Sport analytics senior leads the way for women in the field and catches dream job with the New York Yankees.
Sport Management News
Ready for the Majors
Sport analytics major Mackenzie Mangos ’22 is founder of the Sport Analytics Women club and will join the New York Yankees as a quantitative analysis associate after graduation.
When it came to making the most of her Syracuse University education, Mackenzie Mangos ’22 knocked it out of the ballpark. Mangos, a sport analytics major in Falk College, took full advantage of the program’s opportunities, focused on her goal of working in Major League Baseball and scored her dream job. After graduation, she’ll join the New York Yankees as a quantitative analysis associate in the baseball operations department. What more could a devout Yankees fan ask for—especially one from a Bronx Bombers-loving family with a dog named Jeter? “I figured I’d work for some business or consultant before even getting a job in baseball—let alone in player analytics with the Yankees,” she says. “It worked out great!”
When Mangos reports to Yankee Stadium, she will be ready for action. She fulfilled her graduation requirements in three years, completed minors in economics and information management and technology to complement her major, participated in baseball case competitions and prominent internships and published research. She was also named a 2022 Falk College class marshal, a role in which she’ll deliver a speech at the college’s Convocation and lead Falk graduates at Commencement. In bringing together her passions for sports and statistics, Mangos carved out a path that can serve as a model for other young women in the male-dominated, multibillion-dollar industry. One of three female sport analytics majors when she joined the program, she founded the student organization Sport Analytics Women (SAW) in fall 2020 to bring together female students with shared interests and increase opportunities for research projects and professional development. “Mackenzie’s impact on our program and the University will be felt for years after she graduates,” says Jeremy Losak ’16, assistant professor of sport management. “She has been a champion for women in sports and sport analytics.”
Mangos shares her passion for baseball and statistics with sport management professor Rodney Paul, who established the sport analytics program and serves as its director.
As SAW president, Mangos has grown the club’s membership from five to about 20 members and says the role was influential in her personal development. “The Sport Analytics Women club helped me grow tremendously in terms of communicating with different audiences and being confident in front of a big group of people,” she says. “It’s been very rewarding to see the club really take off.”
Among her accolades, Mangos was selected as a Berlin Scholar, an honor that awards a stipend, research experience with a faculty mentor, and other benefits to outstanding seniors in sport analytics. She served as a teaching assistant for Falk’s Berlin Sport Analytics Academy last summer, leading activities for high school students interested in sport analytics. She also worked as a research assistant for Losak and valued his mentoring and collaborating with him on projects, including one that examines the impact of college conference TV networks on fan attendance at football and basketball games. The first part of their research, which focused on football, was published in the Journal of Economics and Finance. “Mackenzie has been an integral part of my research team, leading data collection efforts and preparing presentation-quality visualizations,” he says. “She is a trailblazer in the sport analytics space and a future professional superstar. Her upcoming role with the New York Yankees is just the beginning.”
Becoming Orange
Mangos was a three-sport athlete in high school in Williamson, New York, captaining the varsity soccer, basketball and softball teams. Softball was her favorite and, as a catcher, she worked with a pitcher who threw 10 different pitches, a challenging assignment that led her to think about pitching patterns and batters’ history. “I knew that the combination of my passion for sports and math would make for a really cool career,” she says. “When I came across the sport analytics program at Syracuse, there was no doubt that’s what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be.”
Good call. Once on campus, Mangos followed her game plan. She joined the Baseball Statistics and Sabermetrics Club and participated with fellow Syracuse students in Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Diamond Dollars Case Competitions, which challenge college teams to evaluate baseball operations’ issues, dive into data and offer solutions in a week’s time. “The SABR competitions are a great experience to apply everything we’re learning in class to something with that real-world feel,” she says. This spring’s SABR competition asked teams for ideas on how to shorten the game of baseball, which runs counter to the philosophy of many baseball enthusiasts. “Most of us are baseball traditionalists in this department,” says Mangos, who serves as director of programming for the club.
Mangos meets with Francesco Riverso G’05, academic advisor for sport analytics majors, who provided guidance and support for Mangos throughout her time at Falk College, including connecting her with the New York Yankees.
Along with mastering the intricacies of statistical computing, data visualization and managing databases, Mangos benefited from notable internship experiences. She was selected for the NBA’s Future Analytics Stars Program, which featured mentoring, networking and professional development, a group project and a workshop focused on the league’s player and business analytics. She also received a Women in Sports Tech Inc. fellowship that placed her as a business intelligence intern with KORE Software last summer. The company specializes in business analytics for the sports and entertainment industries, including fan demographics, and Mangos’ job was to pull information from databases and create interactive information dashboards for KORE clients. “I’d always envisioned myself working for a team,” she says. “In this internship, I’d be in a Zoom meeting working with a different professional sports team every day and was making reports for them, so it gave me a different perspective.”
Fantastic Opportunities
Mangos treasures the opportunities she’s received through Falk College and credits Francesco Riverso G’05, academic advisor for sport analytics majors, for his guidance and support, including connecting her with the Yankees. “He is a great resource,” she says. “I tell all the new students, ‘Make sure Francesco knows what your dream job is because he knows everyone in this industry.’”
