Vern Stenman has been in Madison for 25 years, and it’s no coincidence that in that time, the community has transformed from a university sports town into a total sports and fitness town. For his ongoing example of creative leadership, Stenman, president of Big Top Events, which presents Madison Mallards baseball and other sports and entertainment attractions, was selected as In Business Madison’s Forty Under 40 Alum of the Year.
Stenman, from the Forty Under 40 class of 2011, views it as a great honor, but after 25 years directing the Mallards — and later launching Forward Madison FC soccer and most recently, the Madison Night Mares softball team — it’s hard to let go of a certain mindset instrumental to his success.
“We had this underdog mentality when we started the (Mallards),” Stenman said. “This honor is another sign that we’re not the underdog anymore. I have mixed emotions about that. We’ve had some success, which is great, but also we want to keep on feeling that kind of energy.”
And keep it going, he does — with help from business associates Conor Caloia and Steve Schmitt. With a constant stream of fun, innovative promotions, the Mallards and Forward Madison FC have consistently led their respective leagues in attendance. They not only add entertaining features to Madison’s quality of life, but align well with the community’s character as a sports destination.
For a time, Stenman also owned Northwoods League baseball teams in Green Bay, Kenosha and Wisconsin Rapids, combining the same brand of irreverent entertainment and unique community touches that Madison baseball fans have come to appreciate. As the owner of the Green Bay Bullfrogs (now the Rockers), he even built a new baseball venue near Lambeau Field.
That level of commitment has long been on display in Madison at both the Duck Pond at Warner Park, home of the Mallards and Night Mares, and at Breese Stevens Field, which Stenman had a hand in renovating. That field is the regular venue for Madison Forward FC and the Madison Radicals professional ultimate team. Not only have the teams added a sporting flair to the city, the venues themselves are attractions.
Breese Stevens also stages outdoor concerts, hosting Brandi Carlile, The National and Hozier, to name a few. This summer, it will feature Megan Moroney, Clint Black, and Emily Ann Roberts on June 6 as part of the festivities associated with the American Family Insurance Golf Championship. Also on the schedule are Queens of the Stone Age on June 20 and Weird Al Yankovic on Sept. 12.
Baseball roots
Stenman, a native of St. Cloud, Minnesota, grew up rooting for the Minnesota Twins and their World Series wins in 1987 and 1991 helped fuel his passion for baseball.
Asked what it is about Madison that has enabled him and his partners to add attractions, Stenman cited the untapped entertainment potential before the Mallards came along.
“For us, it’s always been about fun,” he said. “Madison is a fun city and the people enjoy coming out. They enjoy having a beer and being part of unique entertainment with that focus on not being too cookie-cutter or too predictable.
“I’ve lived here a long time, 25 years now, and I’ve gotten to know Madison and understand it a bit. I understand what the community responds to and what it cares about. I think that’s part of any business’ responsibility — what are we doing to make our community a better place to live?”
Stenman added, “That’s a high bar. … Madison is already a great place to live and there is a lot of pride in it. It’s been like that ever since we started. If we get too boring and too predictable, that’s when the community stops caring and stops engaging.”
In addition to roughly a dozen college players from Wisconsin, the 2025 Mallards will feature the sons of a couple of ex-major leaguers, including Noah Sheffield, son of former Milwaukee Brewer Gary Sheffield, who is coming off of his freshman year at Florida State University, and M.J. Sweeney, son of former Kansas City Royal first baseman Mike Sweeney, who has committed to play baseball at Wichita State University.
Among this year’s special attractions, the Mallards will observe Nevermind Night on July 5, a reference to Nirvana’s 1991 album “Nevermind,” which was recorded at Smart Studios in Madison. For that occasion, the team uniform will include a version of the album cover featuring team mascot Maynard G. Mallard trying to grab a hot dog in a pool.
The Mallards also plan Frank Lloyd Wright Bobblehead Night on June 8 (part of its annual 608 theme), and the Night Mares have received permission from the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Sante Fe, New Mexico, to pay homage to the Wisconsin artist with one of her paintings displayed in team colors (teal and black) on special uniforms during a game.
In addition, Mallards history is the subject of a new book, “Baseball Like It Oughta Be,” by former Wisconsin State Journal reporter Tom Alesia. “The Mallards, as much as we do things that are fun and irreverent — that’s part of our brand — we’ve always been true to baseball,” Stenman said. “The book tells the story of that balance. We didn’t go totally bananas and do some of the crazier stuff. We had some fun, but we also developed some great players along the way and did some cool things in the youth sports space, and it tells that story.”
