If you find working in the sports industry appealing but don’t think your current résumé can land you a job, the Texas MBA+ Leadership Program may be just what you need to help you get a foot in the door.

Over the past few years, hundreds of students have capitalized on the opportunities available through MBA+, with dozens of them completing micro-consulting projects for sports teams and related brands. For some students, the sports-related projects were simply a unique way to apply what they were learning in class, but for others, it was the first step to breaking into the sports industry.

In fact, for many prospective students looking to change careers or switch into any new industry – not just sports – MBA+ is a key factor in their decision to come to McCombs.

“When I visited for Preview Weekend, I decided I was going to come here during [MBA+ Director] Deidra Stephens’ presentation about MBA+ projects,” says soon-to-be Texas MBA graduate Dan Amodio. When he saw some of the brands from past projects listed on the presentation slides, his mind was made up.

Before coming to McCombs, Amodio was working in technology sales – a good job, he says, but not one that left him completely satisfied. When considering his options, Amodio kept going back to an internship he had completed with the Cincinnati Reds while in college. “I loved the industry and loved working towards something I believed in,” he says. “I loved giving people the best day of their week at the games.”

Amodio knew his return to business school would be all about trying to put himself in position to get a good job in baseball. He saw the MBA+ project as the first step to gaining industry experience, which he could then turn into an internship, and eventually, a career. With plans to work in baseball after graduation, Amodio knew this project would ultimately play a big role in making that goal a reality.

With the help of Stephens, Amodio was able to connect with a member of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants and managed to set up a consulting project with the team’s strategic revenue department to analyze the purchasing behavior of fans at the ballpark. After recruiting some fellow classmates to join in on the project, Amodio’s team reviewed transaction data for a specific group of season ticket holders and recommended ways to enhance the value proposition for these fans. Able to directly apply what they were learning in the classroom, the project turned out to be a great success.

Dan Amodio, far right, with his MBA+ project team at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

When it comes to students working with sports brands on MBA+ projects, the Giants project team is far from alone. While McCombs remains better known for excelling in more traditional corporate environments, the list of successful sports-related projects completed by Texas MBA students is an impressive one. Continue reading →