On October 17, 2023, DePaul Sports Business student Rachel Bradshaw had the opportunity to attend the 7th annual Chicago Sports Summit. The Chicago Sports Summit brings together various local and national sports leaders to discuss important topics such as emerging sports, Chicago team updates, NIL, and athlete mental health. Some of the organizations that attended and had representatives speaking at the event were the Chicago Bulls, NASCAR, Chicago Red Stars, Chicago Sky, Chicago White Sox, and Northwestern University. Rachel shared more details regarding this fantastic opportunity:
“In the morning we checked in, got our lanyards with our assigned tables for when we enter into the ballroom. Once we sat down at our table, they served us a breakfast platter to enjoy during the panels. At the tables were little thank-you items which included a bag of whiffle balls for pickleball and a variety of things from Rush University since they were a sponsor. Each panel lasted about 30 minutes and they were all very informative. The first panel was about emerging sports in Chicago which included speakers involved with NASCAR and Pickleball. That was pretty interesting because I don’t know much about pickleball, and I know that it is becoming a very popular sport. The second panel was Chicago Team Leaders from the Chicago Bulls, Blackhawks, Red Stars and Sky who talked about what they’ve been doing with their seasons and the big accomplishments. After that was the third panel, which went in depth about NIL and where they are now. One of the panelists, Megumi Oishi, is a student-athlete at Northwestern University, but not one of the typical sports she’s a fencer, so it was intriguing to hear her point of view with the NIL contracts. Then finally the last panel was focused on the medical field and all the procedures that doctors need to follow to care for that athlete.”
When asked about her favorite part of the Summit, Rachel shared that she enjoyed the second panel of the event, which featured “Ram Padmanabhan, COO and General Counsel at the Chicago Bulls; Danny Wirtz, CEO at the Chicago Blackhawks; Rachel Parrish, Director of Brand Marketing & Communication at the Chicago Red Stars; Michael Alter, Principal Owner at the Chicago Sky.” She enjoyed hearing from Danny Wirtz, who shared about “receiving the first draft pick, Connor Bedard, and the impact that it is having on the new era of the Blackhawks.” In addition, Rachel especially liked what Rachel Parrish had to say, because [she] looks up to [Parrish], having a higher-up role in this industry and her push of making women’s sports just as marketable as the other sports in Chicago.”
Speaking of women in sports, one main takeaway Rachel had from the event was that “there are becoming more women in leadership roles, which is inspiring to see. Looking at Rachel Parrish and all she has done for the Chicago Red Stars on the marketing side of things is something [she] looks up to. [She] knows women can be in these higher-up positions that are held by most men, so being able to connect with them on a personal level is motivating to want to be like them.”
When we signed up to be part of DePaul’s ninth annual Behind the Scenes with Chicago Sports Organizations Class (BTSWCSO) led by Andy Clark, director of the Sports Business program, we knew it would be an exciting course that introduced us to the world of Chicago sports. We were right. This week-long intersession course was all of that and so much more. In just six days, we networked with 64 contacts in the sports industry, visited 15 different organizations, stepped foot inside 10 venues/offices and attended an NHL game.
Monday
On Monday morning, we found ourselves at the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center. There, we were introduced to the course and each other before hearing from Publisher Chris Hartweg from Team Marketing Report.
Chris set the stage for what our week was going to look like and gave us excellent advice for our professional lives. His main piece of advice was to “get as much writing experience as you can” because it’s likely that any job will require you to write in some form. We also learned about the Fan Cost Index (FCI) that Team Marketing Report uses to help teams understand the average ticket prices of four adults going to a game.
From there, we traveled to Guaranteed Rate Field and met with a panel of directors who talked about their careers within the Chicago White Sox organization including, Director of Ticket Sales and Retention Rich Kuchar, Senior Director of Corporate Partnership Sales Development George McDoniel, Vice President of Community Relations/Executive Director of Chicago White Sox Charities Christine O’Reilly-Riordan, Senior Director of Broadcasting Cris Quintana, Vice President of Finance Bill Waters, and Vice President of Sales and Service Jim Willits.
After meeting with the panel of White Sox executives, the class was able to step onto Guaranteed Rate Field and tour some of the facilities.
Most of the panelists have been a part of the White Sox for at least more than 10 years, which shows the culture and relationships that exist within the franchise. Following the panel, Client Services Manager Maryssa Cladis took us onto the field for pictures and a taste of the gameday experience.
Tuesday
Students hear from Senior Director of Marketing Communications Mike Hormuth and Professor Andy Clark at rEvolution Marketing Agency, a creative company that focuses on developing brands in the sports world and beyond.
On Tuesday morning, we arrived at rEvolution, an integrated sports marketing agency, to learn about the inner workings of the company and what makes them unique. We met with Partner Larry Mann, Senior Director of Marketing Communications Mike Hormuth and Director of Hospitality Jennifer Andrus. We also heard from Client Services Associate Theodore Gwyn, Client Services Manager and DePaul alum Celine Soto, Supervisor of Client Services Michael Begel, and Senior Supervisor of Client Services Celsea Herzog. They are involved with a variety of brands and come up with creative ways to promote their clients’ goals. Jennifer talked about how her team helps create “bucket list experiences” as a way of making everyone’s time with rEvolution memorable. It was intriguing to learn about everything that goes into not only creating and planning events, but also producing content to make products look good from a different standpoint.
In the afternoon, we traveled to Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs offices. We started off the afternoon speaking to the Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Colin Faulkner, who talked to us about his career journey. One piece of advice he shared was “do a good job at the job that you have because you never know where you will go from there.”
