An Experience of a Lifetime

By Emily Hung ’23, February 27, 2023

Sport management students have their moment at Super Bowl LVII.

A dozen students in the sport management program got the opportunity for hands-on experience at the Super Bowl.

(Photo courtesy of Annemarie Farrell)

A dozen sport management students played a key, behind-the-scenes role in helping the National Football League make the Super Bowl and activities leading up to the big game on February 12 a success. The students, along with Annemarie Farrell, associate professor of sport management, flew to Arizona on February 7 and immediately hit the ground running.

During the week prior to the game, students worked with GMR Marketing to staff the NFL House, an elite, invite-only club for NFL athletes, executives, and celebrities where they could relax and mingle. They oversaw all kinds of live-event management, such as checking credentials, greeting guests, setting up for private parties, and working with brand activations.

Brenna Lorenzen ’24, a business administration major with concentrations in marketing and sport management, said they made sure to provide the best experience for guests by being available and assisting when needed. She said that working at the Super Bowl was an eye-opening experience.

“I’m still processing everything I experienced. To be able to work at and attend one of the biggest sporting events in the world is so special. Attending a Super Bowl is something that not too many people get to experience. To say I’m grateful is an understatement.”

Hudson Hassler ’24

“There are so many different elements that go into an event that large, and it really made me develop a new level of appreciation for all the time and effort that goes into the planning and production, as well as the people who make it happen,” Lorenzen said.

On the day of the Super Bowl, students were on their feet for 18 hours, working for On Location’s Elite program—which catered to the ticket holders who had the best seats in the best section of the stadium. They were at pregame and postgame events, organizing and distributing parking passes, directing guests around the site, and answering questions.

Brenna Lorenzen ’24 and Kashief Scott ’24 were among the students who worked at NFL House, a drop-in elite hospitality club for executives, athletes, and celebrities. (Photo courtesy of Annemarie Farrell)

Hudson Hassler ’24, a business administration major with a concentration in sport management, said their main goal was to ensure guests came away with a memorable experience every day.

“It’s pretty awesome that we got to contribute to experiences that people are never going to forget,” Hassler said. “And in exchange, it gave us an experience that we will certainly remember forever.”

Isabella Lambert ’24, also a business administration major with a concentration in sport management, said her studies in the classroom helped prepare her for the work in Phoenix.

“Taking Sport Marketing and Sales showed me how the way experiences are designed and sold to guests is a form of marketing,” Lambert said. “I also learned a lot in Professional Sport about the Super Bowl and how many different departments of people it takes to run smoothly.”

Despite the long workdays, students took to heart the concept of “fan first” emphasized by the companies they worked for. Hassler said that after the game, they staffed an elite event that lasted late into the night.

“We were tired, and our bodies were in pain, it was hard to hide,” Hassler said. “But we were encountering all of these Chiefs fans who just witnessed their team winning a Super Bowl—probably one of the greatest feelings in the world—and we knew we had to match their energy. So we smiled, we were happy for them, and always remembered to put the fans first.”

The annual trip to the Super Bowl is just one of the many experiential learning opportunities provided to students by Annemarie Farrell, associate professor of sport management.

Farrell said they were in contact with many celebrities—such as Jay Z, Emmitt Smith, and John Legend—during their shifts.

“Our job there isn’t to be a fan. Our job there is to cultivate a great experience and make sure that brands are getting their value in partnering with the NFL and with these marking firms,” Farrell said.

She also emphasized that the Super Bowl experience is only one part of the sport management program’s practicum experience, as students have also worked at other events, such as the NCAA Final Four tournaments and the Olympics.

“Entertainment is large, so students need a variety of different experiences,” Farrell said. “Many students that went to the Super Bowl want to go into live-event management, some into operations, some will go into law school, so it’s a diverse group. It’s important to us that the group reflects the diversity of our major at Ithaca College.”

Hassler said the people she met there and the connections she made with her classmates were invaluable.

“It didn’t feel real. I’m still processing everything I experienced,” Hassler said. “To be able to work at and attend one of the biggest sporting events in the world is so special. Attending a Super Bowl is something that not too many people get to experience. To say I’m grateful is an understatement.”