Syracuse Sport Management | Sport Analytics 2022-2023 Newsletter

Building the Future

Highlighted Stories:

Congratulations to the Class of 2023 

New major in Esports Communications and Management 

Dual degree with Whitman 

Sport, Entertainment and Innovation Conference planned 

Sport Analytics program highlights 

Alumni news 

Director's Greeting

It has been said “success breeds success.” Each May, we celebrate the scholarly accomplishments of our graduates, but the amazing success of our Class of 2023 elevated the level of achievement to new standards. We conferred the largest number of degrees in our department’s history with 141 students graduating from Sport Management, Sport Analytics, and our graduate program in Sport Venue and Event Management. 

Overall, 65 percent of our undergraduate students graduated with honors, achieving a 3.4 or above GPA – which was another program milestone! Sport Management had 58 percent of its class graduate with honors, while Sport Analytics had an astounding 78 percent of its students earn academic honors. Additionally, a record number of 49 seniors earned the distinction of the Director’s Academic Achievement Award by attaining a minimum 3.4 GPA for every semester at Syracuse University, which is an outstanding accomplishment. I am extremely proud of the Class of 2023! 

As I begin my final year as the founding director and chair of this fabulous program, by announcing my retirement, I wish to reflect on the previous 18 years, but reassure everyone that just like the Class of 2023, Sport Management will set new standards! Syracuse University will continue to offer a preeminent program and be a “success engine” for the future through innovative education, research and service. 

Our mission is unwavering. To provide resources and deliver real-world experiences that empower students, educators and alumni success. To engage in cutting-edge and collaborative research that advances knowledge and catapults the sport industry forward. To maintain a diversified curriculum that is responsive to the ever-changing needs of this global industry, and our constituents and stakeholders. To be the interdisciplinary model of exceptional service and civic engagement to Falk College, our University and communities. To promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility by using sports as a platform for social responsibility. 

We have positioned ourselves as a global leader in this academic field, which is a credit to the graduates, faculty and staff, along with administrators such as Falk College Dean Diane Lyden Murphy, and benefactors such as David and Rhonda Falk and our nationally renowned advisory council of sports executives. 

This department has prided itself on creating pathways for women in sports and creating cutting-edge programs. Syracuse University designed the first undergraduate sport analytics degree program of its kind in the nation, and the results have been phenomenal. We have also just created a one-of-a-kind dual degree program in Esports Communications and Management, a joint program between Falk College and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. In August 2024, we will enroll our first cohort of students in our fourth undergraduate degree program, an interdisciplinary degree in Sport Business and Management developed in conjunction with the Whitman School of Management. We have, and will continue, to move the needle in academic excellence. No other Research I and Power Five Conference university offers such a unique blend of degree programs, a feat we are exceptionally proud of. I hope you are as well.

I have tried to live some of the teachings of legendary Hall of Fame basketball coach John Wooden, who said, “True success comes only to an individual by the self-satisfaction of knowing that you gave everything to become the very best that you are capable of.” I know success can be fleeting. Sustained success is not a destination, it is a journey, and that journey of success will continue. 

I wish to thank each one of our graduates for enriching my life and giving me the passion to help this program be the best. To the parents who entrusted your sons and daughters to us, thanks for believing in our family culture. To our donors, benefactors and supporters, you have helped us make an indelible impact and difference in hundreds of students’ lives. To advisory council members past and present, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unwavering support, friendship, dedication and loyalty. To my colleagues, best wishes and sincere gratitude. You’re THE BEST! We’re ORANGE TOGETHER! 

Sincerely, 

Michael Veley 

Director and Chair 

Rhonda S. Falk Endowed Professor of 

Sport Management 

Table of Contents

Students

Congratulations to the Class of 2023 

SVEM Graduate Program 

Welcome Class of 2027 

Director’s Honor Roll 

Senior Capstone Locations 

Senior Capstone Profiles 

Charity Sports Auction 

Sport Management Club 

ACC Honor Roll 

Sales Club/Sport Media and Marketing Club 

Women in Sports and Events Club 

Sport Professionals of Color Club 

Analytics

High School Summer Academy 

Program Highlights 

Alison Gilmore Feature 

Kittman Labs Partnership 

Student Organizations 

News and Events

Partnership with Fantastec 

New Esports Degree 

SEI-Con Announcement 

Podcast Room 

Dual Degree With Whitman 

New ESE Minor 

DEIA Symposium 

SPM 324 Yankees Project 

Los Angeles Immersion 

Winter Olympic Odyssey 

European Olympic Odyssey 

Program Donation 

Faculty and Staff

Faculty and Staff Profiles 

Advisory Councils

Sport Management Advisory Council 

Emerging Leaders Council 

Alumni

Employment Listings 

Read the most recent news from the Department of Sport Management at Syracuse University. 

