Two teams of sport management students recently represented Washington State University in the Case Study Cup at the COSMA Conference in Las Vegas, competing against nine teams from eight other universities.
The annual event brings together top sport management students from accredited programs across the country to take on real-world challenges and then present to a panel of judges who are industry experts.
“The opportunity for our students to collaborate with their peers, to represent WSU, and execute a presentation to professional sport personnel was, at times, stressful and overwhelming,” said sport management faculty member Tammy Crawford who accompanied the students. “In the end, the eight students were brimming with pride and a sense of accomplishment.”
The only other institution from the Pacific Northwest was Gonzaga University.
The competition, which took place on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), challenged students to develop strategic affinity club programs for four professional sports teams:
- National Hockey League’s Vegas Golden Knights
- American Hockey League’s Henderson Silver Knights
- Indoor Football League’s Vegas Knight Hawks
- English Premier League’s AFC Bournemouth
While the teams had only three weeks to prepare after returning from winter break, sport management Assistant Professor Elodie Wendling, who was the official faculty advisor for the two teams, said the students embraced the challenge.
“It was a really amazing experience for students to get more exposure to the industry and to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios,” Wendling said. “I was incredibly proud of how both teams represented WSU.”
A competitive and educational experience
The two WSU teams consisted of four students each. Team one included Asael Aburto, Brandon Mascitti, Brittney Lemke, and Gavin Tyacke. Team two was made up of Caleb Markowitz, Gracie Sather, Henry Druffel, and Lucas Duranceau.
The teams worked under tight deadlines to research, strategize, and present their solutions before a panel of industry professionals.
“It was nerve-wracking but exciting to present in front of judges who actually work for the teams we were analyzing,” Lemke said. “We received great feedback and felt proud of what we accomplished in such a short time.”
In addition to WSU and Gonzaga, other participating schools included East Stroudsburg University, Grambling State University, Florida A&M, Ithaca College, Nichols College, and the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
From concept to competition
The case study tasked students with expanding the fan bases of the assigned teams, with considerations for diverse audiences and budgetary implications. The teams had to devise creative ways to engage different demographics while presenting fiscally responsible strategies.
“Our biggest challenge was tailoring strategies to four different teams in such a short time,” Wendling said. “But the students rallied together and produced high-quality work.”
Druffel echoed that sentiment: “At first, reading the prompt was overwhelming, but once we broke it down and started collaborating, we built a strong presentation. The process definitely helped me gain confidence in my sport management skills.”
Beyond the competition
As part of the experience, students had the opportunity to visit the Las Vegas Aces state-of-the-art practice facility and meet with professionals in sales and marketing. They also had visits to facilities for the Silver Knights and the Knight Hawks.
While the teams did not bring home the first-place trophy, Aburto said the experience proved invaluable.
“We got to network with industry professionals, which was probably the highlight of the trip,” he said. “It really reinforced why I’m pursuing a career in sports.”
The trip was made possible through the support of the Jo Washburn and Sue Durrant Endowed Scholarship in Sport Management, a funding source that has been instrumental in providing hands-on learning experiences for WSU students.
“We hope to continue participating in case study competitions like this in the future,” Wendling said. “This is exactly the kind of experience that prepares our students for their careers, and we couldn’t have done it without the help of this endowed scholarship.”
