The Ducks" strong performance on the gridiron this season has made the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business uniquely well positioned to deliver on its promise of experiential learning opportunities. Ten undergraduate Warsaw Sports Business Club students were recruited to assist with ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from the Casanova Center next to Autzen Stadium when the UO football team defeated USC on October 31, 2009.
"Helping out behind the scenes at GameDay was a valuable and fun way to gain insight into how such a big event works in a field that I'm interested in," noted Alexander Vieth, one of the students involved. "I felt very fortunate to have such a unique hands-on experience."
Students got some backstage access, toured the GameDay bus, helped set up, shadowed staff, and otherwise gained an eye-opening perspective on organizing events of this magnitude.
The Warsaw Sports Business Club seeks to deliver experiential learning opportunities to members, educating them on the state of sports industries and preparing them for related careers. It's just one of the ways in which the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center--the premier sports business program in the nation--helps students gain insight and opportunities through its network of industry-leading guest speakers, alumni, and partners.
“Whether it is a site visit, guest speaker, or volunteer opportunity, students are afforded a diverse set of points of engagement in order to learn more about the sports business industry and what it takes to have a successful career in the space," explained faculty advisor Whitney Wagoner.
The event capped off a banner week for sports business students. The day before the ESPN
experience, sixty club members attended a day-long seminar on the state of the golf business at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Oregon. The seminar featured a keynote by Ladies Professional Golf Association Chief Communications Officer David Higdon and a panel discussion with five industry professionals. Panel topics included a discussion of recreational golf and grassroots development and an examination of the professional game and consumer marketing.