Mangos holds a work-study job in the Falk admissions office, serves as a Falk Ambassador providing prospective students with information and as a peer advisor who helps incoming students adjust to college life. She enjoys assisting other students and sees it as a way to promote and build the program. “Falk has a good focus on experiential learning, so you can apply things you’re learning in class. I think the case competitions and a lot of the projects we do really set us apart,” Mangos says, also noting the valuable role that Falk’s Sport Management Advisory Council and strong alumni network play in supporting students.
With graduation approaching, Mangos is wrapping up her year-long senior thesis project. The topic has taken her back to her catcher days: She’s crunching data on whether home-plate umpires from one season to the next develop a bias against catchers who’ve previously influenced them with their mastery of pitch framing—positioning their mitts in certain spots to deceptively earn strike calls. “I’m super passionate about it,” she says.
Then it’s on to Yankee Stadium, where Mangos will put her love of the game and analytics skills to work. “It still feels pretty surreal,” she says. “I don’t think it’ll hit me until I show up on my first day.”
~ An SU Story by Jay Cox originally published on April 27, 2022.
Students Meet Sport Industry in L.A.
On Immersion Trip, Sport Management Students Feel ‘The Passion to Give Back and Grow the Next Generation’
Department of Sport Management students spent their 2022 Spring Break immersed in the Los Angeles sports culture and visited several sports venues, including this trip to the Rose Bowl. In the front row from left are Jayke Pastis, Noah Wagner, Allison Rosen, Liana Wong-Wright, Nyah Jones and Ethan Letwat. In the back row from left are Mitch Bereznay, Aksel Odmark, Josh Friedman, Aaron Cohen, Max Schofield, Preston Klaus, Zach Palfey, Logan Harris, Blake Taub, Sydney Orszulak and Faith Porter.
How’s this for a Spring Break:
Seven days in Los Angeles, meeting more than 70 executives from 23 sports-related organizations, and riding at 125 mph in an official NASCAR pace car!
That’s how Allison Rosen ’24 and 17 of her Department of Sport Management classmates from Falk College spent Spring Break as they immersed themselves in LA’s sports industry.
“If I had to sum up the 2022 Los Angeles Immersion Trip in one word, that word would be INCREDIBLE!” Rosen wrote.
The trip to Southern California is part of a course (SPM 358) that allows students to interact with industry executives and practitioners from nearly every sector of the industry. The course explores business practices, marketing strategies, branding initiatives, social media outreach and the organizational culture of competing sports franchises and entities in the greater Los Angeles market.
“This course exposes students to the many differences of managing sports entities on the West Coast compared to the East,” said Michael Veley, director and chair of Sport Management and Rhonda S. Falk Endowed Professor who teaches the SPM 358 course. “Los Angeles has become the sports capital of the world and markets to an extremely diverse population of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. More than a dozen students who have taken this course have obtained jobs based on professional networking connections made on the LA Immersion trip.”
Los Angeles is home to 11 professional sports teams and host of the 2022 Super Bowl, 2022 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship Game and 2028 Summer Olympics, among other major sporting events.
A student perspective:
We asked Rosen to share her experiences and thoughts about the Los Angeles Immersion Trip, and this is what she wrote:
“I am so thankful for the opportunity to take this trip after COVID-19 put a two-year halt to it. None of it would have been possible had it not been for our incredible donors, Jeff and Andrea Lomasky. On behalf of everyone on this trip, we thank the Lomasky family for their generosity.
“We met with more than 20 organizations and 70 executives across different aspects of the sport industry over the course of our trip. It was somehow both exhausting and energizing at the same time! As someone who dreams of working in soccer, visiting LAFC (Los Angeles Football Club) and the LA Galaxy were two highlights for me.
“Other organizations we met with included the LA Rams, Hoag Classic, LA Clippers, LA Dodgers, LA Marathon, Legends, AEG, the Rose Bowl, and even NASCAR. We also met with (NBA legend) Bill Walton, which was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I loved learning about what makes each sport unique and comparing the sport industry on the West Coast to that on the East Coast.
“Top experiences included walking on the ice before an LA Kings game at Crypto.com Arena; being on the NFL Network; riding at 125 mph in an official NASCAR pace car (not my mom’s favorite part to hear about!); touring SoFi Stadium; eating tacos about two feet from the beach in Santa Monica; and walking through the LA Marathon setup at Dodger Stadium. Another highlight, which was by chance and not part of our itinerary, was running into U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team head coach Gregg Berhalter at O’Hare Airport (in Chicago) before catching our connecting flight to Syracuse.
The students visited the Auto Club Speedway and rode at 125 mph in an official NASCAR pace car.
“From a business perspective, we learned about the importance of embracing your community, differentiating yourself in a saturated market, target audiences, and the impact social media has had on the industry. In addition to career advice, we received life experience advice.
“One of my favorite pieces of advice came from Martin Jarmond, director of athletics at UCLA. He said, ‘You can’t lead others until you lead yourself.’ This really stuck with me as this is something people need to hear more often. It falls in the same category as leading by example and self-confidence. If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect others to?
“Across the board, whether the industry professionals were SU (some even LA Trip) alumni or not, something I noticed was the passion to give back and grow the next generation. Everyone was so welcoming and, as a woman who wants to work in the industry, it was encouraging to have so many females in our meetings. Someday, wherever I end up, I hope there’s an immersion trip headed my way because I will 100 percent participate and host students at my office.
