Sport Management  News

Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management and David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics are launching a new undergraduate dual degree program that helps students pursue growing career opportunities in sports business.

The new undergraduate Sport Management/Business dual degree program is an innovative program that combines rigorous business training with in-depth knowledge of the high-growth area of sport management. This new dual degree program will prepare students to be versatile, multidisciplinary, and future-leading thinkers well-prepared for careers related to various aspects of sport management and business.

This dual degree program is offered in a streamlined format. For the undergraduate dual program, students can complete the degree with a minimum of 148 credits and can graduate in four years.

“There is so much potential for this new dual-degree program as the areas of sports and business continue to overlap. We have seen this recently as part of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) regulations for student-athletes; the commercial aspects of sports and related events, merchandising, marketing, and entrepreneurship; and the emergence of the business side of esports, among other areas. Having our students become stronger interdisciplinary thinkers about these issues is truly beneficial,” Whitman School Interim Dean Alexander McKelvie says. “We’re also delighted to partner with Falk and its outstanding sport management program. We hope that this will continue to pay dividends for preparing our students for the future.”

“Falk College has been a national leader in educating future industry professionals in sport business, marketing, and analytics for two decades,” says Falk College Dean Diane Lyden Murphy. “The new undergraduate dual degree program between Falk’s sport management program and the highly regarded Whitman School capitalizes on synergies between sport management and business disciplines to give students a competitive edge in the job market. By gaining specialized skillsets in both sport management and business, students will be well-equipped to meet new emerging and evolving sectors of the thriving global business of sport.”

“We are confident that this new dual degree sport management and business program will attract highly qualified and diverse students based on the quality and unique approaches of both schools. We hear with great regularity from students and their families about the demand for this type of program,” McKelvie says.

Admission requirements will remain similar for both programs and emphasize both academic credentials and leadership potential. Dual degree programs are highly demanding, and students should possess both strong analytical abilities and the soft skills needed for leadership positions.

Learn more detailed information about these new dual programs.

About the Whitman School

The Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University inspires students for a world of accelerating change. Offering B.S., MBA, M.S., and Ph.D. programs, all accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Whitman School’s faculty includes internationally known scholars and researchers, as well as successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. Whitman continues to be ranked among the nation’s top business schools by U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

About Falk College

The David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at Syracuse University offers degree programs in exercise science, food studies, human development and family science, marriage and family therapy, nutrition science and dietetics, public health, social work, and sport management. Named in 2011 by a generous gift from David B. Falk ’72 and Rhonda S. Falk ’74, Falk College’s legacy is grounded in the values of social justice and global citizenship and continues the meaningful work that originated at Syracuse in 1917. Falk College is the alumni home of programs in the former Colleges of Home Economics, Human Development, Human Services and Health Professions, Human Ecology, and Nursing, and the School of Social Work. The College’s signature theory-to-practice academic model includes intensive hands-on learning to prepare students for professions that improve the emotional and physical well-being of individuals, families, and communities.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is an independent research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our 13 schools and colleges and over 200 majors close the gap between education and action, so graduates are equipped to be resourceful, responsive and real-world ready. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected issues with innovative approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community of game changers that moves ideas, individuals and impact forward.

Syracuse University will soon begin offering a new, first-of-its-kind degree program focused on esports.

The program, Esports Communications and Management, will be offered jointly by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Falk College. It will include three tracks: Esports Business and Management; Esports Communications; and Esports Media and Design. The University will begin enrolling students to the program in fall 2024.

“The esports program is a natural extension of Syracuse University’s leadership in sport-related programs and commitment to 21st century academic excellence,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “This new major is the latest example of Syracuse University innovating, expanding career options in emerging fields and delivering programs students want.”

“This new academic offering is particularly exciting because it leverages the University’s key areas of strength, distinction and excellence to embrace an emerging, fast-growing field and provide our students with the tools to enter that field,” says Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter. “Investment in our sport-related academic disciplines will be one of the keys to our success moving forward.”

A proposal for the Esports Communications and Management degree was passed by Falk College and Newhouse School faculty last fall. It was subsequently passed by the University Senate in December and approved by the New York State Department of Education in February. A search is currently underway for an executive director of esports.

The program, which will be among the first of its kind at a major university, taps into the rapidly growing, multibillion dollar esports industry and builds upon work already happening on campus. The Barnes Center at The Arch, the University’s recreation center, includes a designated esports gaming room outfitted with Omen Obelisk gaming stations; Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo consoles; SIM racing stations; and a virtual reality unit. An active Esports Club has also flourished in recent years.

Jeff Rubin, special advisor to the chancellor on esports and digital transformation, has been leading the effort to bring an esports major to Syracuse. For more than a year, Rubin has been working with faculty and deans from both Falk College and the Newhouse School to develop the program that will span both colleges.

