2 minute read
Super Bowl Exclusive
Alex Schroeck can check one thing off his bucket list: the Super Bowl.
Schroeck was one of 12 business school students from Gannon University who worked at the Super Bowl at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium in early February – an opportunity reserved for students from only 30 universities from across the country. This was the second time Gannon had students at the NFL championship game.
“Working to help put on one of the greatest sporting events in the world … was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Schroeck, who is a junior majoring in risk management and insurance.
Eric Brownlee, Ph.D., associate professor in Gannon’s Dahlkemper School of Business, and Jinhee Yoo, Ph.D., assistant professor of sport management and marketing, coordinated the learning program to help students gain hands-on work experience in hospitality, marketing and media.
Schroeck said the entire week was like a highlight reel, but his favorite part was working at the NFL House in the days before the actual game.
The NFL House is a hospitality rest area for VIPs, including current and former NFL players, celebrities and NFL inner-circle partners such as executives from sponsoring companies. Students helped with the setup and execution of events, and they assisted security with monitoring the arrival and departure of VIPs, among other responsibilities.
Schroeck’s own role as concierge included scheduling appointments and travel arrangements, selling NFL merchandise, and answering guests’ questions about the downtown Miami area.
“At the NFL House no expense is spared, and the goal was to give a white-glove experience for the VIPs,” he said. “It was a blast being able to interact, network and work at such a high-profile event.”
On gameday, the students helped guests navigate events held during the NFL On Location Experiences, which is the official hospitality partner of the NFL that gives VIPs priority access to the stadium.
The trip culminated with the game itself between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, which the students were able to watch.
Sarah McLaughlin ’20 said she found it to be a surreal experience. “The Super Bowl itself was amazing. It was so hard to actually pay attention to anything specifically,” she said.
Like Schroeck, McLaughlin said she hopes to move into sport marketing and management after graduation.
Brownlee said the Super Bowl experience positions students like McLaughlin for jobs in the sports industry.
“Overall, this was an amazing experience that provided the students with significant experience working at a major sports event,” he said. “They were able to network with high-level sport industry professionals, and this has already led to multiple job opportunities for students.”
Students in Gannon’s sport management and marketing program have worked in the past with the local Erie SeaWolves, Bay Hawks and Otters sports teams, Brownlee said. He’s also taken students to four MLB All-Star Games and to one ESPN Summer X Games.
Brownlee said he makes sure each experience gives students opportunities to both work and network.
In fact, similar experiences have led graduates of the program to secure jobs with the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Pirates, Memphis Redbirds, Erie SeaWolves, Erie Otters and Erie BayHawks, Brownlee said.
