Syracuse Department of Sport Management 2023-2024 Newsletter

The Future Is Now

Inside

Congratulations to the Class of 2024

Esports Communications and Management Update

Immersion Trips and Experiential Learning

Sports, Entertainment and Innovation Conference (SEICon)

Sport Analytics program success

Alumni news

Welcome

As we begin the 2024-2025 academic year, I am honored to serve as Chair of the Department of Sport Management. As seen throughout the history of sports, following a legendary coach or star player after their retirement is never an easy task, and I believe that sentiment is very appropriate at this point in time for our department. Throughout his tenure as Director and Chair of the Department of Sport Management, Professor Michael Veley had a steadfast focus and vision to be the preeminent sport management program in the country. 

We can promise as faculty and staff that vision will not change as we move forward in what is an exciting time for our department, Falk College, and the sport industry. We will continue to provide meaningful real-world learning experiences and opportunities for our students, produce innovative research which expands knowledge while impacting and informing the industry, adapt our teaching and curriculum to meet the needs of a dynamic and constantly evolving sport industry, and be a welcoming community to all. 

Within this Newsletter you will find many examples of how our students across Sport Management, Sport Analytics, Sport Venue and Event Management, and our newest program in Esports Communications and Management are delivering on this vision. Within the past academic year, our students completed Capstones with sport organizations from all over the world, raised money for local charities, competed in national competitions, presented at conferences, completed class projects with industry partners, networked on immersion trips, led student clubs, received prestigious honors from the university, and so much more. 

As you read through this Newsletter I hope you do so with great pride in being connected with our department as alumni, parents, supporters, Advisory Council and Emerging Leaders Council members, and friends of the program. Everything we have accomplished, and will continue to do so, cannot be done without your support. 

We look forward to continuing to share our collective success stories throughout the academic year and encourage you to stay involved with us as we continually position ourselves to be a leader in the sport management academic field. 

Sincerely, 
Patrick Walsh, Ph.D. 
Professor, Department Chair 

From our Dean…

Hello students, alumni, and friends of the Department of Sport Management, 

As I reflect on my first year as Dean of Falk College, I am truly amazed at what all our students have accomplished. In this newsletter, you will see just a few examples of the remarkable accomplishments of our students and faculty in sport management, sport analytics, and esports. Our programs are established national leaders, and it thrills me to say that we’re just getting started. 

Earlier this year, Syracuse University announced that the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics will become the Falk College of Sport, focused exclusively on sport-related disciplines. These include nutrition, exercise science, sport management, sport analytics, and esports. In addition, the college will also launch a new research institute focused on sport, which will connect business, digital media, and technology, and other areas to fuel innovation in sport and health outcomes. 

As we look to the future of this college, there is immense opportunity to further establish ourselves as industry trailblazers in high-impact areas like sport business, community sport and wellness, human performance, and sport technology and innovation. As alumni and friends of Falk College, I invite you to stay connected and get involved as we build forward. We need you to help us achieve the goals that lie ahead. 

Thank you for your ongoing support of our college and its students. 

Sincerely, 
Jeremy S. Jordan, Dean and Professor, Falk College 

Contents

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

Students 

Congratulations to the Class of 2024 

The Department of Sport Management would like to congratulate 91 Sport Management undergraduates, 43 Sport Analytics undergraduates, and nine Sport Venue and Event Management master’s graduates who received their degrees as part of the Syracuse University Class of 2024. 

Our Department’s traditional celebration of graduates during Commencement Weekend was held for seniors and their families, as well as faculty and staff, on May 10 in Falk College. 

We are very proud of our Sport Management, Sport Analytics, and Sport Venue and Event Management graduates. The Class of 2024 will be remembered with distinction. Of the 91 students graduating in Sport Management, 61.5 percent graduated with honors, and more than 81 percent of the Sport Analytics majors graduated with honors, the most ever for both programs. Six students earned a Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Sport Analytics. 

Alison Gilmore (Sport Analytics) served as a Falk College Marshal. Department Marshals were Marissa Schneider (Sport Analytics), Sydney Topper (Sport Management) and Erica Trobia (Sport Venue and Event Management). 

The Sport Management/Sport Analytics faculty and staff would like to recognize the following students for their contributions to the department, the University and the Syracuse community. 