“We all owe a big thank you to Sport Management Director Michael Veley, Sport Management Internship Placement Coordinator Lisa Liparulo, and all of the executives we met with for making it such a worthwhile experience.”
During their trip, the students visited the Hoag Classic Country Club, Los Angeles Dodgers, UCLA Athletics, Los Angeles Football Club, NFL Network, Los Angeles Rams, So-Fi Stadium, Anheuser-Busch, Los Angeles Kings, Anschutz Entertainment Group, LA Sports & Entertainment Commission, Los Angeles Clippers, Auto Club Speedway, Rose Bowl, Dignity Health Sports Park, Westwood One Radio, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles Marathon, Crypto.com Arena and Legends.
To learn more about the students’ experiences, check out their 2022 Los Angeles Immersion Blog.
Allison Rosen is a Sport Management major and Public Communications Studies minor who is a current member and former communications co-chair for Women In Sports and Events (WISE) at Syracuse University; a student manager and photographer/content creator for the University’s women’s soccer team; an intern for Syracuse University Athletic Department Creative Services; and chair of the Syracuse Sport Management Club’s Charity Sport Auction Donations Committee.
Berlin Scholars ‘Seize the Data’
Carpe Diem! Michael O’Connor and Fellow Berlin Scholars Make Most of Trip to MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
On their visit to Boston the Berlin Scholars visited the practice facility for the NHL’s Boston Bruins.
For Michael O’Connor ’22, traveling with his fellow Sport Analytics Berlin Scholars in early March to Boston was “a moment of things coming full circle.”
Four years ago, O’Connor visited Boston for the first time with his father, Dave O’Connor, to tour the headquarters of sports footwear and apparel company New Balance. On that same trip, the O’Connors drove to Syracuse to tour Syracuse University’s Falk College and meet with Sport Analytics academic advisor Francesco Riverso.
That was Michael’s first and only time on campus before he enrolled in Falk’s Department of Sport Management in the Fall of 2019. Now majoring in sport analytics with a minor in sport management/economics, O’Connor is set to graduate in May and start his professional career in sport analytics.
The Berlin Scholars went to Boston to attend the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, an annual event for professionals and students to discuss the increasing role of analytics in the sports industry. When Falk launched a degree in sport analytics in 2016, University Trustee and alumnus Andrew T. Berlin ’83 made a $1 million gift to provide scholarship and financial assistance to select undergraduate sport analytics students, support faculty research, and allow students to participate in student-focused sport analytical competitions and academic symposiums such as the Sports Analytics Conference.
One of the highlights of the Berlin Scholars’ trip to Boston was a tour of the New Balance headquarters. In the front row, from left to right, are John Asel ’23, Kevin Ivers ’22, Michael O’Connor ’22, Kylie Dedrick ’23, Mackenzie Mangos ’22, Connor Meissner ’22 and academic advisor Francesco Riverso. In the back row, from left to right, are Ward Walton ’22, Seth Warner ’22, James Hyman ’21, Assistant Professor of Sport Management Justin Ehrlich, Preston Klaus ’22, Samual “Ben” Ayers ’22, Daniel Nagle ’22, Charles “CB” Garrett ’19 and Cooper Shawver ’22.
We asked O’Connor to share his thoughts about attending the conference and visiting New Balance (and his father!), and this is what he wrote:
“The MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference returned to Boston for the first time since before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and having the opportunity to attend in-person as a senior was incredible. I attended the conference last year virtually, but I learned very quickly that the benefits that come with an in-person conference just can’t be captured in online breakout rooms. This event was one I’d been looking forward to since before arriving at Syracuse, so to finally be able to network and attend incredibly informative panel discussions with my friends and peers was a great experience.
“Personally, I enjoyed the wide variety of panels that the conference had to offer. This year offered more coverage of topics that aren’t discussed often enough in the sports landscape; for example, I attended the Title IX discussion and the conversation on transgender athletes in sports, two topics that have seen increased coverage over the last few weeks after recent events in Utah and the NCAA Swimming Championships.
“Providing opportunities for those with a background in data to broaden their perspectives and challenge their beliefs is one of the first steps in making meaningful change, and I thought those were two of the most informative and impactful panels of the conference.
“In addition to listening to those panel discussions, students attended various networking workshops, had industry professionals review their resumes, and explored various research projects that students from numerous colleges and universities had been working on. I enjoyed meeting with the authors of those research projects to gain insight on their process and methodology. I also met students from other universities that I had worked with virtually, and I hope those relationships will form stronger bonds between the various sport analytics cohorts at colleges across the country.
“We not only got to experience everything that the conference had to offer, but we also had the opportunity to tour the New Balance headquarters in Boston, along with the Boston Bruins’ practice facility and ‘The Track’ at New Balance, a brand-new multi-purpose athletic facility that is set to open to the public soon. My father, Dave O’Connor, is a national sales manager for team sports at New Balance and coordinated a walkthrough of their facilities and discussed opportunities available at New Balance, along with Francesco Riverso, our academic advisor.
“While this may not have been the most ‘analytically driven’ aspect of the weekend, it was an interesting opportunity for students to realize that there are opportunities to get involved in sport analytics that may not follow their traditional understanding of working in the industry but provide the same advantages and benefits as working for specific sports teams.
