Sports MBA Students Study the Business of Baseball

Guest speaker Rondo Sedillo beginning her presentation about the business of baseball.

Ronda Sedillo, CPA ('94, accountancy), recently gave a guest lecture about the Business of Baseball as part of Dr. David DeBoskey’s Sports MBA Financial Accounting course. Sedillo is a Fowler College of Business alumna who served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the San Diego Padres for nearly a decade before her recent retirement from the position. Now a lecturer in Accounting at her alma mater, Sedillo recently spoke with SMBA ’22 about her experience working for an MLB team, what it means to be a CPA, and what lessons students need to remember from Accounting courses to pursue a career in the profession. 

Sedillo provided insight into ownership issues, revenue sources, and balance sheet items unique to a professional baseball team. On the revenue side, she focused on ticket sales, TV revenue, corporate partnerships, and non-baseball events that historically generate the most revenue for the Padres. Given her extensive experience in a traditional business, Sedillo also explained what to expect working in the accounting field both within and outside of the sports industry. 

The Sports MBA Class of 2022 wishes to thank Ronda Sedillo for sharing her extensive experience with the class and her willingness to help mentor the next generation of sports professionals from SDSU.

After the visit, Sports MBA faculty member Dr. David DeBoskey noted, "Ronda has been a true friend of SDSU's Sports MBA program for many years now, and once again she delivered a down-to-earth look into Major League Baseball.” He added, “Ronda’s passion and knowledge were palpable and insightful. Thank you, Ronda, on behalf of the entire Sports MBA cohort!”