SMBA 22 Gets on the Court During Holiday Tournament

Over Thanksgiving break, Sports MBA students spent two days volunteering for ESPN at the Paycom Wooden Legacy Tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center. This annual tournament, which this year featured the SDSU Aztecs Men’s Basketball team, offered students the opportunity to gain firsthand experience with partnership activation, event management, hospitality, and scoreboard operation. 

The in-game fan activations consisted of three types of on-court games during TV time-outs, including free throw, layup, 3-pointer contests and a classic game of “Knockout” during halftime breaks. Students were responsible for selecting the fans for the activations and making sure the contests ran smoothly on the court. 

Current student Sam Galaif (SMBA '22) organized this opportunity for the nine members of SMBA '22 who spent the weekend in Anaheim. After the event, Galaif said “I’d like to give Tamarah Tabor and Katy Murphree from ESPN Events a huge thank you for giving us an inside look and allowing us to participate in in-game partnership activation and fulfillment, operations and event management, and VIP hospitality at a high-profile college basketball event such as the Wooden Legacy.”