Road to the National Ep. 8 - The Future of the National: New Vendors + Security + The Next Host City

For the final episode of the Road to the National series, we welcome the team behind the show itself: Joe Drelich, Brian Coppola, Jim Ryan, and Communications Director Shane Winn, for a wide-ranging conversation just weeks before the 2025 National in Chicago.

We go behind the curtain with the people running the hobby’s biggest event and dive into what’s new, what’s improved, and what the future holds. This is a can’t-miss episode for anyone attending the National or simply passionate about its role in the sports card hobby.

Topics covered include:
📈 Their evolving vision and how year two is different from year one
🧮 Adding 75+ new vendors and reconfiguring booth setups
🛡️ New security upgrades and streamlined admissions
🏛️ How they balance modernization with preserving the National’s legacy
🧒 Launching the Youth Collector Clubs initiative with Curtis Granderson
🎓 Thoughts on educational programming and onboarding new collectors
🤝 The return of trade nights - now themed and leveled up
🎁 The new charity sweepstakes: win a Mantle rookie, Michael Jordan RC, and more
🧾 What cards the team hopes to pick up for their own collections
🗺️ Where the National may go next after Chicago and why Cleveland is done

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to pull off the National, this episode delivers the inside story.

🎤 Hosted by Jeremy Lee
📍 In partnership with the National Sports Collectors Convention