“It has been an extraordinary experience working with some of the smartest minds in communications and sport management to develop a program that will be at the forefront of this burgeoning industry,” says Rubin. “I am especially proud of the collaborative work that is producing the educational opportunities and experiences are students are looking for.”

In 2018, the Newhouse School collaborated with social video service Twitch to launch an innovative new course, Esports and Media, which is still offered through the school’s Sports Media Center (SMC). Rotating industry partners serve as case studies for the students, who develop skills to enhance the company’s social media strategy, distributed content and brand management. Some recent partners include ESL, Microsoft and Super League. The course is co-taught by SMC director Olivia Stomski and Chris Hanson, associate professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, who has taught multiple courses with an esports component over the last several years.

“The Newhouse School has long been known for excellence in sports communications, with roots stretching back to 1939 alumnus Marty Glickman, one of the first great sports broadcasters,” says Newhouse School Dean Mark J. Lodato. “We are excited to build on that foundation with this new degree, which—as we have already seen with our academic programming in esports—will set students up for success in this burgeoning field. Our partnership with Falk College ensures a truly top-notch program that will provide students with the best possible education and training to keep pace with the industry.”

The Falk College has been at the forefront of sport industry education for 20 years. In 2005, Falk launched one of the nation’s earliest undergraduate degrees in sport management, followed by one of the very first undergraduate degrees in sport analytics in 2017.

“The Falk College is an established leader in sport management and sport analytics academic training, preparing future leaders who have found great career success in the sport industry,” says Falk College Dean Diane Lyden Murphy. “With this partnership between the Falk College and the Newhouse School, Syracuse University is well positioned to enter the next era of growth in sport academic programming with a major in esports.”

“This pioneering esports degree will focus on an emerging sector of the global and domestic sport industry,” says Michael Veley, chair of the Department of Sport Management in the Falk College. “It combines the strengths of Falk and Newhouse programs in sport communications, media production, technology, business and event management to offer a cutting-edge degree.”

“This esports major embodies the culture and reputation of both the Newhouse School and the Falk College,” says Stomski. “We have spent countless hours researching the industry and the interests of our students to create a rigorous and dynamic curriculum that will prepare graduates to succeed in this thriving, ever-changing field.”

Stomski, Veley and Hanson—together with Newhouse School Assistant Director of Academic Operations Rachel Francisco, sport management Undergraduate Director Gina Pauline, David B. Falk Endowed Professor Rick Burton and Falk College Senior Associate Dean Eileen Lantier, and Falk Academic Operations Manager Kelly Pettingill—worked to build the new degree as part of a University-wide task force convened last spring. The well-rounded curriculum is designed to provide students with industry-specific competencies in event management and marketing, broadcasting/production, communications, content creation, entrepreneurship, strategic communications and esports experience and design. The three tracks will provide students with the ability to tailor the degree according to their career goals.

• Esports Business and Management: Covers such topics as sport promotion, sport venue management and finance for emerging enterprises.
• Esports Communications: Includes coursework in virtual reality storytelling, esports and advertising, public relations principles and sports in the metaverse.
• Esports Media and Design: Covers 3D animation, game experience design and virtual production.

In their professional careers, students from Syracuse University’s Sport Analytics program will have to adjust to adverse situations, think on their feet, and meet demanding deadlines.

If recent events are any indication, they’ll do just fine in the real world.

Eight Sport Analytics students from Falk College competed in the AXS National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship in early February and finished first in the Game Analytics category and second in the Business Analytics competition as Syracuse University was the only school to have a team finish in the top four of each category.

The Game Analytics team from Syracuse University included, from left to right, Matthew Gennaro, Alexander Borelli, Sam Gellman and Benjamin Wachtel.

The Game Analytics team included Alexander Borelli ’23, Benjamin Wachtel ’23, Sam Gellman ’23, and Matthew Gennaro ’23. The Business Analytics team featured Eli Miller ’22, G’23, Kylie Dedrick ’23, Shane Halpin ’22, G’23, and Corey Goldman ’23.

The eight students qualified for the second half of the national championship by finishing first in both team categories in the first half, which was held virtually. The second half was scheduled to be in-person at Baylor University in Dallas, Texas, but after flying to Washington, D.C., the students had to compete virtually because ice storms cancelled the connecting flight to Dallas.

The students had to turn around and fly back to Syracuse, where the next morning they were given just six hours to create a presentation out of the information they were provided.

“The overall competition mimicked real-world situations, which is a wonderful situation for our students, and was challenging, both in terms of doing the analysis and picking out how to present their results in the time allotted,” says Rodney Paul, director of Syracuse University’s Sport Analytics program and a professor in the Department of Sport Management at Falk. “Winning the Game Analytics portion and finishing second in the Business Analytics competition is a testament to the talent of our students, and we look forward to competing in both events and defending our national title in Game Analytics next year.”