From there, Colin took us down to the 30,000 square foot Clubhouse where we were able to take pictures and check out where the players go before and after games. Then, we headed to the American Airlines 1914 Club and the Maker’s Mark Barrel Room where Colin talked about the background of the design concepts for those two specific premier spaces. The last stop on the tour was the field, which was set up for the Winter Wonderland.
Colin Faulkner gives the class a sneak peek of the renovated Cubs’ clubhouse during their tour of the stadium.
After the tour, the class got a one-on-one opportunity to sit down and speak with a range of Cubs managers about work/life balance and their careers including DePaul alumni and Account Executive of Premier Sales Diego Chahda, Talent Acquisition and HR Operations Coordinator Claribel Diaz, Ticket Sales Representative Megh Babikian, Executive Assistant Mary Rossi, Director of Hospitality and Retail Brad Johnson and Manager of Ticket Sales Aaron Klein.
Wednesday
Wednesday was a loaded day filled with a ton of insights from three different organizations, starting with Wilson Sporting Goods. When we first arrived, the class received a detailed tour of the beautiful office space. Following the tour, we sat down for some lunch with Global Supply Planning Manager Oliva Vargas, Social Media Strategy Manager Jonathan Lau, Global Marketing and Partnerships Senior Director of Team Sports Amanda Lamb, Digital Marketing Director Aviva Jorstad and Global Commercial Senior Director of Baseball/Softball Michael Markovich. They all spoke about their lives and how they ended up at Wilson. Jonathan Lau discussed the importance of developing trust and a good relationship with consumers, saying “It’s not what we say our brand is – it’s what our community says our brand is.”
It was also interesting to see firsthand how Wilson conducts business. In an adjacent conference room, there were executives from Dick’s Sporting Goods meeting about buying Wilson products.
Following this, we ventured off to the Bulls’ corporate offices to start the afternoon speaking to a wide range of Chicago Bulls managers including Community Relations Senior Coordinator Josh Clark, Community Relations Coordinator Kola Adebola, Integrated Marketing Coordinator Haley Zahn, Digital Partnership Coordinator Ivan Hudson, Manager of Corporate Communications Denae Wilkins, HR Coordinator Mary Clare Crue, Senior Manager of Season Ticket Sales Zayna Ibrahim, Business Analyst David Hu, and Manager of Digital Content Nikko Tan.
Following the panel with the Bulls, the class was given an exclusive tour of their United Center Offices.
Everyone gave great advice, but one in particular was Denae, who told us, “Don’t let not knowing about the sport stop you from applying or interviewing.” Denae’s insight highlights the idea that when applying for a job, your expertise in a certain discipline is more important than a deep knowledge of the sport.
Nikko shared his journey from just overseeing social media to now being one of the team’s photographers. He talked about how during the pandemic, he wanted to try something new, so he tried photographing his high school’s football team as practice. With a ton of practice, he kept improving and told us, “you can gain experience in different areas.”
Next up, we went down to the Blackhawks’ corporate offices to speak with Manager of Development Marisela Rodriguez, Manager of Analytics Elena Kelsh, Corporate Partnership Account Specialist Shilpa Rupani, Marketing Coordinator Sarah Ortman, and DePaul Alum and Account Executive of New Business Erik Lagunas. There, they each separately took time to speak with us about what they do before, during and after gamedays. Erik gave great advice about what it is like when working in sports saying, “sports is a lot of time, but if you’re passionate about it, then it’ll be okay. It’s rewarding.” It just goes to show that sports can be an exhausting industry to work in, but the payout makes it all worth it.
Following, we met with Manager of Premium Membership, Kevin LeClair, who gave us a tour of the United Center’s new features. This included checking out the ice, the CIBC seats lounge, and the new FanDuel Sportsbook (which was newly opened back in October).
After the tour, we were treated to a pizza dinner and got a surprise visit from the Blackhawks In-Game Content Host Genna Rose, who talked about her journey from broadcasting to being a part of the organization. As a recent college graduate, it was intriguing to hear what she has accomplished and her journey to the position that she has now.
The class was able to attend the Blackhawks vs. Oilers game Wednesday night as guests of the Blackhawks. Pictured here (L-R) are students Molly Byrne, Erin Henze, Kiaralyn Tardi, and Rachel Bradshaw.
To conclude this eventful day, we were able to attend the Chicago Blackhawks vs Edmonton Oilers game as guests of the Blackhawks in great seats. There, we got closer as a class while enjoying the game after absorbing all the information we had gotten throughout the day.
Thursday
Thursday morning featured a trip to the Chicago Bears’ loop offices for a panel discussion with a variety of the team’s managers, including Manager of Employee Experience Kristin Rogers, DePaul Alum and Partnership Activation Specialist Rachel Chessky, Partnership Activation Assistant Victoria O’Connor, Corporate Communications Assistant Miguel Lemus, Manager of Brand Creative Matt Dunlap and Marketing Project Manager Joann Kowalski. There, we all received important pieces of advice that will serve us well as we transition into our professional lives over the next couple of years.
Rachel, who was in this same class, told us that “no job is too small” when trying to break into the sports industry. Rachel completed an internship with the Bears after graduating, which eventually helped her secure a full-time job with the football team. Victoria also urged the class to believe in themselves, saying “don’t tell yourself ‘no’ before anyone else does.” We also learned a great deal about leadership and what it means to manage people within a business. Joann highlighted the importance of finding what works for different projects as well as what leadership and working styles work for different people.
DePaul Alum and Chicago Bears’ Partnership Activation Specialist Rachel Chessky answers a question during the panel discussions in the Bears’ offices on Thursday.
