BEREA, Ohio- Not many people get to say that they have been to a Super Bowl. An even slimmer margin can say that they have worked at the Super Bowl and assisted at some of the most exclusive events leading up to the game. However, twenty-seven Baldwin Wallace students and three faculty will be able to say otherwise, as this group will be flying out to the city of Los Angeles from February 8th to February 14th to participate in one of the most storied sporting events of all time.     

This year will mark the 10th Super Bowl that students and faculty from Baldwin Wallace have worked, and after being unable to attend due to COVID-19 last year, attending students and faculty are more than excited to experience it. “It will be a once in a lifetime experience”, said sophomore Sport Management student David Lamb, who will be attending his first Super Bowl. “I’m just grateful that I have this opportunity, and I’m honestly a little blown away by it all” articulated Lamb, who said that his main motivation for going on the trip was to gain an experience that not many others get to have.  

BW students will be gaining experience constantly on this trip, as the itinerary is filled with opportunities to work and professionally develop networks. All students will be working at the NFL Super Bowl Experience, the NFL’s interactive theme park that allows fans to participate in autograph sessions, games, and many other fun activities. Students will also have opportunities to work the Merlin Olsen Luncheon, the Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party, the Hall of Fame Experience autograph session, and then the Super Bowl itself. There will also be opportunities to tour and experience other major venues in the LA area, such as Crypto.com arena, Dodger Stadium, The Rose Bowl, the campus of UCLA, and many others. 

When talking with the chair of the Sport Management Program, Dr. Charles Campsi, he explained that these experiences are extremely useful for expanding students’ professional networks. “Many students have been able to gain internships and connections that have landed them jobs through these experiences”, said Campisi. He added that the internal networking between the students and between faculty on the trip is something he enjoys seeing. “That way when we are making recommendations for our students when they are applying for jobs, we have something substantial to base it off of”. 

Lamb also chimed in on how he plans to use this experience to develop his network, as he mentioned some of his past experiences in the sports business, and how those have prepared him for the Super Bowl. “You have to go out of your way to talk with people and make those connections, and the fact that you’re getting to know so many different people and perspectives in the industry… it makes it extremely valuable”, detailed Lamb.   

Campsi also added that these types of experiences are always noticed on resumes and are great conversation starters in interviews because of how rare they are. “You might be meeting with a VP who has 20+ years of experience in the world of sports who has never worked a Super Bowl, and the first question they ask you in the interview is ‘What was the Super Bowl like?’ So it’s really something that sets you apart from many others in the industry right off the bat”.         

This is just one of the many unique opportunities that BW Sport Management students have, as many students just volunteered at the College Football Playoff in January, and will have opportunities at the Kentucky Derby, Formula 1 events, and many others in addition to the Super Bowl.