BRISTOL – Tusculum University students recently showcased their networking skills and highlighted their abilities as they explored internship and other career opportunities with dozens of potential employers at a collegiate-focused event at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Holly Cowan, left, meets with Bristol Motor Speedway representatives.
“Breaking into Sport” was held at this premier sports venue, famous for its NASCAR races, and attracted students from several colleges and universities and dozens of businesses, including the Charlotte Hornets, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, ESPN and Appalachian League baseball teams. Tusculum students who attended connected with representatives of these businesses and made first impressions that could lead to internships and jobs.
“This was an outstanding event that gave our students a flavor of the many possible career options that are available in the market,” said Dr. Brandon Hudson, assistant professor of sport management, who organized the trip for Tusculum. “Coming here will help them communicate with peer groups, talk to people within the sport management industry and learn by observing. It was an outstanding active and experiential learning experience that supplemented the networking, interviewing and other professional development skills we teach in the classroom.”
In addition to supporting Tusculum students, Dr. Hudson attended and spoke with students from other higher educations about Tusculum’s Master of Sport Management program. He highlighted affordability of that degree – $17,325 – and the ability for students to complete the 30 credits in as quickly as a year.
Coursework is completely online, can be pursued full time or part time and can be started in the fall or spring. Students can choose to pursue one of two focuses in their degree – research or internships.
Dr. Brandon Hudson, right, meets a potential student.
“Our Master of Sport Management is an exceptional degree that prepares students more fully for a career in the sport industry,” Dr. Hudson said. “Students emerge from the program with the practical experience and knowledge they need to succeed in the industry, or they have the foundation to take the next step academically by pursuing their doctorate in that field. With either route, experienced faculty will mentor and provide one-on-one assistance to help students achieve their goals.”
Dr. Hudson also brought flyers highlighting the university’s bachelor’s degree in sport management, which not only includes the classroom work but also clinical experience and an internship.
Alumni of Tusculum’s sport management programs have worked at organizations such as the Boston Red Sox, FIFA World Cup ’26, the Knoxville Smokies, the Phoenix Suns, Manchester United, the Nashville Predators and the Tennessee Titans.
Students who participated in the BMS event included senior Matthew Palazzo, sophomore Holly Cowan, freshman Kirsten Sadlon and freshman Jacob Nealon. All of them are sport management majors, except Cowan, but she is considering switching to that degree.
Matthew Palazzo, right, meets with a representative of Ripken Baseball.
Jacob Nealon, left, meets with a vendor.
“This was a good opportunity to experience things that not many people get to experience,” Nealon said. “I thought, ‘Why not?’ It’s less than an hour away, and there are possibilities for internships and other outcomes, so I thought I would hop on it and see what could happen. I’m hoping to get an internship or just learn more about what I want to do internship-wise and where I want to go in the field – marketing, fan engagement, ticketing – and just kind of find my way.”
Palazzo, who graduates in May, said he attended the event a couple of years ago and that many of the organizations in attendance aligned with his interest in sports communications. He is in the hunt for a full-time job now and thought coming back would be a good way to get his foot in the door or find another opportunity for the summer. He has taken advantage of a number of opportunities to practice his craft in local sports, primarily in basketball. He has also worked extensively in the Office of Athletic Communications at Tusculum.
Cowan decided to participate for the networking opportunities and to learn more about the industry. She is interested in internships in the future and figured that attending this time will help start the relationship-building. Her interests in sport management are marketing or the operations side, working behind the scenes to help sports events run smoothly. She likes looking at the broader elements of a game or a match, such as the coaching, facilities, communications and fan engagement.
Kirsten Sadlon, left, meets with a vendor.
Sadlon, who also finds marketing appealing, said she would like to work for a soccer club and travel, performing social media for a team. If she cannot line up a job in soccer, automobile racing is another sport she would enjoy. Learning was a key focus for her in coming to Bristol.
“I wanted to see what it was like out in the sport management field,” she said. “My mind is a bit more business-oriented in the sport aspect, and I’ve also wanted to work in sports. I would love to get an internship this summer. I’ve already filled out some applications for different things, and I’ve made a few more connections here. I learned a lot – about internships and how to communicate better. I feel I got a lot out of this event. It was good to talk to people in future careers that I want to go into because now I feel like this is something I want to do.”
To learn more about Tusculum’s undergraduate sport management program, please visit https://site.tusculum.edu/bachelor-of-science-in-sport-management/. Additional information about the Master of Sport Management is available at https://site.tusculum.edu/master-of-sport-management/. Further details about the university can be accessed at www.tusculum.edu.