After our visit with the Bears, the class headed over to Paragon Marketing Group’s new offices in the West Loop. We met with Senior Vice President Matt Waitz, Senior Account Supervisor Michael Miller, Senior Account Coordinator Talia Petrosino, and Account Supervisors Jim Perry and Michael Socks. They gave the class a presentation highlighting Paragon’s history, what the company is currently working on, and some of the projects they’re looking forward to in the future.
Paragon’s slogan is, “We ignite remarkable journeys,” a concept that is evident in the way they conduct business and collaborate with brands.
One of the most interesting aspects of Paragon’s history as a marketing agency is their involvement with LeBron James and the televised broadcast of his high school basketball game against Oak Hill. Now, Paragon is fully immersed in the world of highlighting high school talent in a wide variety of sports, including men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, and men’s and women’s volleyball.
After the presentation, students received tips on building a solid resume and were encouraged to apply for Paragon’s “Road Warrior” summer student internship position. We concluded our time at Paragon with a tour of their brand-new offices, located right across from Union Station.
Friday
Friday was a day packed full of school pride! We started the day at Wintrust Arena, where we received a tour of the facilities from arena manager David Kennedy, as well as some additional insight into what goes on behind-the-scenes for games and concerts.
Wintrust Arena Manager David Kennedy gives the class a tour and brief history of the stadium and the events it hosts.
After that, we visited the DePaul Athletics facilities located at Wintrust, including the men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms, the film room, several conference rooms, and a state-of-the-art weight room. We talked with Executive Associate Athletic Director Taylor Stapleton about DePaul’s role at Wintrust, and everything that has to happen before and after a game there to make it a success.
We concluded our time at Wintrust with a Q&A discussion with DePaul Alum and Chicago Sky VP of Sponsorship Alex Teodosi, who is also a former student of this class. Alex talked to us about the importance of prioritizing women’s athletics and how the WNBA is evolving, as well as his role within the organization.
Mike Gordon stopped by to give the class some advice on how to set yourself apart when applying for jobs in the sports industry.
Later, the class headed back to the Coleman Center in the Loop campus, where we met with DePaul alum Mike Gordon, who is the General Manager of Northwestern Sports Properties. The whole class really enjoyed Mike’s engaging presentation about succeeding in the sports world, setting yourself apart from your competition when applying for jobs, and building a strong resume that compliments your skills and experiences. One of our favorite insights from Mike was his explanation of why the sports industry is different and how it brings people together. He told us, “for three hours, we are uniting people under one common cause,” which allows people to set aside their differences and come together to cheer for their team.
To conclude the day, the class was able to sit down with a team of DePaul alums led by Mike, Alex Teodosi, Partnership Strategy Coordinator for the Chicago Fire Olivia Solimene (who took this class just last year), Marketing Manager at Life Fitness Jen Enright, and DePaul Athletics, Account Executive, Tamas Zador.
One of the coolest things about the class was getting to hear about the career paths of former DePaul students and the mark they’ve made on the sports industry thus far. Professor Andy Clark reiterated this idea, saying, “A cool part of doing this class for several years now is that we are meeting with DePaul alums who were in this same course and now work at these organizations, including the Bears, Cubs, Blackhawks, Fire, Sky and Wilson.”
From our roundtable discussions, we learned how to use our connections with our classmates and professors at DePaul and how to leverage our experiences and knowledge when trying to break into the sports industry.
On Friday evening, the class was able to have a roundtable discussion with a variety of DePaul alumni now working in the sports industry, including Life Fitness Marketing Manager Jen Enright.
To wrap up this incredible week of networking and learning, the class met for one final session and gave group presentations. The presentations highlighted what we all learned from the week, what impacted us the most, and what lessons we will take from the class.
Each presentation was unique and creative, and every student showcased their passion for sports and gratitude for everything they gained from this class in the way they spoke.
At the end of the day, this course brought all of us together and allowed us to create memorable connections and experiences that won’t soon be forgotten.
From classmates to executives, we met so many amazing people this week. Their knowledge is something we will carry with us wherever we go in our careers, and we hope to one day share our own experiences as well as the incredible advice and knowledge we got from everyone here with students just like us.
It’s not often that students have the opportunity to step inside the corporate offices of their favorite NBA team- much less give a presentation to the organization’s executives.
But, on November 2nd, Andy Clark’s Introduction to Sports Management class was able to do just that.
Several weeks previously, students in the class were put into teams and tasked with creating an innovative presentation to give a the Bulls Offices.
Students smile in front of the Bulls’ “Basketball Wall” during their behind-the-scenes tour of the offices.
The focus of the presentations? Brainstorming and fleshing out creative ways for the Chicago Bulls to increase interest and boost community engagement in the Bulls vs. Pistons game taking place in Paris on Jan. 19 of next year.
Because the game is taking place on a different continent and in the middle of the afternoon due to time zones, the Bulls organization is looking for ways to get the Chicago community excited about watching the game and supporting the team. The franchise is also looking to take advantage of the Bulls’ international popularity and notoriety to expand its brand and fan base globally.
Over the course of three weeks, each group met outside of class to come up with ideas and design methods intended to meet these goals. Two Bulls executives, the VP of Community Engagement, Adrienne Scherenzel-Curry, and the Director of Community Relations, Erica Bauer, were available resources for students from the beginning of the process. They visited our class in-person and via zoom several times to answer questions and give feedback on potential ideas.
Junior Justin Espinosa shares visuals from his team’s idea to collaborate with Don C and design vintage clothing to promote the Paris game.
Erica and Adrienne were very receptive of the ideas presented and appreciative of the creative work that went into the projects.
“Some of these things I never even thought about doing,” Bauer said after the presentations were given inside a Bulls conference room. “You guys did a great job of brainstorming new and realistic ideas.”