“Touring The Track at New Balance was definitely a highlight of the trip. I ran track-and-field in high school and have been closely following the construction of the new venue, so to get a first look at the building before it opened to the public was incredible. New Balance also has a sports science lab located on the first floor of The Track; a state-of-the-art facility that incorporates sports science and analytics to produce better results for athletes. There aren’t many labs like this elsewhere, let alone ones that allow tours for students with a passion for sport analytics.
“Every aspect of the tour was a wonderful experience, both from an educational and entertainment perspective. I’m incredibly grateful for Mr. Andrew Berlin for providing us the opportunity to attend the MIT Sloan Sport Analytics Conference and hope that future classes will enjoy similar opportunities!”
Michael O’Connor is a member of the Sport Analytics Learning Community, a resident advisor, president of Falk’s Football Analytics Club, and president of SU’s Otto Tunes tenor/bass a cappella club.
Enhancing the Fan Experience
SU Athletics, Falk College’s Department of Sport Management and Legends enter multiyear partnership.
Syracuse Athletics and Legends are launching a 10-year partnership to integrate data analytics, marketing, ‘Cuse Athletics Fund annual giving, premium seating, and general ticket sales initiatives into a single fan-focused approach. The partnership will also ensure that the Orange build upon their legacy of supporting student-athletes in the classroom and on the playing fields.
“We are committed to delivering a world class fan and student-athlete experience and Legends has proven to deliver world class ticket sales and philanthropic services among their notable partners within professional and collegiate athletics,” said Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack. “The future is very bright for Syracuse Athletics.”
A central part of the relationship will be the integration of Legends’ robust technologies.
“We are incredibly excited to use these innovative platforms. They will allow Syracuse Athletics to better understand the needs of Orange fans,” said Syracuse Deputy Director of Athletics and CMO Andrew T. Goodrich.
Legends, through its U.S. research arm CSL, will also conduct ongoing market research to assist the department with making informed decisions on potential new seating experiences, fan enhancements, and optimal pricing strategies to maximize attendance.
“Syracuse University has always been an incredible unifying force across upstate New York, and as a native of the area and longtime supporter, I understand the value of Orange Athletics to the community,” said Legends Chief Operating Officer, College Partnerships Mike Behan. “We’re excited to support John and his team. We are especially excited to identify opportunities that will enhance the fan experience and sustain Syracuse’s reputation as one of the nation’s preeminent athletics programs.”
In September, Syracuse Athletics announced the rebranding of the Orange Club to the ‘Cuse Athletics Fund, which was done to in large part to help put a greater emphasis on philanthropic giving. The partnership with Legends will help the ‘Cuse Athletics Fund by identifying additional opportunities for annual fund growth. Legends’ unique fundraising platform, an essential service embraced by higher education, identifies effective fan and donor engagement strategies to amplify philanthropic giving and other opportunities.
Another unique aspect of the partnership is the collaboration with Syracuse University’s Falk College. The alliance between the school’s Department of Sport Management and Legends is committed to advocating for the inclusion of students in the sports entertainment industry. Current students will benefit from project-based and experiential learning, mentorship, and visibility into job openings through unprecedented opportunities for Falk Sports Management & Analytics students to intern with Legends and prepare them for full-time positions upon graduation.
“The Department of Sport Management is extremely excited to be part of this ground-breaking initiative with Legends and Syracuse Athletics. I have immense respect for what Legends has achieved in the sport industry as an innovative leader and cutting-edge company,” said Falk College Sport Management founding director and chair Michael Veley. “Our students will benefit greatly from this partnership and its real-world applications, and in turn will be able to provide valuable support in multiple sectors to enhance Syracuse Athletics’ mission to its stakeholders.”
Sport Management Club raises $45,000 at 17th Charity Auction
The Sport Management Club at Syracuse University raised $45,000 for the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation as a result of its 17th Annual Charity Sports Auction.
During the SU men’s basketball game on Nov. 20, 2021, supporters placed bids on items, including sports memorabilia, electronics, jewelry, gift baskets, trips, and tickets to major sporting events. An online auction also took place from Nov. 20-27, which showcased hundreds of items up for bid.
The SPM Club is a student-run organization in the Falk College Sport Management Department. Since its founding in 2005, the club has raised more than $613,000 for local charities. Previous beneficiaries of the club’s annual charity auction include Boys & Girls Clubs, Golisano Children’s Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of CNY, the Central New York SPCA, the Upstate Cancer Center, Special Olympics New York, Food Bank of CNY, the Salvation Army, Rescue Mission Alliance, American Diabetes Association, Make A Wish CNY, Meals on Wheels, and McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center.
“Our Sport Management Club was founded on the principles of teaching our membership the value of civic engagement, community service, and social responsibility through sports,” said Michael Veley, Rhonda S. Falk endowed professor and director of Sport Management, who also serves as the organization’s faculty advisor. “The countless hours of dedication by these students to ensure that the proceeds from our charity auction would benefit our community via the Boeheim Foundation is extremely gratifying.”
The Sport Management Club meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays during the academic year. All Syracuse University students are welcome to attend regardless of major. For more information, contact SPM Club president Blake Taub (bltaub@syr.edu) or visit our Student Organizations page.