More than 150 students from across the country competed in both competitions. In the final individual rankings, Borelli finished second overall in Game Analytics, and Miller and Dedrick ranked 3-4 in Business Analytics.

Borelli says while it was disappointing that they couldn’t participate in Dallas, it was still “an amazing experience” to present virtually to industry professionals who are in positions that he hopes to hold one day.

“It was awesome seeing the program take first place in Game Analytics and playing a role in that success,” says Borelli. “It means a lot to me and the program as Dr. Paul and the rest of the faculty have put a lot of work in to set us up for success in these competitions.”

The Game Analytics competitors analyzed Big 12 Conference basketball data. The Syracuse team of Borelli, Wachtel, Gennaro, and Gellman finished ahead of teams from Roanoke College, Trinity University, and University of the Pacific.

In Business Analytics, Syracuse’s team of Miller, Dedrick, Halpin and Goldman finished second to the University of Iowa and ahead of Texas Christian University and Baylor. Dedrick says the six-hour limit for the presentation was challenging, but “showed me what I am able to accomplish in a short period of time.”

“It was an amazing feeling to represent the Sport Analytics program, especially being one of the few women in the program,” Dedrick says. “Placing fourth boosted my confidence in terms of my analytical skills and my ability to see a project through on my own.”

Miller says the national championship allowed the students to put into practice what they learned in the Sport Analytics program since arriving at Syracuse University.

“The finals in this competition allowed us to showcase these abilities as well as meet many amazing professionals from the sports industry,” Miller says. “I was happy to help the school by finishing as well as I did, and I hope that this competition has piqued the interests of industry professionals and allowed them to truly see how special this program is.”

Austin Murphy Named Best Undergraduate Researcher

Sport Analytics student Austin Murphy ’23 won the undergraduate research competition at the Academy of Economics and Finance conference Feb. 8-11 in Orlando, Florida. Murphy’s paper, which was based on his senior thesis, was titled “The Madness of March: Using Betting Spreads to Identify Selection Bias in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.”

“Austin combines a natural intuitive ability in performing research with great data analysis and writing skills,” Paul says. “He also is a terrific presenter; his presentation at the conference was a pleasure to watch and was well received.”

Austin Murphy ’23 says winning the undergraduate research competition at the Academy of Economics and Finance conference “was an amazing feeling and something I am very proud of.”

Murphy’s victory and the national championship results capped a banner month for a Sport Analytics program that continues to grow in stature and excel at these events. Murphy says college basketball is one of his favorite sports, so it was a thrill to present his research at the conference.

“Winning the competition was an amazing feeling and something I am very proud of,” Murphy says. “I have put a lot of effort into my thesis, and it was incredibly rewarding to be recognized for my hard work. I’m hoping my success will inspire other students to continue developing their skills to push the success of this program to even higher levels.”

The Game Analytics team from Syracuse University that will compete in the AXS National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship Feb. 1-2 includes, from left to right, Matthew Gennaro, Alexander Borelli, Sam Gellman and Benjamin Wachtel.

Move over, men’s soccer team. There’s another team on campus vying for a national championship.

Eight Sport Analytics students from the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics will compete Feb. 1-2 in the AXS National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship hosted by Baylor University in Dallas, Texas. This is the second half of the competition; in the first half, which was held virtually, Syracuse University finished first in both categories – Game Analytics and Business Intelligence – and had four students in each category finish in the top 15.

“This competition means a lot to me and the rest of the Syracuse University team as it’s a good representation of the work that the Sport Analytics students and faculty have put into the program,” says Alexander Borelli, a Sport Analytics major with minors in Economics and Sport Management. “We’ve been able to practice working with datasets like the ones provided in this competition throughout our courses and clubs, and to see our success displayed on a national level is really fulfilling.”

In the virtual part of the competition, where students were given a prompt and had to prepare and present their analytics work to judges, the performance of the Sport Analytics students enabled Syracuse University to rank ahead of Rice University and Baylor in the Game Analytics category, and ahead of Baylor and the University of Iowa in the Business Intelligence category.

The Syracuse University Business Intelligence team that will compete in Dallas, Texas, Feb. 1-2 features, from left to right, Eli Miller, Shane Halpin, Kylie Dedrick and Corey Goldman

Rodney Paul, director of Syracuse University’s Sport Analytics program and a professor in the Department of Sport Management at Falk, and Sport Management Assistant Professor Jason Maddox are the “coaches” of the Syracuse team and will travel to Dallas with the students. The trip is funded through a gift from Syracuse University Trustee and alum Andrew Berlin ’83, who continues to support Sport Analytics student-focused initiatives.

