Craig Elsten Named Chief Marketing Officer

The San Diego Sockers have hired Craig Elsten to join their front office as Chief Marketing Officer for the 2018-19 season and beyond. A 22-year veteran of San Diego’s airwaves as a play-by-play broadcaster and radio host, Elsten returns to familiar ground, having worked in the Sockers front office in media and community relations from 2009-15.

“It’s my distinct pleasure to ‘come home’ to the San Diego Sockers,” Elsten said of the move, “This is an organization to which I feel a great deal of loyalty and pride. The Sockers have an exciting and important season coming up, but I am fascinated with the organization’s plans for the future. It is my goal to help further restore the Sockers’ brand in San Diego, re-connect with fans young and old, and do everything I can to build the franchise’s standing in the community.”

“We are thrilled to have Craig’s knowledge, enthusiasm, and experience back in our fold,” said Sockers general manager Sean Bowers, “Craig is the top voice for sports in San Diego, a popular commentator, and an unabashed advocate. With his leadership, we plan on taking another step forward as a franchise.”

Elsten brings decades of experience within the San Diego sports market to bear in his new position. A voice on The Mighty 1090-AM since 2012, he currently works on the very popular “Scott and BR” radio show from 3-6pm weekdays. Craig was the play-by-play voice of the San Diego Gulls from 2015-18, broadcasting 229 preseason, regular season and playoff games for the AHL franchise on The Mighty 1090 radio and Fox-5 San Diego TV. In addition, Elsten has done play-by-play for San Diego State (baseball), UC San Diego (men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, water polo), Time-Warner Cable (high school sports), the University of San Diego (men’s basketball), and MLB.com (spring training baseball). As a host, Elsten has worked for the San Diego Padres, San Diego Chargers, LA Kings, and for SDSU football and men’s basketball. He began his career at the iconic Southern California sports radio station The Mighty 1090 from 1996-1999 before serving as the sports director at AM-600 KOGO from 2000-2009. From 2009-12, Elsten was the founder/creator and president of 619Sports.net, a local San Diego-based multi-media sports platform.

In addition to his marketing duties for the Sockers, Elsten will continue as the “Voice of the Sockers” for an eighth season, having announced all of the team’s games across various platforms from 2009-15, and again in 2017-18 on MASL.TV. Elsten will be joined by Nate Abaurrea for the club’s twelve home games, all broadcast live at MASL.TV on MASLSoccer.com.