Dean’s Winter Welcome
Dear Falk Students,
Welcome back to Syracuse University! We hope you enjoyed your winter break and had the opportunity to relax and spend time with friends and family. We’re excited for all that lies ahead for you in Spring 2022. With that in mind, here are some important reminders as we start the new semester:
Public Health and University Communications:
Public health remains a critical priority for life on campus and in our wider Syracuse community. We fully expect all Falk College students to follow University public health guidelines and local public health mandates. By doing our part, we can keep each other safe and healthy. Please visit the Stay Safe website, the official source of public health information for Syracuse University, for guidance and updates.
Remember to check your Syracuse University email daily, as it is the primary communication method at the University. Your professors and University offices will contact you with important information using your Syracuse University email address (ending in “@syr.edu”), not your personal email address.
Student Support Services:
Falk Student Services counselors are here to provide you with private academic advising and help you meet your requirements and goals. In addition, they are your resource for private consultation related to student social and emotional concerns. If you have any concerns throughout your academic career, please contact Student Services or visit Suite 330 Barclay Hall in the Falk Complex.
Falk Career Services advisors, also located in Suite 330 Barclay Hall, can help you prepare for life after college through career exploration, internship and job searching, professional networking, and more. You can also search for opportunities through Handshake, the University’s job search and professional events portal.
In addition, you can connect to spiritual life on campus at Hendricks Chapel, and health and counseling services in the Barnes Center at the Arch.
Student Lounges, Computer Labs, and Cafés:
The Student Lounge, located in Falk 216, is available to you any time the Falk Complex is open. The lounge has a microwave, refrigerator, and vending machines for student use. Just down the hall is Falk 229. This quiet student lounge has both Windows and Mac computers that are available to students any time the Falk Complex is open.
Falk 113, 400, and 407 are Windows computer labs that are also used as teaching classrooms. They are available to students any time class is not in session. You may check the schedule of availability using the Orange Events website. You may also use the quick-print stations in Falk 216 and 229 for printing and email. These stations log out automatically after 15 minutes of use.
The Falk Café on 2 is expected to open Feb. 2 on a limited basis. Check the Food Services website for other campus cafés and operating hours, which are subject to change.
Ways to Get Involved:
Get to know many of the hundreds of Syracuse University student organizations at the Winter Student Involvement Fair 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 26, 2022, in Goldstein Auditorium, Schine Student Center.
You can also discover activities and events on campus by visiting the Syracuse University Calendar. Please note that events are subject to change according to public health guidelines. You can find the most up-to-date event information on the University Calendar. Once again, visit the Stay Safe website regularly for public health information and watch your University email for important announcements.
There are many other resources available to you at Syracuse University beyond these important highlights. Please visit the For Students page to review a more comprehensive listing of student resources to enhance your experience at Syracuse.
Thank you for being part of the wider Syracuse University community and our Falk College family. On behalf of the Falk faculty and staff, I wish you the best for Spring 2022.
Go Orange!
Diane Lyden Murphy, M.A., M.S.W., Ph.D.
Dean
Falk College
October 28 event features alumni in disability advocacy
Falk College Career Services will host the “Falk College Alumni Speaker Series: Improving Access for People with Disabilities” on October 28, 2021, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. in Grant Auditorium, followed by a networking reception with refreshments from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The panel discussion will focus on current issues surrounding accessibility in a range of environments, and will be of particular interest to students seeking internships or careers in healthcare, mental health, education, policy and advocacy, and sport and recreation.
This is the fourth event in a series of Falk College alumni panels, which bring alumni back to campus to discuss current industry trends of interest to Falk students and share valuable career experiences and insights. Previous alumni panels have focused on topics such as community health and wellness; promoting exercise and nutrition as natural approaches to health, and; sport, health and social activism.
“For students, this is an exceptional opportunity to learn more about how they can be an advocate in whatever field they pursue,” says David Sly, director of Falk College Career Services. “In addition to learning about the specific careers of our panelists, students, faculty, and staff can leave this event with ideas for better serving people with a range of disabilities in any setting.”
The “Improving Access for People with Disabilities” panel will include four Falk College alumni:
Scott Ebner, MSW ’97
Scott Ebner is the Executive Director at CIRCARE, a local agency that supports people with behavioral health disabilities, including family and employment support. He has also worked with Provisions Bakery in Armory Square, a work transition site for people with mental illness.
Jeremy French-Lawyer, BS Public Health ’14Jeremy French-Lawyer is the Assistant Director of Evaluation, Assessment and Research at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Jeremy also has previous experience as a Disability Integration Fellow with SUNY Upstate, integrating disability-relevant information into medical school and continuing medical education curriculum. Other previous roles include working with children and at-risk parents in education and healthcare settings. Jeremy holds a master of public health (MPH) degree jointly awarded from Syracuse University and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Ocesa Keaton, MSW ’15Ocesa Keaton is the Central New York Regional Director for New York Civil Liberties Union and has previously served as the ADA Coordinator for the City of Syracuse. Ocesa has extensive experience in youth and advocacy programs, with a focus on at-risk pregnant and parenting teens, youth violence prevention, and poverty.
Eileen May-West, BS Sport Management ’10Eileen May-West is the Program Director at Wasatch Adaptive Sports and leads outdoor adaptive recreation operations for over 500 individuals with disabilities each year. Eileen holds a master’s degree in therapeutic recreation from the University of New Hampshire.
