Andy Mitchell, managing director of Lega Serie A USA (the American division of Italy’s preeminent soccer league), recently visited Falk College to speak with students in the SPM/SAL 300 “Italian Football: Impact and Outcomes” class. The course includes a spring break trip to Italy, where the students will meet with Serie A organizations and other industry leaders while learning about the culture of Italy.
We asked sport analytics major Sebastian Bush ’27 about this opportunity to meet Mitchell and ask questions ahead of the Italy trip. Here’s what he wrote:
“When I heard about the opportunity to visit Italy over spring break and learn about the traditions associated with Italian calcio, or soccer as we know it, I knew I had to sign up. The class, ‘Italian Football: Impact and Outcomes,’ isn’t just about the trip, though, it’s an exploration of what makes Italian soccer so unique.
“For example, on Feb. 14 we had the incredible opportunity to hear from the CEO and managing director of Lega Serie A USA, Andy Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell spoke about his upbringing and early sports fandom, his career path that led him from CNN to Meta, and finally his journey to working in the highest levels of soccer and sports marketing.
“Mr. Mitchell credited his early experience in the digital landscape as a major factor in his career success. He recounted being ‘the last man in the pecking order’ as a young employee at CNN and therefore being handed digital and website responsibilities that no one else wanted. He found that area of development interesting, and it led him to ultimately becoming vice president of digital marketing and partnerships.
“It wasn’t until a few years ago, however, that Mr. Mitchell found his way back to sports. He had never been a huge soccer fan, but after learning about the game, both he and his family quickly became infatuated with it. He was ‘obsessed’ and soon set a goal to work in the industry. Now, over one year into his job at the U.S. office of Serie A, the premier soccer competition in Italy, Mitchell has expanded the league’s reach throughout North America.
“His passion for spreading calcio across the United States is clear: From newsletters to corporate partnerships to social media and community-driven campaigns, Mitchell and his small staff have achieved quite a lot. Getting to hear about the complexities of these deals as well as Mitchell’s day-to-day responsibilities and challenges was an amazing glimpse into the elaborate world of Italian soccer.
“One highlight of Mr. Mitchell’s talk was hearing his insight into how he and his colleagues support Serie A teams and players in United States-based initiatives. For example, he talked about working with Puma and the agent for U.S. Men’s National Team star Christian Pulisic to build the Pulisic Stomping Grounds, a community-forward philanthropic effort to support youth soccer across the country.
“This was just one of the many efforts Lega Serie A USA has been involved with and it’s a great example of some of the incredible work that goes on behind the scenes. Overall, Mr. Mitchell’s talk provided invaluable context about the landscape of Italian soccer and helped prepare us for the upcoming trip to Italy later this semester. We can’t thank Mr. Mitchell enough for taking the time to speak with our class.”
Visit the Falk College website to learn more about academic programs, career opportunities, and immersion trips in the departments of Sport Management and Sport Analytics.