“I’m very pleased that our students will have the opportunity to take part in the competition and I’m extremely proud of their hard work, dedication, and resolve which has led to their individual and group success,” Paul says. “Going into the finals, we are in the position of the hunted as we lead both tracks, and it’s sure to be a pressure-packed environment that will prepare them well for their future endeavors.”

The Syracuse students participating in the Game Analytics category include Borelli ’23 (ranked No. 1 after the first half of the competition); Benjamin Wachtel ’23 (No. 2); Sam Gellman ’23 (No. 13); and Matthew Gennaro ’23 (No. 15). The individual “power rankings” for Game Analytics are listed on this Sports Analytics Championship LinkedIn page.

The Syracuse students in the Business Intelligence category include Eli Miller ’22, G’23 (ranked No. 3 after the first half of the competition); Kylie Dedrick ’23 (No. 4); Shane Halpin ’22, G’23 (No. 9); and Corey Goldman ’23 (No. 14). The individual “power rankings” for Business Intelligence are listed on this Sports Analytics Championship LinkedIn page.

As an example of what the students were required to do in the first half of the competition, Wachtel says he was given the data set of Big 12 Conference men’s basketball games and he chose to predict the shot outcome based on the actions taken by the offense each time it possessed the ball.

“This competition allowed me to explore new and more advanced data analysis techniques and gave me the freedom to approach the data provided in any way that I saw fit,” says Wachtel, who’s majoring in Sport Analytics with minors in Economics and Information Management & Technology. “I’m looking forward to representing Syracuse University on the national stage for the next phase of this competition, where I’ll have the opportunity to network and interact with like-minded peers and industry professionals.”

Dedrick, who is president of Falk College’s Sport Analytics Women (SAW) Club, says participating in this competition enables her to showcase the skills she and her teammates have acquired in the Sport Analytics program.

“Any competition I have competed in during college has focused on the player side of sports, but (the National Championship) has allowed me to dive deeper into my true interest, the business side,” says Dedrick, a Sport Analytics major with minors in Marketing and Applied Statistics. “The sport industry is a daunting place to start coming out of college, but hopefully my participation and success in this competition will help me show the sports world what I can offer.”

Miller, who majored in Sport Analytics and Economics as an undergraduate and is now pursuing a master’s degree in economics, agrees that the data analysis and coding skills he learned in Sport Analytics prepared him and his teammates to compete with the best sport analytics schools in the country.

“I look forward to seeing how these skills will continue to be pushed as we go to the finals,” Miller says. “This competition is just one of the many ways in which Syracuse has continuously given me new opportunities to grow and prepared me for life after graduation, and I look forward to representing this great University come early February.”

For these students, the competition had already been a success but now they look to duplicate what the men’s soccer team accomplished in December – bringing home a national championship to Syracuse.

“It’s been awesome to see the appreciation the (Sport Analytics) program has been receiving as a result of the success of our team,” says Borelli, a Sport Analytics major with minors in Economics and Sport Management. “It’s exciting to go to Dallas and perform in front of analytics professionals in the sports industry and put our skills up against some of the best students in the nation.”

Alison Gilmore ’24 has a deeply heartfelt passion for baseball and softball. Diagnosed at 2 ½ years old with cerebral palsy, she never had the opportunity to compete on the diamond, but she sure embraced the game. The Pennsylvania native, who has a twin sister, settled in on the sidelines, rooting for her siblings, tracking statistics and joining her dad as a longtime dedicated fan of the Baltimore Orioles. “The baseball and softball fields were kind of my home growing up,” says Gilmore, a sport analytics major in Syracuse University’s Falk College. “I looked forward to the early morning games. I loved interacting and watching them play—and my love of sports grew from that.”

Today, that love is evident. Gilmore relishes tuning into ballgames, soaking up stats and building her knowledge base. She’s a Dean’s List student who’s enhancing her education with a minor in sport management and one in information management and technology from the School of Information Studies. All of this supports her focus on developing her programming and data analysis skills with the goal of landing a front-office analytics position with a Major League Baseball team after graduation. “I think data is really powerful,” she says. “To uncover extra information that could help a team or an organization improve its performance excites me.”

Gilmore recognizes her identity as a disabled woman is a rarity in the male-dominated sport industry, and she is motivated by the idea of being a role model for others, carrying that drive with her beyond the playing fields. “I have always realized the importance of educating others in order to create a more inclusive society,” she says.

