEW ORLEANS - iSportsWire -- VC Fast Pitch in New Orleans is adding a new dimension to its June 11 event: sports ecosystem investing. The Champion Fund, an SEC-registered interval fund providing structured access to the global sports economy, will join Black Dog Venture Partners' flagship investor gathering to present an asset class that most venture-native investors haven't had access to.

The sports economy is a multi-hundred-billion-dollar market undergoing a generational shift. Private equity firms, sovereign wealth funds, and family offices are deploying significant capital into team ownership, media rights, and sports technology. The Champion Fund was built to give a broader set of investors access to these same opportunities — through a managed portfolio spanning professional franchise exposure, growth-stage sports technology, and institutional-quality co-investments.

"The venture community understands conviction investing better than almost anyone," said Marques Colston, Portfolio Manager of The Champion Fund. "What we're presenting at VC Fast Pitch is a thesis built on the same rigor — but applied to an asset class that has been structurally inaccessible. Sports assets generate durable, uncorrelated growth, and we built Champion Fund to help more investors capture it."

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For investors already building conviction-driven portfolios, the Champion Fund represents complementary growth exposure — expected to be uncorrelated to public markets, with low minimums and semi-annual redemption windows. It works alongside an existing strategy, not instead of it.

"Our investors are always looking for what's next — asset classes and structures that offer real differentiation in a portfolio," said Scott Kelly, CEO of Black Dog Venture Partners. "The Champion Fund brings something we haven't featured before at VC Fast Pitch: a managed, SEC-registered vehicle that gives investors access to the sports economy without the concentration risk of a single deal. For investors who are built to identify growth early, having a vehicle that captures that growth with a managed approach is a natural fit."

Event Details

What: New Orleans VC Fast Pitch — Pitch. Connect. Fund!

When: Thursday, June 11, 2026 | 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Where: The Shop Workspace, 900 Camp Street, Third Floor New Orleans, LA

Registration: neworleansvcfastpitch.eventbrite.com

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About The Champion Fund

The Champion Fund is an evergreen investment vehicle designed to provide structured access to the global sports economy for both accredited and non-accredited investors. The fund delivers a rules-based portfolio approach to sports investing with exposure to high-potential assets across technology, media, real estate, infrastructure, and team ownership. Founded by Marques Colston and Nick Edwards, the Champion Fund removes the barriers that have historically limited sports investing to insiders and institutions, offering a $500 minimum investment, automated onboarding, and semi-annual redemption windows. Learn more at thechampionfund.com.

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About Black Dog Venture Partners

Black Dog Venture Partners is a business accelerator that provides startups and growth-stage companies with access to funding, business development, executive coaching, and strategic growth opportunities through its national network of investors and business partners. The firm hosts VC Fast Pitch events throughout the United States, connecting entrepreneurs with investors and strategic partners.

Important Disclosures

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. The Champion Fund is offered pursuant to its prospectus. Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing.The Fund's prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund and can be obtained by emailing champion@sweaterfunds.com or by visiting the Fund's website at www.thechampionfund.com.  Please read the prospectus carefully before investing. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal. Semi-annual redemption windows are subject to availability. The Champion Fund is not a mutual fund or ETF and does not offer daily liquidity.