Some of the most popular concepts among the group included hosting a United Center Watch Party during the live airing of the game overseas, complete with a French food buffet, games and giveaways, alumni interaction, and much more. Another group suggested that the Bulls host a G-League game at the United Center on the morning of the Paris game, to both give the G-league Bulls team exposure and get the community excited about coming to the United Center.
There were also various intriguing ideas shared in terms of activating the Bulls brand in Paris, including a Parisian street art showcase, a day with former Bulls player Joakim Noah, and frequent social media updates with behind-the-scenes insight into player activities while in Paris.
Additionally, a lot of emphasis on promoting the Paris game was put on the fashion side of things. Parisian culture has a rich history of unique fashion, and the week the Bulls will be in Paris is also Men’s Fashion Week. So, students were eager to brainstorm ideas that could combine popular Paris fashion with American sports. Some ideas thrown around included collaborating with Off-White to design a jacket for the players to wear to the arena, creating a custom designer jersey for Bulls players to wear during the game, and utilizing Bulls’ Creative Strategy and Design Advisor Don C to bring back vintage designs that highlight Bulls history as well as current fashion trends.
A lot of the ideas included donating proceeds to Bulls’ charity partners, much to the delight of Adrienne and Erica as they work with the Bulls Charities organizations frequently. “I love how you guys are thinking about and trying to incorporate our charities into your ideas,” Adrienne told the class. “That’s our thing, so we’re always excited about that.”
Cesar Vizcarrondo, Director of Brand & Fan Development for the Bulls, gives creative feedback after listening to a presentation.
The Director of Brand & Fan Development, Cesar Vizcarrondo, also stopped by to listen into the presentations and share his thoughts. “This is what we look for,” Vizcarrondo said. “New, fresh, and creative ideas from your generation that we may not come up with ourselves.”
After the presentations, students were invited to eat lunch with the other employees and receive an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the offices.
Later that evening, students were able to attend the Bulls home game against the Charlotte Hornets courtesy of the Bulls organization and witness a Chicago victory.
The students attended the Bulls vs. Hornets game later that night as guests of the Bulls.
As a whole, the experience was an amazing one that gave students insight into one of the most popular and successful sports franchises in the entire world. It allowed students to make connections, develop their interests and experiences in the sports world, and improve their confidence, teamwork and presentation skills all at the same time.
Erin Henze is a third-year Sports Communication & Journalism student at DePaul University.
At first glance, a course offering visits to some of Chicago’s most famous sports-focused organizations may seem like one big field trip. A sneak peak at the Chicago Cubs front office here, a swing by the Chicago Bears locker room there.
But as the 25 students enrolled in DePaul University’s sports management course “Behind the Scenes with Chicago Sports Organizations” soon discovered, the class wasn’t just fun and games.
In five days, students visited the headquarters of 14 Chicago sports-focused organizations, from the Chicago Bulls, Bears, Cubs and Blackhawks to Gatorade. Students were given extraordinary access to front offices and even inside looks at new facilities, products and services.
For example, DePaul students received an exclusive tour of the Advocate Center, the new downtown practice facility for the Chicago Bulls. At the Cubs organization, they saw the architectural scale model for planned Wrigley Field complex renovations, a model not-widely shown.
But students say it was the people, not the places, that made the course worth taking.
“It was a great chance to meet people who are important in the industry,” says Ryan O’Neill, a DePaul MBA student. “We really got to know them and network with them.”
During the weeklong December course, students met with 75 executives, many of them DePaul alumni, who work at major sports franchises and high-power sports agencies and companies. The list included:
Kara Bachman, executive director, Chicago Sports Commission
Charlie Besser, CEO, Intersport
Meghan Bower & Leah Hendrickson, public relations managers, Chicago Blackhawks
Neil Buethe, director of media relations, US Soccer Federation
Molly Carter, Sr. Director, Marketing Communications, The Gatorade Company
Grant DePorter, CEO, Harry Caray’s Restaurant Group
Danny Ecker, Sports Reporter/Producer, Crain’s Chicago Business
Susan Goodenow, vice president marketing and branding, Chicago Bulls
Mike Gordon, president, Chicago Wolves
Jennifer Heppel, Associate Commissioner, Big Ten Conference
Chris Hibbs, vice president sales and marketing, Chicago Bears
Josh Kritzler & Dan Migala, founding partners, Property Consulting Group
AJ Maestas, president, Navigate Research
Bryan Robinson, vice president, Human Resources, Chicago Cubs
During their visits, students had opportunities for lunch and coffee meetings and one-on-one talks with these industry leaders. The class also featured a roundtable discussion with DePaul alumni working in sports management.
“It was impressive to meet a cross-section of sports professionals, from CEOs and VPs to recent college graduates in their first or second jobs who resonated with our students,” says Andy Clark, who taught the class and directs sports management programs at DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business. “The ability for the students to mix and mingle and network was far greater than I thought it would be.”
“It was life changing.”
Rebecca Regalado, a television sales and marketing professional who took the sports management course as an elective, says the course absolutely blew her mind.
“It was life-changing,” says Regalado. “In my 13 years at television stations here in Chicago, I never had the experience with top executives in the sports industry that I had in that one week. To meet them, have them give us advice and to hear their stories of how they got into the industry… it was priceless.
While at The Gatorade Company in downtown Chicago, Regalado listened intently as Carter, a top-level executive in marketing and a DePaul alumna, told her personal story of how she landed at Gatorade. The story included a few curves, including a time when Carter left a major sports franchise because it just wasn’t the right fit.
