Lander Sport Management Students Gain Hands-On Experience at Major Sporting Events
March 10, 2025
Sport management programs are among the fastest-growing degree offerings on college campuses across the United States, and Lander University is no exception.
The number of students in Lander’s sport management program has more than tripled during the past three years, according to Dr. David Zinn, assistant professor of sport management and recipient of Lander’s 2023-24 Jr. Faculty Teaching Award. He attributes this rapid growth not only to the program’s rigorous academic coursework preparing students for jobs in sports, but also to the invaluable hands-on learning experiences students gain at major sporting events.
“Students in our program don’t just learn from textbooks in a classroom,” Zinn said. “They gain real-world experience working at sporting events across the country, preparing them for careers in the industry.”
Lander students have recently taken part in a variety of high-profile events, including:
Super Bowl LIX
Five Lander students — Olivia Dow, Jackson Pare, Charlie Beiers, Gracie McCoy and Amani Melendez —worked as volunteers in Fan Experience and Game Day Operations for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
Melendez, a junior from Woodbridge, Virginia, and manager of the Women’s Basketball team at Lander, described the experience as transformative: “We worked alongside industry professionals who mentored us during downtime, sharing their insights and experiences in the sports industry. It was an opportunity unlike any other, exposing us to the very environment we aspire to be part of in our future careers.”
A senior business major from Lexington, S.C. and a member of the Lander golf team, Charlie Beiers has been to several major sporting events. “Over the past couple of years, I have worked at a PGA Tour event, Peach Belt Conference Championships, a Southern Conference Volleyball Championship, an NCAA Division I Golf Tournament, and most recently, Super Bowl LIX,” Beiers said.
“Being able to learn through experience is what makes Lander’s College of Business and the sport management program so special,” he added. Beiers noted that “these opportunities have confirmed my goal of working in sports operations and event management after graduation.”
National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship
Lander students took part recently in the National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship (NCSSC) in Atlanta. Students competed in a virtual preliminary round in November to qualify for the event. Lander ranked No. 12 in the nation after the virtual round, with individuals ranking No. 5 and No. 45.
At the national competition, students presented mock sales pitches to industry professionals in multiple categories, including ticket sales, speed selling and corporate sponsorships. More than 300 students from 75universities nationwide took part.
Representing Lander were Sebastian Augustave, Grant Loniero and Grayson Allen.
Allen, a senior business major with a sport management emphasis, said the experience helped him learn more about the sales development process. “I was able to build rapport in selling a custom season ticket package to a buyer and judge as if I was actually making the sale,” Allen said.
“Dr. Zinn ensures we get the best experience from volunteering with professional teams and being able to work at tournaments,” Allen continued. The Greenwood native hopes to pursue a sports career in the Atlanta area after graduation.
What’s Coming Up?
Zinn said he is constantly on the phone lining up the next student opportunity to give his students real-world experiences. Upcoming events include the RBC Heritage Golf Tournament in Hilton Head, and NASCAR weekend at Darlington Motor Speedway, both in April.
About Lander’s Sport Management Program
“In a sport management degree program, students develop foundational knowledge in areas such as economics, accounting and law, as well as entrepreneurship, facility and event management, marketing and analytics,” Zinn said.
“This coursework will prepare graduates to work successfully in leadership positions in the sports industry,” he said. ”Graduates of sport management programs can work in various roles, such as sport marketing, event management, sport and media communications, sport finance, athletic administration, parks and recreation, sports information and more.”
Lander’s business students complete forty-three semester credit hours of core business courses in preparation for their selected emphasis during their junior and senior years.
To learn more about Lander’s sport management program and how to prepare for your own sports career, visit www.lander.edu/business.