For Syracuse University students, registration is appreciated, though not required, through Handshake. For faculty, staff and community attendees, please RSVP to falkcareers@syr.edu. CART and ASL services will be provided. To request other accommodations, please contact Falk Career Services at falkcareers@syr.edu or 315.443.3144. For event information, visit the event page.
Working dream jobs in the NFL
Cady Langdon ’16 and Angela Marsh-Coan ’18 were involved in sports in high school, wanted to pursue a career in sports and are now working in dream jobs for the most popular professional sports league in the world, the National Football League.
But for Langdon and Marsh-Coan, both graduates of the sport management program in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, that’s not the best part of their journey. The best part, they say, is that through their NFL jobs–Langdon as health and safety senior coordinator and Marsh-Coan as social justice coordinator–they are making a positive impact on countless lives.
“Since I started working with player health and safety (in 2017), I feel my work is impacting the game and the players’ lives and making a safer game for fans who get to see the players they love on the field rather than on the sideline,” says Langdon.
Marsh-Coan works for the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative that supports social justice programs and provides funding for organizations that assist communities that have been historically underrepresented and excluded.
“I enjoy what I’m doing, I’m getting to make an impact and the fact that this role and opportunity even exists says a lot about the commitment that’s being made to this initiative,” says Marsh-Coan.
Langdon and Marsh-Coan will return to Falk to discuss their prominent NFL positions during a “Sport Management Alumnae in the NFL” panel discussion on Oct. 15 as part of the fifth annual sport management alumni event, “SPM Alumni in #SportsBiz: Now We’re the Pros.” Nicole Cost, internship placement coordinator for sport management, arranged the panel discussion because she knew of several Falk female alums who are working for the NFL or with NFL teams.
Other members of the panel include Hannah Sanford ’16, community engagement manager for the Seattle Seahawks, and Jordyn White ’17, public relations specialist for the NFL (White majored in communication and rhetorical studies in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and minored in sport management).
Other Falk alumnae working in the NFL include Lori Robinson ’09, player engagement for the Baltimore Ravens; Kaitlynn Miller ’21, who was recently hired by the Washington Football Team as coordinator of strategic partnerships; and Caroline Davis ’20, a marketing associate for the NFL based in Los Angeles who’s pursuing her master’s in communication and media studies from the Newhouse School of Public Communications.
“Since the inception of our program, we’ve cultivated opportunities for our female students to become change agents in sports. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX, I could not be prouder of the accomplishments of these pioneering women working in the NFL,” says Michael Veley, founding director and chair of the Department of Sport Management. “Very few universities, if any, have so many female graduates working in managerial roles within professional football.”
The keynote speaker for the alumni event is Deidra Maddock ’97, vice president of sports brand solutions, Disney Advertising Sales for the Walt Disney Company and a senior advisory council member for the Department of Sport Management. Another panel discussion will feature alumni who have started their own businesses, and more than 20 alumni representing the NBA, MKTG, Genius Sports and other companies will engage with more than 150 current students in professional workshops following the panel discussions.
“The event began five years ago when I wanted to create a professional development opportunity for our students navigating careers in the sport and entertainment world,” Cost says. “When I started to brainstorm employers to connect with, I realized that we had sport management alumni working almost everywhere our students wanted to potentially be one day. The best people to help guide our current students are alumni; we love keeping the sport and entertainment industry Orange!”
Helping to Create Change
While in high school in Washington, D.C., Marsh-Coan was a student manager for sports teams and that sparked her interest in sport management. She attended an open house at the Falk College and was sold on the idea that it offered the support of a small liberal arts college while providing the excitement of a larger university.
“I worked as a marketing intern for [Syracuse] basketball and football games, while also serving as the community service chair for the Student African American Society,” Marsh-Coan says. “When I graduated, I realized I could pursue both my interests in sports and my passion for community engagement. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to explore my interests at Falk and in the context of what I could be doing professionally.”
Marsh-Coan worked for the NBA’s Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks before joining the NFL in November 2020. The timing was right for Marsh-Coan as the Inspire Change initiative took on added importance in the wake of the social and cultural unrest that was occurring throughout the world.
Inspire Change has four pillars: criminal justice reform, police-community relations, education and economic advancement. Marsh-Coan says the NFL supports 27 different non-profit organizations that promote change in those pillar areas.
“My primary role as the social justice coordinator is to assist the social responsibility team on all things related to Inspire Change,” Marsh-Coan says. “On a day-to-day basis, I manage communications between the league and our 27 Inspire Change grant partners.”
The NFL’s social responsibility team works in collaboration with the Players Coalition, club owners and NFL players to “ensure that access to opportunity is a reality for all.”
“I’m definitely grateful to be in this position and for the commitment [the NFL] has made to this work,” Marsh-Coan says. “The team is growing and evolving to tell the story of these partner organizations, and we’re looking to continue to be authentic in this space.”
Keeping Players Safe
Langdon, who’s from Westchester County, New York, in the Hudson Valley, wanted to transfer for her junior year of college and had Syracuse at the top of her list. Langdon and her father, alum Simon Langdon, went to a basketball game on their visit and “that’s really all you need to sell you on the school,” Langdon says, laughing.
Langdon, who played soccer in high school, was accepted into the sport management program and jumped right in by joining the Sport Management Club and participating in fundraising events such as the Annual Charity Sports Auction. She spent the summer and fall of 2016 on her capstone project with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills as a graduate assistant member of the events and guest experience staff.