“When she said that, I got goose bumps,” says Regalado, who left her job in November 2013 after she, too, felt it was no longer a right fit for her. “I know now that I’m on the right path. I like the sports industry, and I saw through this class that I want to go into the business of sports.”
The World Is Out There
Clark says he created the class after seeing Ron Culp, a DePaul communications professor, do a similar tour for students to New York public relations agencies.
Clark says the three-fold purpose of his class was to:
give students an inside look at the what the sports business looks like from those in the industry;
offer them insights on how to break into the sports business;
show them that skills learned in sports management are applicable to a variety of businesses beyond sports.
The class was another distinguishing aspect of DePaul’s sports management program and its emphasis on real-world, practical lessons for students. Nearly all of the organizations visited were within a short distance of DePaul’s Loop Campus, and about a quarter of the executives featured were DePaul alumni.
“The real world is out there, not just inside the walls of DePaul,” Clark said. “There may be other sports management programs, but our distinction is that we’re right down the street from major sports organizations and we have great relationships through our alumni with major sports industry corporate headquarters and agencies.”
The class yielded even more connections as several students scored job leads, internship interviews and informational meetings with personnel from at least five of the organizations visited.
“It was an intense week,” says O’Neill, who landed a meeting with a sports executive. “It flew by. If you’re interested in the sports industry and really looking to learn more about that industry, this course is a great experience.”
Most people watching or attending a football game don’t fully understand one of the most important and complex positions on the field: the referee.
On Wednesday, Oct. 12, students in Andy Clark’s Introduction to Sports Management class and Bruce Leech’s Intro to Entrepreneurship course had the opportunity to hear from longtime NFL umpire Tony Michalek about his journey from high school officiating to refereeing the Super Bowl.
“When you put the stripes on you know you’re gonna be catching grief,” Michalek said when asked by a student how he keeps his composure during games. “It can be really hard but it’s what you have to do.”
Michalek has been an NFL umpire for over 20 years, officiating a Super Bowl and forming relationships with football legends like Tom Brady and Bill Belichick
Michalek began the class by giving students some background information on his life- he attended Indiana University after high school where he played football. After graduating, Tony worked as a floor trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange- a position he would hold for over 20 years. During that time, he began to officiate various sporting events on weekends and evenings, including high school football games. Eventually, Michalek entered the world of collegiate refereeing where he was able to make a name for himself and work his way up to the NFL.
“You’d be surprised at how small the sports world is,” Michalek told the class. “Everybody’s connected, so once you’re in it may not be long before you’re making your way to the top.”
Tony also impressed upon the class the benefits of refereeing, especially once you get to high levels. In 2019, the average NFL referee salary was set at just over $200,000- a job that only requires three to four days of work each week. If we’re looking at this from a business perspective, refereeing is a great use of your time that has a high payout and a high reward, even if you’re just officiating a middle or high school basketball game. The job also has another obvious perk- you get to be on the field for some of the best games in sports history.
Michalek shows DePaul students the proper way to call a “hold” during a football game.
DePaul students smile as Michalek teaches them how to correctly call penalties in the NFL.
Michalek was the umpire for the 2008 Super Bowl that pitted the New York Giants against the New England Patriots. To this day, the game is considered one of the greatest upsets in the history of professional sports as the Giants took down the undefeated Patriots by a score of 17-14. Not only did Michalek get to be on the field for that historic game, he also got his very own championship ring.
“You’d think it’s just the players who get one of these, but no, referees get one too,” Michalek told the class as he showed off the shiny ring on his finger.
In addition to the hearty paycheck and athletic glory comes the lasting relationships a referee can make with players and coaches. Because he officiates such high-pressure games, Michalek tries to keep the atmosphere light and humorous. He told the class a story about how, during a Bears game he officiated, he asked the linemen in between plays to not embarrass him because his mom, wife, and daughters were all in the stands watching him ref.
“You have to try and have fun with it and use humor to keep your composure,” Michalek explained to the class. “I’ve never had a brawl in one of my games because we never get that buildup of tension.”
Michalek also explained how referring at any level helps to build character skills such as conflict resolution, communication, teamwork, and networking.
“When you get into something like this, the people around you remember you and they want to work with you,” Michalek said. “Once they see that you commit to doing something like officiating they respect you and you become a part of the community.”
Networking also plays a huge role in working your way to the top of the refereeing chain, a fact that we can translate into the everyday world of business. No matter the occupation you choose, getting to know people, making connections, and showcasing yourself as a hardworking and dedicated individual to those around you will pay off in the end.
Whether you’re officiating a middle school soccer game or an NBA championship, the principle of refereeing remains the same: keep your composure and the personal payout will be worth it.
“You have to train yourself to keep composure,” Michalek told the class. “Remember that it’s not personal- it’s just because you’re wearing the stripes.”
Michalek brought along some of his referee shirts so that students could roleplay and get a feel for what it’s like to throw flags during an actual NFL game.
After nearly 21 years in the NFL, Michalek is just as passionate about what he does as he was when he first started all those years ago. And with the sports world experiencing a massive referee shortage, it needs people like Tony Michalek to instill a passion for the occupation into young people around the world.
From July 26th to August 18th, I was a part of a group of 9 DePaul undergrads and 6 DePaul graduate students who were assigned a consulting project for a special client, The Chicago Cubs. We were tasked with looking at the new Grab & Go concessions at Wrigley Field through both our own observations and data provided to us by the Cubs and making improvement recommendations based on those.