As a disability advocate, she shares her story to help other students with disabilities navigate their journeys. She does that, in part, as a student assistant at the Intercultural Collective and Disability Cultural Center, where she welcomes students at the front desk and serves as a peer mentor. “I always say that my disability doesn’t define me, but it’s a huge part of my identity and who I am. Obviously our society was built for able-bodied individuals, and so I often have to overcome the inaccessibility and ableism that’s deeply rooted in society,” she says. “I’m faced with that every day, and I have a huge compassion for individuals with disabilities, so being able to engage with them as a mentor is really important to me.”

Finding the Right Fit

Gilmore saw sport analytics as a perfect way to combine her math and statistics skills with her love for sports—and she credits her father for first learning about the Syracuse University program and knowing she’d love it. “I looked into sport analytics and from that day I knew I wanted to come to Syracuse,” she says. “I’m so grateful to be here and forever grateful to my family for encouraging me.”

Once on campus, Gilmore needed little encouragement to get involved. While facing some difficult challenges during her transition to college life, she appreciated the support she received from the Falk College community, especially sport analytics program manager Francesco Riverso G’05 and academic counselor Matthew Yager. Riverso has seen Gilmore blossom throughout her time at Syracuse, noting her determination and that she “has never shied away from an opportunity to grow, personally and professionally,” he says.

For instance, Riverso recalls Gilmore speaking to her peers in the Sport Analytics Living Learning Community at an event focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). “Alison was candid about her journey as a disabled woman studying in sports, and it was incredibly inspiring,” he says. “She captivated the audience with her honesty, sharing her experiences in an effort to educate and inspire the first-year students. This was quintessential Alison, a young woman who is dedicated to impacting her community through her advocacy, insight and passion. To say that we’re lucky to have her as part of our program would be understating her importance. She is a role model and one of the most motivated students I have worked with in over two decades in higher education.”

Digging into Data-Driven Performance

Right off the bat, Gilmore joined the Sport Analytics Women club and currently serves as vice president of the student organization, which conducts research and networks with women leaders in the field. She also became a member of the Baseball Statistics and Sabermetrics Club, which does research and competes in Diamond Dollars Case Competitions hosted by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). Her devotion to analyzing baseball stats was rewarded when she received an Anthony A. Yoseloff Foundation scholarship to attend SABR’s 50th anniversary convention in August in Baltimore. Not only did she enjoy the convention and attend an Orioles’ game, but she met members of the team’s front office, including Sig Mejdal, vice president and assistant general manager, analytics, who shared advice with her on building her technical skills. “I learned so much and engaging with those individuals was super meaningful,” she says.

That wasn’t Gilmore’s only valuable experience last summer. She was also the recipient of a Women in Sports Tech Inc. Fellowship, which placed her at Zoomph—a sport analytics platform that tracks sponsorship, media-value exposure and audience behavior—as a social intelligence analyst intern. The highlight of her work was analyzing social media data and engagement and content value of the 2022 NCAA Women’s College World Series and publishing a blog entry on her findings. “My internship at Zoomph was a really valuable experience in terms of being able to analyze data in the sports realm,” she says.

As a Berlin Scholar at Falk, Gilmore is among an elite group of students in the sport analytics program who receive scholarship and financial assistance, participate in competitions and symposiums, and conduct research with a faculty mentor. Under the guidance of Professor Rodney Paul, director of the sport analytics program, she plans to explore the effectiveness of the changing roles of pitchers in Major League Baseball. “I really look forward to engaging in the research,” she says.

Spreading Passion and Inspiration

When Gilmore needs inspiration, she keeps in mind the work of acclaimed sportscaster Jason Benetti ’05, whose broadcasts she’s admired for years, long before she even knew he was a Syracuse alumnus or that they shared the same disability. Through the Falk College network, Gilmore connected with Benetti, who’s now with Fox Sports. He serves as a mentor to her—his hard work, dedication and success showing her that “you can do anything if you put your mind to it,” she says. “Jason is someone I greatly appreciate. His willingness to interact with me is something I truly value.”

Outside of the sports world, Gilmore is passionate about making a positive impact on other students and helping them succeed, giving back for the support from faculty and staff that means so much to her. She meets prospective students as a Falk admissions ambassador and serves as a First-Year Seminar peer leader, facilitating DEIA discussions. She’s been active in OrangeSeeds— the University’s first-year volunteering and leadership empowerment program—as a participant, mentor and member of the executive and membership boards; and has served on the Goon Squad and as a committee member of OttoTHON, the University’s dance marathon that raises funds for the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.

Gilmore cites her experiences at Syracuse University for helping her build leadership and public speaking skills and gain self-confidence, and she says the sport analytics program “has done wonders in preparing” her for the work she wants to pursue. “The resources at Syracuse University are just incredible and there’s no shortage of opportunity,” she says. “That truly means a lot to me and has had a major impact on the person that I am.”

