Populous Founder Earl Santee Named to SBJ’s Inaugural Influence 125 List

Earl is one of the most widely acclaimed sports architects in the world, known for his intuitiveness and insightfulness. He has developed a portfolio of award-winning projects that have altered the path of sports architecture and urban design and helped bring life back to cities across the Americas. 

Across a four-decade career, Earl has been centrally involved in more than 60 major sports venue projects, and his designs have defined the modern era of sports architecture. His influence and thought leadership in ballpark design helped set a new standard for urban ballparks in the 21st century. On projects including PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Truist Park in Atlanta, Yankee Stadium in New York and Target Field in Minneapolis, Earl spearheaded the shift away from inward-facing venues toward places deeply connected to their surroundings.  

His designs have served as an inspiration for a new type of sports experience — one that is an extension of a city, community and culture. This way of thinking has become foundational to contemporary sports design, though Earl was advocating for it long before it became common practice. 

In 1983, Earl helped launch HOK Sport, establishing the groundwork for the practice of sports architecture. In 2009, he helped lead the formation of Populous and has guided its evolution into a global leader in sports and entertainment design. As a mentor, his influence has shaped generations of designers and instilled the values that continue to define the firm today. 

Recognition by SBJ’s Influence 125 acknowledges what much of the industry has long understood: Earl Santee helped to revolutionize how sport lives within cities, how communities belong within sport and how thoughtful architecture can guide an entire industry forward.