As Senior Vice President of Sales of the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans, Michael Stanfield is a key member of the front office for both clubs. The long-time sports administrative executive is responsible for overseeing all revenue generation for both the Saints and Pelicans.
Entering his 26th season with the Saints and 14th with the Pelicans, Stanfield is responsible for all of both clubs' sales efforts, overseeing season ticket sales, group tickets, floor seats and corporate partnerships, developing sales executives, supervising leases for the Caesars Superdome and Smoothie King Center luxury suites, as well as managing food and beverage on gamedays for both teams. Stanfield also oversees the clubs' high standards for customer service and retention.
Under his direction, the Saints have surpassed the majority of the club's ticket sales milestones, including selling out on a season-ticket basis for the first time in 2006 – a feat that has reached 19-straight seasons. Additionally, the club has also sold out every Caesars Superdome suite for 19 straight seasons. In 2021, 12 field level suites, sold out by Stanfield's staff, made a successful debut. Stanfield also supervises the ticket, suite sales and box office personnel on a daily basis, in addition to serving as the food and beverage service liaison.
Since Stanfield's arrival in 2000, the Saints have sold out every contest in New Orleans but one. Prior to the 2006 season, an innovative season-ticket marketing program fueled the rise of filling the stadium on a season-ticket basis. Fans on all economic levels were reached in an effort to retain existing accounts while cultivating new ones.
In his tenure with the Saints and Pelicans, Stanfield and his staff have consistently delivered elite service and exceptional value to all team partners and staff. They have maintained top performance across both leagues in all key categories while continuously developing top-tier sales personnel. Both clubs have also embraced numerous innovative practices, including AI-driven strategies, to enhance sales and drive growth.
In 2018 and 2019, the Saints were ranked first in Overall Gameday Satisfaction by the league, based on the NFL's Observation Program and third-party Expert Review Audits of all 32 clubs across eight categories. Under his leadership, the Saints have consistently ranked in the top eight in the NFL's customer service rankings. In 2020 and 2021, Stanfield empowered his staff to respond to the challenges of providing the safest and most pleasurable fan experience possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the annual league audits, the Saints have ranked among league leaders in categories such as safety, security and mobile ticketing based on recent successful adjustments.
While making fan experience a top priority, Stanfield has also been deeply involved in the extension and expansion of the already sizable corporate sponsorship base for both clubs, providing platforms for companies across the Gulf South and beyond to use the Saints to further their own business objectives. In recent years, Stanfield has directed the extension of long-term agreements with numerous valued partners like Caesars Entertainment, Cox Communications, Entergy and Verizon, as well as the expansion of the Ochsner Health System partnership to include naming rights for the Ochsner Sports Performance Center. In 2021, Stanfield and his staff finalized a ground-breaking 20-year naming rights deal for the Saints' iconic stadium with Caesars Entertainment.
A graduate of St. Leo (Fla.) University, Stanfield started his career in sports in 1988, working in minor league soccer, minor league hockey, minor league baseball, the MLB and the NBA. Stanfield served as the assistant general manager of the Clinton (Iowa), Class A minor league baseball team and attained impressive sales results. Before joining the Saints, Stanfield gained valuable sales experience with several major sports organizations, including the Florida Marlins, New York Yankees, Miami Heat, and Detroit Tigers.
Stanfield has also completed Stanford Business School's Executive Education NFL-Stanford Program for Managers, an educational program and honor known league-wide as an important training ground for promising executives. He currently serves on the People's Health Champion Selection Committee and on the advisory board for Archbishop Chapelle High School. A sports industry public speaker, Stanfield has given presentations at many national events. He is also an active speaker at numerous universities, youth foundations and professional groups both nationally and throughout the Gulf South.
A native of Warren, N.J., Stanfield was honored in 2025 with an induction into the Watchung Hills Regional High School Hall of Fame. During his time at the school, he excelled as a multi-sport athlete, earning varsity letters in both football and baseball. His contributions on the field and his lasting impact on the school's athletic program solidified his place among its most distinguished alumni.
He and his wife Stacey, have one daughter, Olivia, a junior at the University of Alabama.