Jamal Salmon ’12 plays a major role in the motion picture industry. He’s not a Hollywood star, director or producer, but he’s influential when it comes to understanding audiences and promoting blockbusters. As the senior vice president of global data analytics at Paramount Pictures, he infuses data and information into studio executives’ decision-making process on movies. Whether questions focus on advertising and marketing, targeting specific audiences or even adjusting trailers to amplify a movie’s appeal, he provides data-driven guidance that shapes a film’s fate. “My role is to help inform everything—from is this the right ad to run on Monday Night Football, to is this the right audience to advertise to for a film, to everyday questions of should we be making more or less of this type of movie?” says Salmon, an alumnus of Syracuse University’s Falk College.

Salmon’s work has helped propel the success of such smash hits as A Quiet Place and Top Gun: Maverick, which blasted by the billion-dollar mark at the box office. With the proliferation of streaming services and changing viewer habits, Hollywood has had to adjust accordingly—and embracing data analysis is a key part of that shift. According to Salmon, who joined Paramount in 2017, incorporating data as part of the business strategy is relatively new for the film industry. “My favorite thing about my role is that I’m often tasked with trying to come up with solutions for problems that didn’t exist even two years ago,” he says. “I’m always solving new challenges in a space where people are watching movies at home and in the theater, and that pattern changes every single day.”

Salmon—who was honored at Orange Central with the 2022 Generation Orange Award, which recognizes outstanding graduates of the last 10 years—previously held analytics positions at Netflix and Google. But he forged his foundation in analytics in the sports world. After earning a bachelor’s degree in sport management, he joined Bloomberg Sports as a basketball/baseball analyst and then became a senior research analyst at ESPN, where he’d interned in college.

“At the time I was a Falk College student and as a sport analytics professional, a lot of the learning was around trying to understand how we could infuse traditional business concepts into the very specific realm of sports,” he says. Now, Salmon draws comparisons between the evolution of analytics in the sport and film industries. “For me, the biggest parallel is they’re both environments that historically haven’t had strong data representation,” he says.

Captivated by Sports Stats

Salmon has always been a big sports fan. Growing up in Queens, New York, he spent a lot of time watching ESPN’s SportsCenter and feasting on box scores and stats. “My connection to sports has always been through numbers,” he says. “I could quote batting averages, league leaders and many different stats for baseball and basketball.” And when he realized there were careers in the sport industry for a numbers guy like him, he looked to explore that path in college. “Falk College was the leader in the sports program space, and that’s where I wanted to be,” he says.

For Salmon, his Syracuse University experience was transformational. He built strong relationships with Falk College faculty advisors, who provided both academic and career guidance. He emphasizes how collaborating on group projects and managing an intense course load while carving out time for a social life and activities helped prepare him for the problem-solving challenges he faces today. “The ability to go to Falk College was really special for me,” he says. “The idea that I could take courses that touch so many disciplines and were all connected by what I was most passionate about—the sports business—was really unique, hard to find and everything I thought it would be.”

Among Salmon’s fondest campus memories are playing basketball, especially intramural league battles on the court. He was also tight with a group of friends who met regularly at the Schine Student Center to hang out and catch up on their days together. Many of them became lifelong friends. “The friendships I made at Syracuse have supported me not only in my personal life, but also in my career,” he says. “Friends of mine have shared opportunities, and I’ve been able to do the same for them. The opportunity, almost by chance, to meet them on this campus has changed my life.”

Creating Student Opportunities

Salmon says his career vision began to take shape on campus, and he treasures those moments where he learned and grew as a person, realizing the positive impact of his time on campus. Today, he supports the University as a member of the Office of Multicultural Advancement Advisory Council and through the Our Time Has Come Scholarship program. “When I think about the opportunity to give to Syracuse University, it’s through the lens of, what if I didn’t have those four years, what would that mean to me?” he says. “I know that a lot of opportunities are provided by giving back to the University. Contributing to the Our Time Has Come Scholarship gives that opportunity to so many students, especially students of color.”

Salmon also likes to mentor students and has welcomed students from the Syracuse University in Los Angeles program to Paramount for an inside look at the studio. For him, it’s all part of sharing his success by helping others while continuing to innovate in his career. “Every day I’m learning something new,” he says. “I still think I’m breaking new ground and that, for me, is the part that’s most exciting.”

~ An SU Story by Jay Cox originally published on November 28, 2022.

Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca is credited for saying that “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

In other words, we make our own luck. And that’s exactly what Falk College Sport Analytics major John Asel ’23 did this past summer at the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Analytics Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

Utilizing the preparation and communication skills he learned from his family members and Sport Analytics mentors, Asel received the 2022 Doug Pappas Award for best oral presentation at the conference. Asel also used the opportunity to network and among the industry leaders he met at the conference was Sig Mejdal, assistant general manager of the Baltimore Orioles.