We started off our class at the DePaul Center in the Loop with Professor Clark, meeting on Zoom with three members of the Cubs Organization: Brad Johnson, Director of Hospitality and Retail, Brad Nagel, Director of Talent, and Vanessa Ward, former Project Manager. They gave us an overview of the Cubs as a business organization as well as a brief introduction as to what they were looking for from us in this project. We learned about how the Cubs are aiming for a “frictionless experience” from before a guest even arrives at the ballpark until the moment they arrive back home. That was going to be the goal moving forward with our projects, helping to make the Grab & Go concessions a frictionless experience.
One of the Grab & Go concession stands at Wrigley Field
We also met with Maria Sapienza, Assistant Director of Analysis and Planning Operations, over Zoom. Maria and Brad Johnson were our main points of contact during this project and who we would be presenting to at the end.
The next week we got to actually go to Wrigley Field, and before getting the official tour we learned more in-depth about what the Cubs were looking for from us, as well as a set of goals for the next couple steps in our process. First, we were going to be given data from post-game and in-game surveys completed by guests during this season. Our class had a dedicated three-person team to comb through all the data and pick out what they found was important from it. Next, we would each be attending a Cubs game over the weekend’s home stand and acting as secret shoppers. This gave us the opportunity to experience the Grab & Go concessions firsthand, along with all other aspects of the fan experience. Finally, we would be attending one more game as a class where we would be surveying the various Grab & Go stands in the park to collect more data.
A group meets with Brad Johnson, Director of Hospitality and Retail to share their ideas and get feedback
Students discuss the data they are finding during a survey
After that, we were into the home stretch with only a week left until presentations. Each of the three groups met with Brad and Maria to explain some of their initial ideas to see if they were both on the right track and within the realm of possibility for the organization to commit to.
Before we knew it, it was Thursday the 18th which meant it was presentation day. The class met at the Cubs’ Offices for the final time ready with our ideas and slideshows. The three groups got up and presented recommendations ranging from reconfiguring the set-up of the line and actual concession stand, to different types of signage, and lights similar to those you see at grocery store self-checkouts that indicate a machine is open for the next guest. We made these recommendations based on what we were able to glean from the data and our own observations we had being at the park.
Overall, this was an invaluable experience for myself and my classmates getting an inside look into the business operations of a professional team, as well as being challenged to give a consultation and recommendation on an area none of us were experts in and in a relatively short period of time. Not only that, but we got to connect and network with members of the Cubs organization, as well as our classmates who will end up in a wide variety of organizations and industries in the future.
DePaul business students spent five weeks working as “secret shoppers” with the Chicago Cubs to improve the organization’s customer service.
By Robin Florzak
How customer friendly are the “Friendly Confines” of Wrigley Field? Ten DePaul University students got a chance to explore this question during a class project they completed with the Chicago Cubs baseball organization.
The students spent five weeks as “secret shoppers” calling and emailing Cubs representatives to test the quality of customer service offered by the sports organization last fall. The project was part of a School of Hospitality Leadership course called “Event Sales, Service and Promotions” taught by Andy Clark, director of DePaul’s Sports Management Program and a lecturer at the hospitality school. Clark will lead another group of students in a similar project with the Cubs this summer.
Clark often incorporates behind-the-scenes projects and meetings with executives at Chicago professional sports teams and other businesses into his courses at DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business. In addition to working with the Cubs, students in his fall class completed another five-week project with United Entertainment Group by developing and presenting experiential event marketing ideas for their Doritos client.
For the Cubs project, Clark explains, students had three goals—“to test service quality by making standard fan requests by phone, email and social media; see how responsive the team’s service representatives were in the context of the organization’s expansion from baseball to a lifestyle brand; and provide insights into what millennial generation customers seek from the Cubs brand.”
Kenzie Mocogni
Posing as fans, the students called or wrote to the Cubs with a variety of questions, such as where to find parking near Wrigley Field and what food the venue offers for people with dietary restrictions. They also assessed service at several non-baseball events, including a yoga class and a farmer’s market, hosted by the Cubs at Gallagher Way, a grassy plaza that the baseball organization opened next to Wrigley Field last year. Finally, the students took the initiative to design and conduct their own general survey of millennials about their customer service preferences.
The students incorporated their data and analyses into a report that they presented to 25 members of the Cubs’ Service Excellence Program team in marketing, ticketing and other public-facing areas, as well as several team mid-level executives. The students were asked at the beginning of the project to keep their proprietary research confidential.
Project partner Bradley Nagel, Cubs assistant director of the Service Excellence Program and ticketing, says the students provided the team with valuable perspectives about the execution of service delivery during the five-week test period, which included several Cubs playoff games, as well as insights into “new segments of customers outside of the scope of baseball attendees.”
“Their team spent so much time, via both conference calls and in-person meetings, explaining to us how important it is to them that they provide excellent customer service to their fans,” Mocogni says. “Knowing that the work we were doing was going to be useful right away was highly motivating. We were grateful they trusted us with something so pertinent to their front-office operations.
“Working with a real client reminded us that what we are learning in the classroom at DePaul is preparing us for the business world,” she adds. “I think the best way to learn is through hands-on experience.”
Classmate Sarah Musaali sees the experience as useful preparation for her career. A senior, Musaali will earn a business bachelor’s degree in sports management in June. She has accepted a corporate partnerships and marketing position with the Dallas Cowboys. “This helps me to identify what will be important to my future clients, and how I can be successful in achieving service excellence in the future.”
For students who seek to enter sports hospitality and management, “the opportunity to work together and deliver real-time business solutions as a team is an invaluable experience,” Nagel says.
“It was a mutually beneficial partnership and we look forward to expanding the scope of this project and working with a new crop of DePaul students this summer.”
Students delivered their final presentation to Daniel Green, assistant director of creative & content in the Cubs marketing department, as part of the course Chicago Cubs Brand Insights.