“I was able to meet great speakers at Falk from many professional sport leagues who I’m still connected to, and in my classes, we covered ticket sales, marketing and all the areas you can get into in sports,” Langdon says. “My capstone with the Bills came through the help of Syracuse internship coordinators and staff who have so many connections and they’re constantly monitoring job opportunities for students.”
Langdon joined the NFL’s broadcasting department in 2016 and spent a year working with clubs to find stories that could be highlighted on the broadcasts. She then transitioned to player health and safety, where she focuses on innovation and protective equipment.
Working with experts such as data scientists, engineers and epidemiologists, Langdon’s team collects and organizes data and performs video reviews of injuries that occur in an NFL game (taking into account factors such as weather, playing surface and the type of cleats, helmet, shoulder pads and other equipment worn by the player). The data is central to informing rules changes and improving protective equipment–two centerpieces of the league’s efforts to reduce injuries, specifically concussions.
The NFL, in collaboration with the NFL Players Association and appointed biomechanical experts, conducts laboratory testing for all helmets. The results are displayed on a poster and the helmets are ranked as green (best to use), yellow or red (prohibited). Langdon says at the start of the 2018 season, 41% of the players were wearing helmets that ranked in the top-performing green category.
At the conclusion of the 2020 season, because of this research and a commitment to educate players, 99% of the players wore the top-performing helmets and the league realized a 25% decrease in concussions over the past three years.
“This has been a large effort, and over the years we’ve made helmet choices a prominent part of conversations in the locker room between players and equipment staff,” Langdon says.
‘Headed in the Right Direction’
Making a positive impact through their NFL positions isn’t the only thing that Langdon and Marsh-Coan have in common. Their messages to students during the Oct. 15 alumni event will also be similar: Find out what you want to do and go for it.
“It’s OK to get a job in one area and switch to another,” Langdon says. “I started in events with the Bills and then broadcasting and now health and safety, so you don’t have to feel you’re stuck in one position for the rest of your career. Sports provides you many opportunities to dive into different areas.”
Marsh-Coan says students should take advantage of Falk’s vast network of alums and she credits her Falk connections for helping her land jobs in the NBA and NFL.
“This [alumni] event is a good opportunity for students to see women in this space, especially Black women in this space, and I look forward to encouraging students to explore all opportunities,” Marsh-Coan says. “Don’t take a job just to meet people; reach out to people on your own. We should encourage students to go after what they want rather than what people say they should go after.”
It’s that attitude that has led Marsh-Coan, Langdon and other Falk alumnae to prominent positions in a once-archaic league where NFL used to stand for “Not For Ladies.”
“My department alone is made up of four women out of six and there are so many women here in executive and senior vice president roles,” Langdon says. “It’s amazing to have mentors in those spaces.
“There’s a lot of progress to be made and I hope to see women being head coaches one day, but we’re certainly headed in the right direction,” she adds. “You just have to be confident and go with what you know and make sure your voice is being heard.”
Adapted from an SU News story by Matt Michael originally published on Thursday, October 14, 2021.
Game-Changing Name, Image and Likeness (NIL)
“The first thing to understand about NIL is that nobody fully understands NIL.”
In a recent article from Sports Illustrated, Ross Dellenger had written this quote about the new Name, Image and Likeness rule that has turned college athletics on its ear. The NCAA had determined, starting July 1, 2021, all athletes could benefit financially from their name, image and likeness.
Actually, there’s a group of 28 students in Falk College who, by the end of this semester, will fully understand NIL. This fall, those students are taking a “Name Image and Likeness” course from the department of Sport Management that is believed to be the first undergraduate course of its kind in the country.
The course is being taught by David Meluni, an assistant teaching professor in sport management who has more than 20 years of experience in collegiate athletics, first as a baseball player at Ithaca College and then by working in ticketing, marketing, sponsorship and digital roles at Ithaca, Cornell, Florida State and Syracuse.
Falk’s course includes the model of NIL. Students are collaborating with professionals in the industry while learning how to build a brand and ultimately monetize opportunities. The students are involved in proposal writing, infographic design and the development of marketing and social media plans.
“Our department prides itself on creating courses that connect our students to contemporary issues in the sport industry,” says Michael Veley, Rhonda S. Falk Endowed Professor and department of Sport Management director and chair. “The NIL legislation will change the business model of Division I college athletics going forward. When you match the teaching skills of Professor Meluni with the expertise and collaborative partnership of (the sponsorship sales company) SponsorUnited, this course will be a game-changer.”
In this Q&A, we ask Meluni how the class came together, the impact of NIL and what his students are learning.
Q: The NCAA announced its decision on July 1 and less than two months later you’re teaching a “Name, Image and Likeness” course. Tell us how that came together so quickly.
A: I’m always looking at trends in the sport industry, and as a former student-athlete I have been keeping an eye on NIL for a few years. Once the NCAA tabled a decision in January 2021, we knew something had to happen this past July so I started planning at that point.
Q: As Michael Veley says, NIL–and this course–are game-changers. Can you explain why this is such a groundbreaking rule change?
A: Think multi-media rights holders, licensing and merchandising, just to start. If a brand can associate with an athlete, how does that impact the corporate partner of an athletic department? Brands want engagement, and the athlete can drive that.
