Sport management program helps students make winning plays
Hands-on experiences and expert guidance in the classroom equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive at every level of the rapidly growing business of sport.
Hannah Dow ’25 may be an avid sports fan, but she won’t be tuning in to Super Bowl LIX, being played Feb. 9 in New Orleans.
That’s because she’ll be working the event instead.
Dow’s key to landing a credential coveted by millions of football fans? Her Stonehill sport management major.
Students pursuing this major at the College can apply to become key behind-the-scenes staffers during Super Bowl week both at high-end hospitality events leading up to the game as well as on-site on game day —opportunities that many sports lovers would consider the experience of a lifetime.
During the week, Stonehill sport management majors will be tasked with supporting activities at the NFL House, an exclusive, member-only hospitality and event club for team owners, players, coaches, influencers, sponsors and other top VIPs. Their responsibilities vary daily and can include all aspects of event and experience management, from overseeing access control to assisting patrons throughout their visit. On game-day students will be on-site at the stadium all day, working in fan services during the game, as well as supporting post-game media access.
“I tell the students, ‘Anyone can buy a ticket to the Super Bowl, but you have to be invited to have access to the NFL House,’” says Professor Annemarie Farrell, who for years has been taking groups of students to the Super Bowl. She joined Stonehill in August as an associate professor of sport management, one of 18 major, minor and graduate degree programs offered by Stonehill’s Meehan School of Business.
A Program Built Around Experience in the Field
This type of hands-on learning isn’t just a once-a-year opportunity for the College’s sport management students. Equipping them with the skills needed to not only meet challenges but also exceed expectations is central to the ethos of the program.
“I joke that my love language is experiential learning,” says Farrell. “I’m passionate about how we connect curriculum to career. We want to set up ways for students to challenge themselves, build resiliency and find meaning.”
I’m passionate about how we connect curriculum to career. We want to set up ways for students to challenge themselves, build resiliency and find meaning.
One such example is the Skyhawk Squad, a program in which sport management interns work across all of Stonehill’s NCAA Division I sports in the areas of game presentation, marketing, event management, and facilities operations.
It is a key strength of the sport management program that students can tap into opportunities like these as soon as they arrive on campus.
“For example, we have several first-year majors in paid game-day roles with the New England Patriots,” says Farrell. “Our strategic advising and partnerships with sports organizations across the area allow students to jump-start their careers right away.”
She continues, “The most important document when you graduate college is your resume. We start building that from Day 1.”
This philosophy has landed Dow numerous professional opportunities to take a deep dive into the many facets of the sports industry, which she has loved since attending sporting events as a child.
Through two internships — with the Providence Bruins, a development team for the NHL’s Boston Bruins in Rhode Island, and the Minor League Baseball Portland Sea Dogs, a Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox in Maine, her home state — Dow has worked in guest services and promotions for fans. Along the way, she even gained a young fan herself.
“A little boy asked to take a picture with me during an on-field event at a Sea Dogs game,” she says. “He said he was going to print it and show it to his friends at school the next day.”
Dow’s hands-on industry experience hasn’t been limited only to the professional stadiums, rinks, courts and fields beyond the College’s campus.
Through her coursework, she also has organized basketball-viewing events, managed Stonehill's Sport Management Instagram page and helped host the College's first Sport and Entertainment Career fair.
Post-graduation, Dow plans to build on her Stonehill experiences, returning to the Sea Dogs to work in fan relations and promotions again.
“I want to help fans enjoy a positive experience and have fun,” she says. “It’s a way I know I can make an impact in the sports field.”
Dow’s journey of self-discovery exemplifies what Farrell sees as the ultimate achievement for students in the sport management major.
“Stonehill isn’t a place where we make students marketable,” she says. “We help shape who they are as people.”
Related
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Sport Management Major
The Sport Management major helps students develop a highly marketable skill set in a rapidly growing field. It is enhanced by our AACSB-accredited business program and a well-rounded liberal arts education, fostering career options in and out of the sports business.
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More Than an Interest in Sports
Stonehill’s Sport Commerce & Culture program applies an interdisciplinary approach to examining the world of professional sports. The end game is a command of analytical and critical thinking skills that students can apply in a host of fields.
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Meehan School of Business
The Meehan School of Business empowers students to be adaptive, compassionate leaders in the fields of business, economics and healthcare management. It leverages the College’s liberal arts foundation to foster the kind of creative thinking that helps students recognize and seize opportunities in a rapidly evolving global economy.