Photos with caption in this section included: Student Matt Kahan (center) won the SPM Sales Combine in Spring 2022, put on in conjunction with the New York Mets and the Syracuse Mets. He is shown with New York Mets executives Tyler DeFranco (left) and Abby Higgins. The winner was misidentified in the 2022 SPM Newsletter. 

From our Dean… 

Greetings students, alumni, and friends. As I conclude my tenure as Falk College Dean in 2023, I reflect on the remarkable journey of the Department of Sport Management. Falk College has been a national leader of sport industry education for 20 years. Today, programs in sport management and sport analytics continue to excel at the highest level. Our students annually earn prestigious honors in national conferences and competitions. Our alumni hold leadership roles in agencies, organizations and teams across the industry. As Syracuse University launches its esports communications and management major in Fall 2024, I know it will find similar success. 

As a social worker and feminist scholar, I never anticipated I would help build academic programs in sport management and sport analytics. I am truly grateful to have Chair and Director Michael Veley, and each member of our outstanding sport management faculty, who were essential in building this department. Most of all, it has been my great privilege to see our students bring positive change to the world through sports and beyond. I have every confidence in the continued growth and excellence of Falk College’s programs in sport management, sport analytics, esports and sport venue and event management and all who are part of them. 

Thank you for the honor of serving as your Dean. I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together. 

Go Orange! 

— Diane Lyden Murphy, M.A. M.S.W., Ph.D., Dean, Falk College 

Students

Congratulations to the Class of 2023 

On May 12, 2023, Syracuse University’s David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics celebrated its Class of 2023 Convocation ceremony at Manley Field House. The Department of Sport Management congratulates 87 Sport Management undergraduates, 49 Sport Analytics undergraduates, and five Sport Venue and Event Management master’s graduates who received their degrees as part of the Class of 2023. 

Sport Management major Alex Guo served as a Falk College Marshal and delivered a speech at Convocation. Department Marshals were Brianne Quinlan (Sport Management), John Asel (Sport Analytics) and Luke Frontale (Sport Venue and Event Management). 

Eighty-nine Sport Management/Sport Analytics students in the Class of 2023 graduated with honors with a GPA of 3.4 or higher, representing 63 percent of the graduates, a department record. Thirty-nine students graduated Magna Cum Laude (GPA of 3.6 or higher) and 29 students graduated Summa Cum Laude (GPA of 3.8 or higher). One student had a triple major, 12 students had dual majors and three students had triple minors. Seven students earned Certificates of Advanced Study (CAS) in Sport Analytics. 

The Department of Sport Management’s traditional celebration of its graduates on Commencement weekend continued this year with more than 200 parents, family members, friends, faculty and staff gathering in Falk College on May 12 to celebrate the accomplishments of the Sport Management and Sport Analytics undergraduates and Sport Venue and Event Management master’s students. 

Forty-nine students received the Director’s Academic Achievement Award for earning a GPA of 3.4 or higher for each of their consecutive semesters at Syracuse University. Sport Management: Alexander Chillemi, Maeva Collatos, Stephanie Deangelis, Juliana DiCenso, Kevin Donoghue, Rahul Dua, Alex Guo, Chuqi Fang, Alessandro Ferrari-Carrubba, Jake Fienberg, Melanie Kelly, Andrew Leconte, Juliano Macera, Chloe Moss, Benjamin Paglia, Alexandra Panaggio, Brianne Quinlan, Anthony Ruggiero, Eli Samuels, Maxwell Schobel, Ethan Shifman, Blake Taub and Anna Theodosopoulos. Sport Analytics: Ian Archer, Daniel Beim, Mitchell Bereznay, Alexander Borelli, Daniel Brockett, Elijah Buto, Robert Craig III, Kylie Dedrick, Philip Frank, Sam Gellman, Corey Goldman, Shane Halpin, Nolan Hammond, Gabriel Herz, Jackson Hett, Christopher Jones, Nicholas Lukowsky, Nathaniel Mahoney, Austin Murphy, Zachary Palfey, Matthew Penn, Seth Quinn, Robert Schoor, Brenden Slomka, Benjamin Wachtel and Zachary Wood. 

Six Sport Analytics seniors were named Falk College Scholars: Alexander Borelli, Kylie Dedrick, Shane Halpin, Eli Miller, Matthew Penn and Benjamin Wachtel. 