Q: You have a varied and extensive background in collegiate athletics. How did that help you develop the curriculum for the course?
A: Spending 10 years selling corporate sponsorships in collegiate athletics at Syracuse, followed by six years in digital media at SIDEARM Sports, I navigated the many challenges that brands experience. An athlete can provide an avenue that brands traditionally struggle with. Brands want engagement, and no one is better to provide that than athletes who essentially have become influencers.
Q: What are your students learning and what are some of the skills they’re acquiring through this course?
A: Students are learning how to prospect for a potential partner by using industry leading sales software provided by SponsorUnited. They are evaluating the social media Instagram accounts of collegiate athletes to predict pricing and trends and using Canva to create graphics for themselves as if they were a student-athlete or consulting for a student-athlete.
Q: Your class is working closely with SponsorUnited, a sponsorship sales company. Explain how that partnership started and what SponsorUnited is providing to your students.
A: We are the only university in the country right now with this kind of relationship. We have been working with SponsorUnited in different capacities for two years and its software is the industry leading prospecting tool for organizations to vet brands. The software updates daily and allows you to track sponsorship prospects and industry trends. SponsorUnited is amazing to work with and we are proud to use their software as a supplement to the textbook.
Q: Your textbook is Malcolm Lemmon’s “Impact Beyond the Game: How Athletes Can Build Influence, Monetize Their Brand, and Create a Legacy.” The title is certainly fitting, but what’s inside the book that makes it so useful for this course?
A: Everything! When I decided to create the course, I wanted to use this book because it’s an amazingly easy read, it touches upon everything from how to deal with media to social media importance, and there is nothing in it that’s not covered within the scope of NIL. Malcolm hit a home run with this book before NIL was even here.
Q: What has been the reaction so far from students in your class and–we have to ask–are there any student-athletes who are taking the class this fall?
A: The class discussions are outstanding. Students in our department are connected to hot topics in the sports industry and this is certainly the hottest one right now. This semester, we have several student-athletes in the class, along with a handful of team managers who are majoring in sport management, sport analytics and broadcasting. It is the perfect mix of students, and next semester will likely be the same.
Meluni says there are discussions to expand opportunities for students and industry professionals who want to learn more about NIL through an online NIL course from the Orange Academy.
An SU News story by Matt Michael originally published on Wednesday, September 29, 2021.
Falk College introduces new online Certificate of Advanced Study in sport analytics
Students gain advanced data skills for in-demand careers with sports teams, leagues, and companies connected to sports
Falk College will introduce an online Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in sport analytics to its academic degree offerings in Spring 2022. Sport analytics focuses on data science applications to sports teams and businesses. The new 12-credit CAS program explores different types of statistics used for analysis of player and team performance, and business performance across different sports and leagues. Upon graduation, students are proficient in visualizing and analyzing sport data and well-prepared prepared to meet increasing demand for analytics professionals in the growing, international world of sports.
“Popularized by the book and film Moneyball, sport analytics uses statistics, mathematical modeling, coding, and insights into both the on-field and business aspects of sport to communicate important insights to decision-makers such as coaches and general managers,” says Rodney Paul, professor in the Department of Sport Management and director of its sport analytics program. “Our program combines aspects of mathematics, computer coding, and business theory coupled with research and insights into how analytics are used in various aspects of sport to prepare students for positions in this growing field.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects above-average employment growth in several of the top occupations related to sports analytics. As the analytics revolution continues to expand across sports, both domestic and around the world, so do career opportunities for professionals who can code, understand, and model complex mathematical relationships, and communicate these findings effectively.
Falk College’s CAS in sport analytics prepares students for successful sport analytics careers with sports teams and leagues as well as businesses connected to sports, such as media networks, advertisers, and sponsors, both nationally and internationally. Coursework includes specific focus areas in sport analytics statistics and methods, including visualization tools, programming in R and Python, linear regression and econometric techniques, and machine learning.
The certificate offers a pathway to sport analytics careers for new college graduates and current professionals in related fields such as sport management, economics, statistics, and computer science. The asynchronous online program allows students anywhere in the world to take advantage of a Syracuse University education, and a powerful Syracuse alumni network in the sport industry.
“Sport analytics is a rapidly expanding professional field, with growing career opportunities for well-trained professionals,” says Diane Lyden Murphy, dean of Falk College. “Falk College’s new CAS in sport analytics allows students and professionals in various related fields to build upon their existing education and work experience to build a successful sport analytics career. Equipped with a specialized academic credential from Syracuse University, and an influential network of Syracuse alumni in sport, graduates of the sport analytics CAS program can seize new professional opportunities and advance their careers.”
The CAS in sport analytics is housed within the Department of Sport Management, which launched one of the nation’s first bachelor’s degrees in sport analytics in 2017. Syracuse sport analytics students have received high honors at analytics competitions around the country such as the NBA Hackathon and NFL Big Data Bowl, as well as leading global academic research conferences at the Academy of Economics and Finance and MIT/Sloan, in addition to earning peer-reviewed academic publications of their original research in the Journal of Economics and Finance, Academy of Economics and Finance Journal, Athletic Business Journal and others.
The program is now accepting student admissions applications. For more information about the new CAS in sport analytics, and other degree programs in Falk College, please visit the Falk College website.
Learn more about CAS in Sport Analytics
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