By Robin Florzak
It was an unconventional summer for the Chicago Cubs and for a popular DePaul University business course that explores global branding and the professional baseball team’s marketing strategies.
The Cubs pandemic-shortened season began July 24 with fans watching from home. The course, Chicago Cubs Brand Insights, began the week before with students studying remotely via Zoom. But neither change in format stopped students from getting an insiders’ look at marketing strategies directly from Cubs marketing and sales managers.
Students in the five-week class met virtually with managers in the team’s marketing, fan insights, human resources and partnerships units to learn how the team’s brand has evolved. They also studied what makes global brands – both sports and non-sports – compelling and distinctive through online meetings with brand executives from Geometry Global and 4Front. Then, students formed mock consulting teams and applied what they learned to analyze various global brands. The students presented their insights via Zoom to the Cubs marketing managers, who provided their professional feedback.
Andy Clark, director of sports business programs at the Driehaus College of Business, who teaches the class, says the course provides practical experience that any business graduate can use, whether they work in sports business or not. “The final project is designed to give students a tangible, ‘real world’ business project that will stand out on a résumé and in an interview setting.”
The Cubs marketing team also gained insights from their interactions with the students, says Daniel Green, assistant director of creative & content in the Cubs marketing department. “As we continually strive to enhance our marketing and branding efforts, it’s important that we find opportunities to validate our direction,” he says. “The students, whom themselves represent an important subset of our target audience, were able to do just that. While developing critical research and presentation skills, they provided us with an invaluable set of findings that will allow us to continue down our path with confidence.”
Senior marketing student Jillian Hampston took the course because she’s interested in pursuing a sports marketing career. “This class not only offered the chance to learn from knowledgeable people in the industry, but we got to see how their insights apply first-hand through our consulting project.” she says. “Working directly with the Cubs was extremely valuable to me because it was a great way to get my foot in the door, as many teams cannot offer a hands-on experience like an internship right now. I was also able to gain an understanding of what a career in professional sports would look like, not just from a marketing perspective, but across all departments.
MBA student Jeremy Abramson | Photo by Kathy Hillegonds
“I think the biggest thing I took away from this project was confidence,” she adds. “My team and I successfully led conversations and pitched our ideas to the Cubs, which is something not every student can say.”
Her classmate, MBA student Jeremy Abramson, says the course provided him with a unique perspective. “Professor Clark does an amazing job of taking his classes and putting you in real business situations,” he says.
“I gained a lot from this experience. I gained knowledge about a first-class sports organization and how they try to stay ahead of the curve. I learned how organizations like the Cubs are trying to get out ahead of just being good on the field and how they try to maintain and grow their fan base for years to come. It was a very rare opportunity to get the chance to work with and present to an organization of the Cubs magnitude, and that will help me build confidence the next time I am in a business pitch or presenting to upper management.”
Hampston and Abramson said they are both big fans of the Cubs, which made the class even more appealing. “For me,” Abramson says, “it was so cool getting the chance to present my brand insights to my childhood favorite team, the Cubs.”
Sports Management students at Wintrust Arena Women’s Basketball locker room, with Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Doug Bruno.
When we started planning our 8th annual Behind the Scenes with Chicago Sports Organizations course back in September, we didn’t know if visiting sports organizations this year would work…well it did.
Throughout the weeklong course students received an inside look to the business side of Chicago’s professional sports teams, college athletic programs, sports agencies and companies. Undergraduate and graduate students participated in tours of sports organizations and venues to gain first–hand insight into Chicago’s sports business landscape.
Participating organizations included the Chicago Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs, Fire, Sky, rEvolution, 4Front, Gatorade, Chicago Sports Commission and DePaul Athletics.
Students met with leaders and DePaul graduates at these organizations toexplore sports business disciplines like sales, marketing, sponsorship, event management, hospitality, philanthropy, communications and business analytics.
Not every college student gets to gain the experience of the real world before graduating college. I learned plenty about what will make me competitive in the market, the different ways to break into the sports industry, and how I will be successful in my summer internship. The amount of knowledge I gained on the business side of sports from one week is quite impressive and something I will not be taking for granted as I enter the workforce. – Andrew Gambino (BUS ’22)
Sports Business student Olivia Solimene (BUS ’23) presenting with her team.
Highlights of the experience included:
A visit to the United Center with Chicago Bulls legendand2021 Hall of Fame inductee Toni Kukoc, and attending the Bulls – Hornets game as guests of the Bulls.
An exclusive behind the scenes tour of the Wrigley Field premier club spaces with Cubs VP’s Colin Faulkner and Andy Blackburn.
Lunch at the Chicago Fire’s Loop office with new Fire president, Ishwara Glassman Chrein.
A “master-class” talk from Chicago Dogs owner Shawn Hunter.
A Wintrust Arena tour with insights from Arena GM David Kennedy, DePaul Athletics leaders and Chicago Sky VP of Sponsorship Alex Teodosi (BUS ’16), who was a student in this same course as an undergraduate.
A networking session with seven DePaul sports business alumni led by Northwestern Sports Properties Mike Gordon (MBA ’95).
The course featured an action packed itinerary. The following is a look at the numbers:
26 undergraduate and graduate students
58 sports business contacts
12 DePaul alums
22 organizations
8 venues/headquarters
5 Days
3 Hall of Famers – Toni Kukoc, Doug Bruno, Jill Hollembeak
2 Basketball Games
1 Awesome Service Dog – Mr. Kim
A lot of pizza!
Bulls Legend and NBA Hall of Famer Toni Kukoc speaking with the class.