Here is a list of the senior awards: 

Sport Management Director’s Award – Blake Taub 

Academic Excellence Award – Benjamin Paglia 

Matt Brodsky Philanthropic Excellence Award – Megan Sheehan 

Sport Management VIP Award – Alex Guo 

Professional Engagement Award – Melanie Kelly 

Jason Morales Perseverance in Sport and Life Award – Justin Moskowitz 

Director’s Award for Academic Promise – Nyah Jones 

Kate Veley Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility Award – Maxwell Schobel 

Patrick Ryan Sport Technology Award – Noah Wagner 

Outstanding Graduate Student Award – Molly Gross 

Sport Analytics: 

Sport Analytics VIP Award – Kylie Dedrick 

Sport Analytics Academic Excellence Award – Alexander Borelli 

Sport Analytics Academic Excellence Award – Benjamin Wachtel 

Sport Analytics Research Excellence Award – John Asel 

Sport Analytics Research Excellence Award – Austin Murphy 

Sport Analytics Director’s Award for Academic Promise – Eli Miller 

Sport Analytics Director’s Award for Academic Promise – Matthew Penn 

Also, the M.S. in Sport Venue and Event Management program concluded its 11th year.

Sport Venue and Event Management Master’s program graduates its 11th class 

The Department of Sport Management’s master’s program in Sport Venue and Event Management (SVEM) welcomed its 11th class of graduate students to campus in July 2022. The 2022-23 cohort included six students, with a diverse mix of educational backgrounds and from a variety of geographic locations. Students in this cohort worked toward completing their practicum work in Spring 2023, Summer 2023 and some will continue in Fall 2023. 

In addition to their classwork, graduate students volunteered for a variety of events, including working the entire regional tournament of The Basketball Tournament (TBT) in Syracuse. They also took part in professional development seminars conducted by Sport Management internship placement coordinators on networking, cover letters, resumes, strategic interviewing, salary negotiation, career guidance and using LinkedIn. 

In the Spring 2023 semester, students worked with associate professor Dr. Gina Pauline in the advanced sport event management course, and in collaboration with adjunct instructor and JMA Wireless Dome Director Tom Forgione, to complete a rotational program getting first-hand experience in all areas of Dome operations. The students experienced a wide range of events such as Syracuse University basketball games, Monster Jam, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert. 

Students in the first 11 cohorts have immersed themselves in the program’s academic and experiential opportunities, and leveraged relationships to launch their careers in the industry. Graduates have secured positions at Allegiant Stadium, Soldier Field, Dartmouth Athletics, Dover Speedway, Brown University, Spectra Venue Management, Legends, Spartan Race Inc., Country Music Hall of Fame, Syracuse University’s JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse University’s Barnes Center, Met Life Stadium, Boston Celtics, Boise State University, Towson University Athletics, Nike China, and Tulsa Sports Commission, among others. 

The 12th SVEM graduate class began in July 2023. The SVEM curriculum is designed to provide graduate students with a set of courses focused on the management and operations of facilities and events in the realm of sports and entertainment. The program comprises 36 credit hours of intensive classroom learning skill development and experiential opportunities in settings like SU’s JMA Wireless Dome. Additionally, the SVEM coursework contains theory-to-practice elements where students apply concepts learned in the classroom to actual industry settings in a hands-on manner. 

For more information about the graduate program, visit Falk College Sport Management Academic Programs page. 

Images with captions included in this section: Nicolee Foster, Luke Frontale, Ben Blake and Molly Gross (from left) took part in the Falk College Class of 2023 Convocation in May. Graduate students Ben Blake, Molly Gross, Geana Torres, Linfeng Li and Luke Frontale (from left) worked at The TBT in July 2022. 

Practicum locations for Sport Venue and Event Management master’s program 

Fall 2022 

Joshua Hagwell, Twenty3 Sport and Entertainment 

Samantha Swart, The Game Sport Complex 

Chris Szlamczynski, Syracuse University Athletics 

Taylor Tsatsis, Syracuse University Athletic Operations 

Spring 2023 

Luke Frontale, Syracuse University Athletic Operations 

Asa Goldstock, University of Southern California Athletics 

Summer 2023 

Benjamin Blake, Perfect Game 

Luke Frontale, Syracuse University Athletic Operations 

Molly Gross, Oak View Group 

Geana Torres, Salt City Sports 

Visit Sport Management’s online resources 

Be sure to check out Falk College Sport Management website for department information, program news, club meeting dates and activities, and other special events.  Also, be sure to follow Sport Management on Twitter @SUSportMgmt, and “like” us on Facebook at SU Falk College Department of Sport Management. 