Mejdal was impressed by Asel and remembered his award-winning presentation. Asel subsequently applied for a position with the Orioles and was recently notified that he will start a job in the team’s analytics department in the 2023 baseball season.

(Access Asel’s PowerPoint presentation: Meta Pitch Tracking: How The Changes In Pitch Tracking Technologies Should Change How We Look At The Data They Collect.)

Asel, who is working on additional baseball research with Falk College assistant professor of sport management Jeremy Losak, spent summer 2022 as a performance analytics intern with the Tampa Bay Rays. He says he was confident he had given a strong presentation at the conference but was shocked that he won the award, which is named after the late baseball researcher Doug Pappas.

“The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, especially regarding my delivery of the presentation,” Asel says. “Perhaps my favorite compliment was one attendee asking if I was a drama student because I had been so expressive. In our Falk education we hear a lot about the value of being able to communicate the analytics and it was amazing to see firsthand the kind of reception communication can receive.”

We asked Asel to share his experiences from the SABR conference and his thoughts on winning the prestigious award. Here’s what he shared with us:

“This August I attended the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) annual convention in Baltimore. I had attended twice before, even writing about my first experience in my college admissions essay. Everyone’s love for baseball and in-depth research on the most niche topics makes the hotel boardrooms feel like home. Only this year it was different: I was presenting.

“There were nerves leading up to the presentation but as soon as I got going, they all went away. The body language of the audience was positive and there were friendly faces in the front row. My parents, grandmother, and my high school journalism and math teachers had made the drive from Virginia to support me.

“To those faces in the front, I owe a lot of thanks. They had each taken time to indulge my enthusiasm for baseball at various stages. In my parents’ case, they had even helped me with my presentation up to the night before. They were both crucial in encouraging me to submit my research and refine my script. The task of telling a story about data at 8:30 a.m. on a Saturday was daunting and they helped me get over the hump.

“With reflection, the project I presented encapsulates what Falk’s Sport Analytics major teaches: They give you the coding skills to answer questions harnessing big data and emphasize being able to communicate your findings in an understandable way. The value of doing so was well exemplified in the reaction to my presentation.

“As my family was leaving the last panel we planned on attending, I was pulled aside and informed I had won the Doug Pappas Award for the best oral presentation. It was shocking. I thought I had given a strong presentation, but as a first-time presenter I did not have awards on my radar.

“The convention was surreal. Along with my presenting experience, I spoke with Sean Forman, founder of Sports Reference; Mark Armour, president of SABR; Sig Mejdal, assistant general manager of the Baltimore Orioles; and Dan Evans, former general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. A packed weekend to say the least.

“Hopefully, it is the beginning of a long journey in Baltimore as I have accepted an offer to join the Orioles’ analytics department this upcoming season. Funny enough I will be working with Mr. Mejdal to bring a World Series to Baltimore. Go Birds!”

To learn more about the Falk College sport management and sport analytics academic programs, career paths, and experiential learning, visit the Department of Sport Management.

Syracuse University Sport Management major Elena Randolph ’24 was recently named a 2022 BIG Initiative Award Winner by the Michigan Sport Business Conference, an honor presented to 11 high-achieving sport management students in the Unites States and Canada. BIG stands for “Build, Inspire, Grow.”

Randolph attended the prestigious conference Oct. 28-29 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She heard from featured guest speakers and industry professionals, including ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro and WNBA Chief Marketing Officer Phil Cook.

“I am honored to be chosen as a BIG Initiative Award Winner,” Randolph said. “Having the opportunity to attend this conference and connect with students dedicated to being the future leaders of the sport industry was so important to me. I am thankful to have met professionals of color who encouraged me to keep pushing boundaries and creating space for other young professionals of color.”

Launched in 2013, the BIG Initiative annually recognizes outstanding student leaders in sport business who have achieved an exceptional level of success. Each year, the MSBC attracts top applicants from across the nation. Those receiving the honor are selected on the basis of demonstrated entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation, and leadership. Nominees must be students with a passion for the sport industry who demonstrate a truly remarkable curriculum vitae.

Randolph attended networking sessions and breakout panels on topics such as sport and fashion, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), and sport storytelling. She also met with representatives from the Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA. BIG Initiative winners also attended a Detroit Red Wings game, complete with a facility tour.

“It was amazing to network with representatives from those organizations,” Randolph said. “Working for the NBA is my goal, so it was beneficial to hear from these professionals and learn about opportunities to gain more experience working in basketball.”

Randolph interned with the WNBA in Summer 2022. She previously interned with Syracuse University Athletics in Facilities and Game Operations. Randolph is the President of the Sport Professionals of Color Club and was a 2021 Peer Advisor in Falk College. She studied abroad in London in Spring 2022.

