Four Neumann sport management students: Jacob Denton, Ryen Hawkey, Haley Price, and Anthony Sciotto, had the opportunity of a lifetime spending ten days in Las Vegas to work the Super Bowl.
Besides being in the stadium to watch Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs defeat Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffery, and the San Fransico 49ers, they were able to experience something they will never forget.
Stadium tours, conferences, networking events, the ability to meet sports professionals and A-list celebrities such as Shaquille O'Neal, and even horseback riding were all part of this jam-packed week-long experience leading up to working the big game.
“It felt weird to go without knowing anyone,” said Sciotto. “I am glad that I went because we all became friends.”
The students worked the Super Bowl Experience on Saturday and were assigned to various stations where they ran interactive games such as field goal kicking, quarterback scrambling, and passing drills.
On Sunday night, the students were not able to watch most of the game. Instead, they were busy working with the guest services department, where their responsibilities involved directing fans to and from their seats.
They navigated through Allegiant Stadium, assisting with the flow of people by using elevators to move them efficiently throughout the venue.
“This opened up my eyes,” said Hawkey. “Being around everyone at my age, I made so many connections, and I feel more confident on a professional level.”
All of this was thanks to Living Sport, a company that understands the sports industry is competitive, and offers exclusive opportunities with the International Sport Business Program with hands-on experience at marquee sporting events such as drafts, all-star games, Final Fours, Super Bowls, and more.
“It’s not about Vegas, it's about the connections the students make, and the networking they have from peer to peer and peer to professional,” said Founder and CEO, Alicia Marinelli.
“This helped boost my confidence and I would love to work another event with them if given a chance,” said Denton, a freshman. “I went into this knowing I wanted to do event management for my career, and this opportunity showed me why. From just being around the fans and the atmosphere, this experience was proof.”
This was the second straight year that four sport management students went to the Super Bowl.
Julie Lanzillo, program director and associate professor of sport management, has had a relationship with Marinelli and Living Sport since 2015.
Former Neumann professor, Pete Powell, and alum, Tim Seidlier, who now hold positions in the sport industry, serving as vice president and chief of staff at N3rd Street Gamers and director of business operations at the Philadelphia Union, respectively, are also program mentors for Living Sport.
Since then, Living Sport employees have come to talk to the sport management classes at Neumann and the students have made their dreams come true from working the Super Bowl to all-star games, drafts, and more.
“College is like a gym membership, just because you pay for it doesn’t mean you’ll see results,” said Lanzillo. “It is not the cost, but it is the opportunity. Living Sport gives the support, and it has changed the sports landscape.”
These four sport management students were selected as part of fifty to work the game out of the one hundred fifty that applied. People across the country were there and now each has connections in various states including California, New York, Nevada, Florida, Iowa, and Illinois.