Students Travel to Chicago to Experience Professional Sports Industry
In April, students from the Maine Business School’s Sport Management Club traveled to Chicago, IL, to connect with professionals and learn the inner workings of the sports and entertainment industry.
Organized by Alex Versen, Lecturer in Sport Management and the club’s advisor, the trip portrayed a day-in-the-life at major sports facilities. “It’s one thing to talk about it in Orono, but it’s another to see the grit of gameday operations at an MLB stadium or the scale of a campus like the United Center,” Versen says. “I wanted to give them an industry visit that felt less like a field trip and more like an insider’s look at how these buildings function from the back-of-house. You can’t replicate the feeling of being in these spaces through a textbook.鈥
Behind the Scenes
It was a whirlwind trip starting with a tour of , home of the Chicago White Sox. Students enjoyed a facility tour and gained an insider’s perspective on professional league and stadium operations. They stayed for a game and participated in a pre-game on-field access.
“This was my first professional baseball game,” says Quincy Clifford, a senior studying Sport Management. “Sitting just nine rows behind home plate was amazing, and the pregame on-field experience made it even more memorable. Seeing the stadium from the players’ and coaches’ perspective was something I’ll never forget.鈥
The following day, the group visited the , home of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks. Students spoke with industry professionals in event management and professional league sport, including Jonathan Vasquez, Senior VP of Stadium Operations for the White Sox, and Annie Cazarez, VP of Strategy & Development for the United Center. Students learned the technicalities of venue operations and event coordination, gaining an understanding of what it takes to manage one of the most well-known arenas in the country.
“I’m very interested in the operational side of sports, so this was an incredible experience for me,” Clifford says. “I was most interested in what is being built on the residential side of the United Center. A whole community is being realized with new hotels, apartments, and restaurants. I learned so much about project management and infrastructure, and the ways they directly impact venue operations and the overall fan experience.”
Finding a Community
The students wrapped up their visit by attending the Next Game Summit, an annual conference organized by the to build a community of athletes and support the transition to life after sports. By engaging with speakers and attendees, MBS students networked and discussed career paths and development.
Through facility visits, professional league insight, and networking opportunities, the Sport Management Club’s trip to Chicago provided a well-rounded understanding of what a career in sports looks like and bridged the gap between textbook and real-life operations.
“The best advice I heard on this trip was to say yes to a new opportunity,” says Ella Roy, a junior studying Sport Management and Marketing. “This trip gave me a stronger sense of self-confidence and community. The professionals we met were eager to share their experiences and seemed willing to help new people interested in entering the workforce.”
Story by Regan Lawn