As a non-traditional, first-generation undergraduate student at Syracuse University, Chandice Haste-Jackson excelled academically but always felt there was something missing in her pursuit of knowledge.

That missing piece? Connecting with others.

“Ultimately, I discovered that in connecting with others, I could expand my knowledge and understanding beyond anything I learned from textbooks,” Haste-Jackson says. “That set me on a career journey oriented toward human connection, holistic development, and service, whether that be in fields of teaching, counseling, leadership, or administration.”

This past summer, Haste-Jackson’s lifelong journey of connecting with others continued with her appointment as Associate Dean of the Office of Student Services in Falk College. An associate teaching professor in Falk’s Department of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS), Haste-Jackson previously held several prominent HDFS positions and was chair of the Dean’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. In 2021-22, Haste-Jackson served as Syracuse University’s interim director of the First-Year Seminar course.

Before joining Syracuse University, Haste-Jackson was drawn to work that supported vulnerable populations. It was her job, she says, to help those populations expand their understanding, move from deficit toward sufficiency, and identify what wholeness, health, and stability meant to them and/or their families.

“Was this difficult work at times? Yes!” Haste-Jackson says. “But what I gained from these experiences is that our humanity connects us all, even those who are not like ourselves. We all want similar things–health, happiness, longevity, stability–and that makes us more interconnected than we think we are.”

To introduce Haste-Jackson to Falk students, we asked her to discuss her previous experience with students, the services offered by the Office of Student services, and questions that students might ask. Here’s that conversation:

What attracted you to your new job and why is it important that you’re helping Falk College students succeed?

After 20 years of working in nonprofit organizations and schools, rising through the ranks of direct service to executive leadership and administration, I spent a good deal of time teaching and training frontline employees and college student interns. In working with college student interns, I developed a desire to teach, mentor, and prepare the next generation of human service workers, a field that is very broad but one that involves human connection, holistic development, and service–tenets I live my life by!

Given the climate in which we live in today, college students are dealing with issues that may impact their ability to successfully engage in academic pursuits. The COVID-19 pandemic, mass racial violence, wars, and significant personal losses have impacted academic performance and emotional well-being. Helping students to navigate these challenges during their time with us in Falk College is what I endeavor to do, and I am committed to leading and supporting the professional staff in our office who have made that same commitment to student success.

I’m a first-year or transfer student who isn’t familiar with the Office of Student Services. What are the services you provide?

In your first year at Syracuse University, our office will provide academic counseling and advising around other areas in your life that you identify as being important to your growth as a student in Falk College. Additionally, our office supports career exploration and professional skill development, and offers opportunities for learning through career immersion experiences.

Every first-year and transfer student has an assigned academic counselor, and the Office of Student Services will be one of the first places that you connect with to learn more about your major and all the resources available at Syracuse University.

I’m a student struggling with my classes and I’m not sure if I’ve chosen the right major. How can you help?

This is common for students who are adjusting to the intensity of college-level work. We can help you identify the source/cause of the struggle with your classes and then locate campus resources that you might consider accessing for help.

Sometimes, making a change in how you study, how much time you give to studying, or even where you study is all that may be needed to alleviate the struggle. Sometimes, motivation is at the root of the struggle and subsequently causes you to consider if the major is right or not. We’ll help you to explore and develop a pathway to successful academic performance.

I’m a student having a hard time being away from home and I’ve got personal issues that are getting in the way of my sleep, classwork, and social life. Do I go to you or somewhere else?

You most certainly can meet with your academic counselor to discuss these personal issues. Our academic counselors will listen and help you find the resources that are right for you and meet your needs. You do not have to be alone in trying to address emotional, social, or academic well-being.

We also recommend that students contact the Barnes Center at The Arch and/or Hendricks Chapel for support with any personal issues that arise. We are well-connected to these two resources and support student engagement with their services.

Why is it important for students to see you if they have issues rather than trying to work them out on their own? Isn’t that what college is for, learning how to handle stress?

Absolutely! Learning how to handle stress is an expectation of a college student, yet many students are not prepared for the inherent stress that comes with transitioning to college. During the first year of study or even subsequent years, there are a series of social, emotional, and academic adjustments that must occur for you to be successful as a college student. There will be some new stressors, and some of your past ways of handling stress may not be as effective for you now.

Being proactive in seeking help before something becomes an issue is also something that college students are expected to learn early in their college career. We can help you to learn these skills and support you along the way as you employ them.

Help is Here

The Falk College Office of Student Services is in Suite 330 Barclay Hall. You can visit at any time or schedule an appointment by calling 315.443.3144 or emailing falkss@syr.edu. Visit the Office of Student Services webpage for more information and a complete list of services, important announcements, and staff directory.