FAU Sport Management Students Gain Hands-On Experience at Major Championship Event

A cohort of 16 students recently got an inside look at the business operations of a national football championship game as part of Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business MBA in Sport Management Program.

The opportunity came from Fiur Productions, a global entertainment production company, where students partnered with the company to work on the production side of the championship game between the Miami Hurricanes and Indiana University at Hard Rock Stadium. Students gained hands-on experience with the staging, marketing, business and operations side of the sports business.

“It was such an awesome opportunity to connect with industry pros and work alongside my classmates who share the same career goals as I do,” said Julia Varga, first-year student in the program. “Working the CFP National Championship game was an incredible experience and is easily one of the highlights of my time so far at FAU.”

The selected students worked as part of the pre-game setup team. They focused on staging operations for the post-game trophy ceremony, and sat in on production meetings to see the depth of planning, communication and teamwork that goes into successful pre- and post-game ceremonies.

“It definitely gave me a new appreciation for how much coordination happens behind the scenes and continued my interest in pursuing this side of sports as a career,” Varga said. “I learned how important clear communication is in fast-paced event environments and how adaptable you have to be when there are so many moving pieces.”

Opportunities like this are built into the MBA in Sport Management program curriculum. Ranked No. 10 worldwide by Sports Business, the program emphasizes rigorous academic coursework focusing on sports law, sports marketing and business operations, combined with hands-on industry experience to ensure graduates are well-prepared for the competitive nature in the world of sports business.

“Fiur Productions was honored to create a unique, interactive educational experience for students from the FAU MBA in Sport Management program. We were thrilled to work with such a fine group of dedicated individuals,” said Michael T. Fiur, president and executive producer of Fiur Productions.

Students are required to work in the sports industry as part of the program and partnerships with companies such as these provide students with the tools to succeed in the competitive nature of sport business.

"As an FAU MBA Sport alum, hiring the students for our Event Presentation Team for the CFP National Championship was a fulfilling way to support a program that was so important to my career. We hope to partner again on future events,” said Todd Noonan, senior producer and alum of the MBA in Sport Management program.

For student Sveva Brugnoli, the operations and sports marketing classes she took prepared her well for the fast-paced nature of the operations behind game ceremonies, giving her practical knowledge to apply to a real-world scenario.

"Seeing how these areas connected in a real-world setting showed me how classroom knowledge directly translates into successful event execution,” Brugnoli said. “I gained insight into how entertainment elements are used strategically to enhance the brand of the championship game and create memorable moments for fans and television audiences.”

Overall, the experience is a good demonstration of how well the students can handle large-scale events, said Daniel Cornely, Ph.D., director of the MBA in Sport Management Program.

“This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn the inner workings of a national sports game,” Cornely said. “Our focus is ensuring students remain competitive and knowledgeable when they enter the workforce after graduation and events such as this help reinforce their knowledge.”

-FAU-