Thirty-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: Josephine Belcher, Nina Bilotti, Tracey Edson, Elizabeth Ellis, Jordan Fritz, Huzhe Gao, Carly Goldblatt, Alexander Grossman, Ethan Harrison, Ethan Hetu, Xinyue Huang, Madeline Huzjak, Jacob Kasdan, Quinn Kreller, Carter Lewis, Margo Noble, Sydney Orszulak, Jacob Palczak, Kyla Pearlman, Elena Randolph, Allison Rosen, Zachary Roth, Philip Tepper, Sarah Thompson and Sydney Topper. Sport Analytics: Jackson Bayuk, Sean Boland, Tyler Bolebruch, Martin Castner, George W. Cave III, Lucas Falcetti, Alison Gilmore, Jacob Graff, Matthew Holmes, Jordan Jones, Nicholas Kamimoto, Ryan O’Connell, Alexander Oppel and Quinn Robnett. 

Sport Analytics majors Sean Boland, Tyler Bolebruch, Alison Gilmore, Nicholas Kamimoto and Alexander Oppel were named Falk College Scholars. 

Also, the M.S. in Sport Venue and Event Management program concluded its 12th year. (See page 5.) 

Class of 2024 Awards: 

Sport Management Director’s Award – Elena Randolph 

Sport Management Academic Excellence Award – Madeline Huzjak 

Matt Brodsky Philanthropic Excellence Award – Sarah Thompson 

Sport Management VIP Award – Philip Tepper 

Sport Management Professional Engagement Award – Tracey Edson 

Jason Morales Perseverance in Sport and Life Award – Andrew Amell 

Sport Management Director’s Award for Academic Promise – Nina Bilotti 

Kate Veley Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility Award – Alexander Grossman 

Patrick Ryan Sport Technology Award – Allison Rosen 

Outstanding Graduate Student Award – Holly Carr 

Sport Analytics Academic Excellence Award – Sean Boland 

Sport Analytics Academic Excellence Award – Nicholas Kamimoto 

Sport Analytics Research Excellence Award – Quinn Robnett 

Sport Analytics Director’s Award for Academic Promise – Tyler Bolebruch 

Sport Analytics VIP Award – Alexander Oppel 

Sport Analytics Game Changer Award – Alison Gilmore 

Photos with captions in this section include: Sport Management Marshal Sydney Topper; Sport Analytics Marshal Marissa Schneider; Sport Analytics award winners; Sport Management award winners.

Sport Venue and Event Management Master’s program 

The Department of Sport Management’s master’s program in Sport Venue and Event Management (SVEM) welcomed its 12th class of graduate students to campus in July 2023. The 2023-24 cohort included eight 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 Summer 2024 and some will continue in Fall 2024. 

In addition to their classwork, the graduate students volunteered for a variety of events, including working the entire regional tournament of The Basketball Tournament (TBT) in Syracuse. During the TBT the students were able to see how a traveling event comes to life from the setup of a blank canvas of an arena to the last whistle of the final game. 

In the Spring 2024 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 gain exposure to key areas of Dome operations, including the difficult task of “Dome Changeovers,” to turn the Dome over from one event to another. They also were exposed to the operations of several different types of events including SU basketball games, Monster Jam, and the Bruce Springsteen concert. A highlight for this cohort was a networking trip to New York City, where they met with executives and alumni from organizations such as MLB, the NBA, NHL, MLS and New York Yankees. 

Students in the first 12 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 Brown University, Oak View Group, Cornell University, ASM Global, Spartan Race Inc., Octagon, Country Music Hall of Fame, Syracuse University’s JMA Wireless Dome and Syracuse University Athletics, Met Life Stadium, Boston Celtics, Towson University, Nike China, Allegiant Stadium, Soldier Field, University of Louisville, and Tulsa Sports Commission, among others. 

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. 

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

Fall 2023 

Nicolee Foster, Blue Cross Arena, Rochester Americans and Knighthawks 

Summer 2024 

Marilyn Bell, Syracuse University Athletics 

Dominique Camp, ED23 Hoops/ED23 Foundation 

Luisa Gathmann, Syracuse University Athletics 

Haoyang Lu, ELITE Gaming 

Erica Trobia, Golf House Tennessee 

Alexandria Weiss, Ripken Baseball 

Photos with captions in this section include: Christopher Szlamczynski, Luisa Gathmann, Marilyn Bell, Dominique Camp, Holly Carr, Charles Eaton and Erica Trobia (from left) took part in the Falk College Convocation for the Class of 2024on May 11 on campus. Students in the Sport Venue and Event Management graduate program visited the NBA Offices in New York City as part of a networking trip in May 2024.

Congratulations to the following students for achieving an overall cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher, as of the end of the 2023-2024 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 2023-2024. 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. 

Fall 2023 | Spring 2024 | Summer 2024