The course concluded with six student team presentations reflecting on their insights from the experience. One of the teams even wrote and performed their own song, “The Five Days of Sports Class” sung to the tune of the “12 Days of Christmas”.
Since 2015, this class has had a career changing impact on over 200 students. MBA student, Jake Mangerson summed up the impact of the course in this manner –
“Sports is a business and if you are going to make a living in sports, you have to treat it like a business, but you will also have the power to create memories and change lives.”
To learn more about DePaul’s Sports Business undergraduate degrees contact program director Andy Clark at aclark32@depaul.edu.
MAAFA graduate and current program manager Quentin Harris explains how the program changed his life
By Ashley Gimbel
Throughout the past Fall Quarter, I’ve had the fortune of working with the Chicago Bulls and the MAAFA Redemption Project, thanks to Professor Andy Clark’s Introduction to Sports Management course. Myself along with my classmates met with Marshall Hatch Jr., Executive Director and Coach at the MAAFA Redemption Project, DePaul alum and Chicago Bulls Director of Alumni Relations, Tony Rokita along with two former Chicago Bulls Players and a graduate of the MAAFA Redemption Project. Each meeting worked towards creating proposals that will help raise awareness for the MAAFA Redemption Project while utilizing the resources of the Chicago Bulls. This experience allowed me to work with surrounding Chicago area organizations, make meaningful connections after a fully virtual school year, brainstorm ways to better Chicago communities and gain meaningful perspective. Many thanks to the Chicago Bulls and the MAAFA Redemption Project for allowing us to collaborate with them this quarter.
The MAAFA Redemption Project is a faith-based organization in West Garfield Park to help at-risk young men ages 18-30. Half of MAAFA’s 26 students participate in a residential program and are required to wake up at 7:15 am to begin their daily program. The rigorous daily schedule includes participation in philosophy and self-identity courses, meditation, and job training in addition to other courses and activities. Quentin Harris, graduate of the program and current program manager and life coach at MAAFA, spoke to the class about MAAFA’s impact on his life. Harris told the class that the self-identity course was the most impactful part of MAAFA. In this course, Harris learned about African American culture, the Civil Rights Act, and the Atlantic Slave Trade. Prior to taking the course, Harris explained that he saw his neighbors as enemies. The course provided him with a different perspective, and Harris is now able to see people in a different light.
Teams present their final projects to Tony Rokita, Marshall Hatch Jr., and the class in Week 10
Marshall Hatch Jr., MAAFA’s executive director, elaborated that the young men in West Garfield Park need an opportunity and a space where they can put their talent and skills into the world. “It was very encouraging to partner with DePaul University and the Chicago Bulls on this critical project. Often our work at MAAFA feels isolated, but it was heartening to witness a diverse group of students become fellow thought-partners dedicated to grappling with one of the city’s seemingly intractable problems,” Hatch explained. “I remain optimistic about Chicago’s future because, yet another space has been created for the sharing of ideas, commitments, and hopes.”
The class also met with Tony Rokita, the Bulls’ director of alumni relations and a DePaul alum who has spent over 30 seasons with the Bulls. Rokita proudly spoke of the fact that since 1987, the Chicago Bulls have raised over $37 million for charitable organizations with an emphasis on education, health and wellness, and anti-violence.
During the first class meeting, Rokita brought along former Chicago Bulls players, Randy Brown (’95-’00) and Mickey Johnson (’74-’79). Brown and Johnson stressed the importance of education for all youth. The former players continue giving back to their communities. Additionally, the students learned about MAAFA and the goal of the project, which was to spread MAAFA’s mission while utilizing the resources of and including the Bulls. The class was split into seven teams consisting of five students each. Teams began brainstorming ideas that would work towards this goal.
Former Chicago Bulls player, Mickey Johnson stressed the importance of education for all
At the next meeting, teams pitched one to two ideas to Hatch and Harris, and the duo offered constructive ideas and pivoting points in return.
The third meeting for the class was a Zoom session with Rokita. Each team provided a short description of its idea and potential sponsors. Rokita’s feedback for all teams included that each team project must have specific metrics to measure success, have a specific plan to incorporate the Bulls’ unique assets, have defined goals to make the community better and explain how to specifically engage people with this project.
After four weeks of work, each team had 10-15 minutes to pitch its idea, which included a crosstown basketball tournament, a sports complex, partnering with the LaSalle Network to start a job search and mentorship program, a basketball summer camp, mental health programs, and other unique ideas. Rokita and Hatch watched all the presentations, asked questions, and delivered detailed feedback.
While reflecting on the presentations, Rokita explained that “it’s been incredibly inspiring to see all the DePaul students in both classes come up with innovative, impactful ideas about how to support MAAFA and increase opportunities to work together with the Chicago Bulls. I’ve been working together with Professor Clark for over four years, and this was one of the best class presentations I’ve been involved with.”
From left, DePaul alumnus Tony Rokita, Mickey Johnson (Chicago Bulls ’74-’79), Randy Brown (Chicago Bulls (’94-’00) and Andy Clark outside of the DePaul Center on the Loop Campus
Students in the course not only had the opportunity to work with the professional business community but also learned how to work in teams, challenged themselves, and were able to see tangible outputs on MAAFA and the Bulls from this project.
Ashley Gimbel is a senior at DePaul double majoring in Sports Communication and Communication Studies. She works for DePaul Athletics in the Sports Information office as a communication assistant. You can reach Ashley on LinkedIn.
“Their team spent so much time, via both conference calls and in-person meetings, explaining to us how important it is to them that they provide excellent customer service to their fans,” Mocogni says. “Knowing that the work we were doing was going to be useful right away was highly motivating. We were grateful they trusted us with something so pertinent to their front-office operations.
