Super Bowl LVI Provides SMBA 22 with Mega Event Experience

February 18, 2022

by Sierra Garcia (SMBA ‘22)

SMBA ‘22 courses paused for a few days this month to allow current students the opportunity to gain mega event experience working events around Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles. Students got the chance to apply their education to the sports industry by working in a wide variety of roles in the weeks leading up to the event and, in some cases, the game itself on Super Bowl Sunday.

SMBA ‘22 had positions managing staff, facilitating operations, and assisting fans and employees at both the NFL Fan Experience and on-site for the game at SoFi Stadium. The cohort spent the week leading up to Super Bowl LVI managing volunteers at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the temporary home to an interactive football theme park. According to current Sports MBA student Sara Johnsen (SMBA ‘22), “Our main responsibility was overseeing a number of volunteer ‘teammates,’ each assigned to zones throughout the Convention Center for the NFL Fan Experience.” Sports MBA students served as Area Managers for Party Planners West in the weeks leading up to the game. This meant leading approximately 30 volunteers each, handling crowd control, and assisting fans to ensure that the NFL Fan Experience ran efficiently.

In addition to the students on-site at the L.A. Convention Center, other members of SMBA ‘22 got to work early on Super Bowl Sunday outside SoFi Stadium. These students worked for the Super Bowl Teammate Program and were responsible for facilitating access to SoFi Stadium using NFL’s proprietary technology. When stadium employees arrived at the venue, students assisted with screening technology that used facial recognition software to identify employees in the system. For students, this check-in process provided operations experience and the chance to observe the back-of-the-house logistics of a mega event.

Other SMBA ‘22 students were stationed outside of SoFi Stadium to guide the way for fans and assist them with any issues. Working under On Location on behalf of the NFL, these students picked up customer service skills in helping fans find their seats. Haley Kachigan (SMBA ‘22) served as team lead for a group of SMBA ‘22 students in guest services. "It was an incredible experience leading a team and directing and assisting fans with anything they needed for this mega event."

Sam Galaif (SMBA ‘22) was one of the teammates greeting fans as they entered the venue. "It was a great opportunity to see the behind-the-scenes operations that go into running such a large event. We problem-solved while handling a variety of guest services situations to ensure everyone had a great experience." This group of students also aided with hospitality efforts throughout the game. These roles provided students with an understanding of how critical fan experience can be to the success of a mega sporting event.

SDSU Sports MBA wishes to the onboarding teams such as Party Planners West Inc., On Location, and the Super Bowl Teammate Program for providing a memorable experience for all students involved in Super Bowl LVI.