Sports Management Program at UMD

The inaugural semester of the Sports Management Program at UMD is in the books! Here are some of the highlights of a busy semester for Cohort 1: ? Cohort 1 completed the first ever semester of the newly launched BMGT383: The Business of Sports, where students applied the concepts they learned in the classroom through a variety of real-world activities and assignments including informational interviews, current event applications, team challenges, and informative briefs. ? SMP hosted over 15 guest speakers including alumni, industry leaders, and executives from a variety of professional sports organizations and collegiate programs. ?? ? Cohort 1 received behind-the-scenes tours of Maryland Athletics' state-of-the-art athletic facilities including Jones-Hill House, Xfinity Center, and Gossett Hall. ? In collaboration with the UMD Sports Business Society, students attended University of Maryland - Robert H. Smith School of Business' first Sports Industry Networking Night and attended a site visit/networking panel at FedEx Field with the Washington Commanders ? Also in collaboration with the UMD Sports Business Society, SMP hosted a Homecoming Panel and Reception featuring three former Terps (Bradley Polkowitz, Kelsey Nicole Nelson, and Alexandra Wood) killing it in the world of sports business!?? ? SMP hosted our first signature experience in Philadelphia, including a site visit/panel at Wells Fargo Center with the Philadelphia Flyers, networking dinner with SeventySix Capital, and attending the Gavitt Tipoff Games where the Maryland Men's Basketball team took on Villanova University.? ? Cohort 1's hard work culminated in their final Sports Management Plans and Presentations where teams provided recommendations covering the course's four main topic areas (financial/economic considerations, marketing/promotions, ethics and governance, and unique challenges/opportunities) for organizations including the Big Ten Conference, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Washington Commanders, University of Colorado Football, and Baltimore Ravens. We are beyond proud of the dedication and hard work of all of the students in Cohort 1! They bought in to this program and believed in its purpose, and created a phenomenal culture and foundation to build on for Cohort 2. Shoutout to the SMP Staff, Sue Sherburne Ph.D., Tori Shay, and Joshua Liu, for working behind the scenes to make this semester happen and continuing to reinvent and advance the undergraduate student experience at the University of Maryland. Special thanks to all of the alumni, administrators, and industry professionals who contributed to the program's success in its inaugural semester! ?? Is your company or organization interested in getting involved or sponsoring a capstone project next semester? Email us at [email protected] or contact us on Instagram @umdsmp

UMD's Sports Management Program, launched in fall 2023, connects students with industry pros like Steve Schanwald ’77, former executive vice president of business operations with the Chicago Bulls. Through site visits, career events, and mentorship from alumni in the NBA, NFL, MLB, and more, students gain skills and build networks for their future careers. Read the full story: https://brnw.ch/21wLs6j Learn more about this game-changing program: https://brnw.ch/21wLs6k #SmithBusinessMagazine

Check out our featured page in the Summer 2024 edition of the Smith Business Magazine, featuring quotes from our advisory board members and students! Read the full magazine here: https://lnkd.in/eMhtvEB4

On Thursday, students in Cohort 1 of the Sports Management Program at UMD presented the results of their capstone projects at the first annual Sports Management Program Symposium! As the inaugural cohort to participate in the program's new capstone course, the students worked diligently this semester to provide valuable and tangible research, insights, and recommendations to their clients. Special thanks to our capstone partners and project champions: - Washington Wizards (Ashley Miller and Benjamin Levin) - Ripken Baseball (Wade Martin and Amanda Shank) - Washington Commanders (Sam Barlow) - Maryland Athletics' Terrapin Club (Matt Monroe, Trey Nickelson, and Katy Ford) Also, a special shoutout to Sue Sherburne Ph.D., Tori Shay, and Joshua Liu for their weekly guidance and mentorship throughout the capstone process. Congratulations to all of the students in Cohort 1, and thanks to everyone who came out to show your support at the symposium.

Excited to welcome Steve Schanwald to our Advisory Board! We will be expanding our board this summer, so keep an eye out for future announcements of how you can contribute if you are interested!

As a member of the Sports Management Program at UMD, my team and I have been honored to collaborate with the Washington Wizards for our capstone project. This afternoon, we visited Capital One Arena to present our comprehensive recommendations and proposals based on the project scope we were assigned. A sincere thank you to Ashley Miller and Benjamin Levin for graciously taking time to meet with us and for this valuable opportunity to collaborate! I'd also like to give a shoutout to my incredible capstone project group: Zoe Melonas, Kyle Zimmerman, Jesse Stern, and Grace Carlo. It has truly been a pleasure working all of you! Looking forward to sharing our project once more at the SMP Symposium on Thursday, May 9th at 5:30 pm!

This afternoon I had the opportunity to travel down to Capital One Arena with my Sports Management Program at UMD Capstone Project group and present to our client, the Washington Wizards. We first presented our presentation to Ashley Miller and Benjamin Levin and then followed up with a tour around Capital One Arena. Thank you Ashley Miller and Benjamin Levin for taking the time to talk throughout the semester and provide us with insider information on what the Wizards do in terms of their College Series Nights. Thank you for taking the time today to sit down and listen to our presentation and recommendations/proposals for engaging college students and alumni from surrounding universities. We look forward to showing our project next week at the SMP Symposium on Thursday, May 9th @ 5:30 pm! Shoutout to my awesome capstone project group! Kyle Zimmerman, Grace Carlo, Victoria Gatzendorfer and Jesse Stern

Check out this featured story in Stories Beneath the Shell written by Jack Wynn featuring quotes from Bradley Polkowitz and Joshua Liu, as well as Cohort 2 members Andrew Breza and Kayla Patterson. https://lnkd.in/e_xdmw8j

Last week, a number of students from the Sports Management Program at UMD helped lead, plan, and organize the 2024 Maryland Sports Business Conference. Shoutout to Valentyna Breslawec, Victoria Gatzendorfer, Ally Bloom, and Grace Carlo from Cohort 1 and Ava Meyer, Jessica Winson, Raphael Aureus, Naomi Rodman, and Noah Gantt from Cohort 2 for all of their hard work and dedication in making the conference a success. This year's conference broke records in both attendance and sponsorship revenue, and introduced the conference's first recruiter expo where attendees were able to connect and network with a variety of sports teams and organizations. Additionally, our very own Victoria Gatzendorfer moderated a panel titled "The New NCAA" that also included our faculty director, Sue Sherburne Ph.D..

Last Thursday, the Sports Management Program at UMD hosted its second annual Thursday Night Dinner and Kickoff to the 2024 Maryland Sports Business Conference at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center. The night was a celebration of the incredible growth of the new program over the last year, the accomplishments of the first cohort, and a recognition of the faculty, staff, and alumni who helped make it all happen. Throughout the night, we recognized our graduating seniors, welcomed 43 newly accepted students to Cohort 2, and announced our inaugural SMP awards. Congratulations to Jarrod Boyer for winning the SMP Rising Star Award and Zoe Melonas for winning the Bradley Polkowitz Founder's Award, an award dedicated to the program's founder and co-founder of the Maryland Sports Business Conference, Bradley Polkowitz. We also recognized our undergraduate staff members, Joshua Liu and Valentyna Breslawec, with the Most Valuable Player Award, for their dedication and contribution to the program's success. The night wouldn't have been possible without the efforts of our Associate Director, Tori Shay and Rachel Frank, the Executive Vice President of the Maryland Sports Business Conference. Special thanks to all of the alumni, capstone partners, and MSBC planning team members for your attendance and support.