College Football Playoff Championship Week Experiential Learning Recap

As we finally return to normal after an exhausting week in Tampa and an equally exhausting return to classes and the ritualized schedule of the academic semester, we look back on the trip that was for the Baldwin Wallace Sport Management students.

Although, I think all the students, faculty, and staff will take exhaustion in exchange for our location during the game-winning touchdown pass.

Mon., Jan. 2nd 

• Worked the Outback Bowl
• Florida beat Iowa, 30-3

Tues., Jan. 3rd

• Toured Tropicana Field and meeting with Tampa Bay Rays Front Office Staff
• Met with Manager, Stadium Operations Kelsey Smith and Coordinator, Stadium Operations Troy Dailey
• Toured the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame, which is housed in Tropicana Field
• Met with Executive Director Dave McCarthy and Director of Florida Operations Tony Penna
• Attended a Tampa Bay Lightning/Winnipeg Jets Game
• Winnipeg won 6-4

Wed., Jan. 4th

• Toured Amalie Arena and met with Tampa Bay Lightning Front Office Staff
• Met with Senior Director of Season Ticket Membership Travis Pelleymounter, Account Representative Paige Westlake, Corporate Sales Managers Nicky Gordon and Adam Lawson, and Membership Services Executives Shannon Dixie and Hannah Landes

Thurs., Jan. 5th

• Toured the University of South Florida Athletic Department facilities and met with Athletic Department Staff
• Met with Associate Director of Athletics for Student-Athlete Enhancement Dr. Jodie Libadisos, Director of Selmon Mentoring Institute Kristen Harris, Student-Athlete Enhancement Graduate Assistant Jennica Mullins, Assistant Director of Development / Bulls Varsity Club Director Abby Ritter, Academic Coordinator Rosemary Piedmont, Assistant Director of Communications - Baseball, Volleyball, Sailing Mike Radomski, Assistant Director of Compliance Andrew Kappers, Director of Events Steve Guarino, and Director of Marketing Megan MacLeod

• Toured the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Facility and met with Front Office Staff
• Senior Writer Scott Smith; Director of Sales Deno Anagnost, Senior Public Relations Manager Michael Pehanich, Corporate Partnerships Development Manager Adam Smith, Club Member Relations Manager Jerrett Burke and Member Relations Associates Lindsey Banks, Kaitlyn Huntzinger, and Nathaniel Ligon

Fri., Jan. 6th 

• Toured McKechnie Stadium (Home of Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliate Bradenton Mauraders)
• Met with Coordinator of McKechnie Operations for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Mauraders Nick Long
• Toured the IMG Academy
• Golf Program Coordinator Aaron Westlake, Student-Athlete Advisor, Golf Matt Kies, Group & Team Sales Manager Jason Puckett, Director of Golf Neil Coulson, and Baldwin Wallace alum and Sales & Outreach Manager, Private School Jason Elias
• Worked the ESPN College Football Playoff Championship Fan Central
• Worked the Eric Paslay Concert

Sat., Jan. 7th

• Worked the ESPN College Football Playoff Championship Fan Central
• Worked the Flo Rida Concert

Sun., Jan. 8th

• Worked the Florida Cup Soccer Tournament
• Worked the ESPN College Football Playoff Championship Celebrity Flag Football Beach

Mon., Jan. 9th

• Worked the College Football Playoff Championship Tailgate featuring the Dierks Bentley Concert
• Worked the College Football Playoff Championship Game

 We would like to take this opportunity to once again thank all of those who helped make this week possible!

It was a full week for the students and one that included plenty of fun, plenty of contacts, and plenty of work, with some students logging 50 hours of work during the trip.

“The trip to Tampa was definitely an experience of a lifetime,” said freshman Sport Management major Rachael Montanari. “Being able to tour professional and collegiate facilities was incredible and meeting people who work within them was a great way to help us expand our network. Those 10 days have taught me so much and were so fun. I am very thankful I was able to be a part of it!”

Additionally, it allowed students who have participated in some of the other Baldwin Wallace Sport Management Experiential learning trips a chance to compare and contrast events.

Junior Sport Management major Nick Rizzo, who traveled to work Super Bowl XLIX & 50, “This trip was a great way to compare how the CFP Committee and NCAA run their biggest event compared to the NFL and the Super Bowl. It was also very beneficial to have the ability to visit the various facilities and meet with countless sport business professionals in the Tampa area. The trip was a great way to add to my network and boost my resume, and I had blast doing it.”
For more information on the Baldwin Wallace University Sport Management program, please contact Asst. Professor Dr. Charles Campisi at ccampisi@bw.edu or visit https://www.bw.edu/academics/undergraduate/sport-management/.

Baldwin Wallace University Sport Management: Experiential Learning from Day One!