Welcome Class of 2027 Undergraduates Sport Management and Sport Analytics

Congratulations to the following students for achieving an overall cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher, as of the end of the 2022-2023 academic year:

Senior Capstone Experience

Among the most valuable attributes of the Department of Sport Management is its connection with the sport industry, which impacts students in numerous ways, including the Senior Capstone experience. As a part of their degree requirements, Sport Management students must complete a 12-credit Capstone providing an opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in the sports industry before graduation.

Since the Capstone is the culmination of one’s academic experience, the planning process begins during a student’s freshman year. The process concludes with the full-semester experience with a specific sport entity or organization as local as Central New York to across the United States and around the world.

A Capstone requires students to work with a sport-related organization for a minimum of 540 hours over the course of one semester, gaining experience in areas such as sales, marketing, finance, analytics, event management, collegiate athletics, communications, law, community relations, and more. 

Listed below are Sport Management students and the organizations where they completed their senior Capstone in 2022-2023. We are grateful to our growing list of Capstone partners, who continue to provide tremendous learning opportunities for our students. This all happens under the leadership of the Sport Management internship placement coordinators. 

Capstone

Documentary work highlights remote experience as research intern

By Alexa Schlitt SPM ’23

For my 2023 senior Capstone, I had the privilege of interning remotely for both Burst, the leading user-generated content engagement platform, and The Carnegie Initiative for inclusion and acceptance in hockey, a non-profit named after the legendary hockey player and social justice pioneer, Herb Carnegie. 

I worked for both organizations as a business development and research intern, primarily focusing on content creation and engaging storytelling while rotating between a variety of departments and acquiring skills in public relations, communications, marketing, program development and production. 

I helped to develop the Herb Carnegie Trailblazer Award Program, honoring the unsung heroes of the hockey world and those who use the sport as a vehicle for change. 

Also, I was honored to work on a documentary titled “Beyond Their Years: The Incredible Legacies of Herb Carnegie and Buck O’Neil,” which tells the story of two men’s parallel lives, and how they were denied from playing in the NHL and Major League Baseball due to the color of their skin. The film also focuses on their induction into their respective halls of fame. I started as the production coordinator and by the end became an associate producer. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was something I never imagined as part of my senior year of college. I traveled to Toronto and Kansas City, writing and directing interviews. I was lucky to also attend the 2023 Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. 

I will cherish my senior Capstone experience for the rest of my life. I am forever grateful for those who helped me get there and supported me along the way as I begin my post-graduate career in the sport industry. 

Capstone takes student to the Super Bowl, Final Four and Masters 

By Alex Guo SPM ’23

I completed my senior Capstone in Spring 2023 with On Location’s event production department as an event production and hospitality intern in Los Angeles, California. My responsibilities were to assist the company’s premium hospitality events in the pre-production, onsite, post-production, and closeout stages. My tasks included contracting with vendors, paying invoices, budget assistance, coding payments, expensing credit card charges, retrieving quotes, building decks and diagrams, researching assets, managing onsite events, and working with clients and vendors. 

I worked on parties for the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona, as well as events for NCAA March Madness and Final Four across 18 cities. I also worked with two hospitality houses at the 2023 Masters in Augusta, Georgia. Throughout this time, I learned new personal skills and processes to improve my career, such as communication methods, leadership styles, and time management. I also gained industry knowledge in areas such as accounting, event planning, hospitality, sales, and design. While I thoroughly enjoyed this experience, my favorite aspect of the Capstone was the people I got to work with in the office and at the events. The most important takeaway from this experience is that “people make the job.” I intend to prioritize office culture and team environment in my future career plans. 

After graduation, I joined ESPN at The Walt Disney Company as a Sports Brand Solutions Coordinator, working on the SEC Network properties in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Capstone takes student to Ireland for Gaelic games experience

By Kevin Donoghue SPM ’23

During the Fall 2022 semester, I had the privilege of completing my senior Capstone with the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Dublin, Ireland.

The GAA is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organization focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, Gaelic handball, and rounders.

I worked under the supervision of Strategy, Insights, and Innovation Manager Peter Horgan within the Coaching and Games Development department. As a research support intern, my duties largely pertained to the development of various research studies relating to Gaelic games.
I helped manage the Gaelic Games Youth Participation Study, which drew upon the experiences of young participants in Gaelic games; and the Inactive Gaelic Games Coaches Study, investigating reasons for why coaches choose to step away from their roles. Through these reports, I provided the GAA with potential solutions and implementation recommendations for problems raised through study results.

Apart from research, I gained experience in social media management via the GAA Learning Twitter account. I also gained sports public communications insight by attending and assisting in the operations of Croke Park gamedays.

I will be forever grateful for this tremendous opportunity that allowed me to gain hands-on experience in the European sports landscape. I am excited to take what I have learned with me into the future as I continue to make my mark in the sports industry.