SDSU Sports MBA Students Present Snapdragon Stadium Sponsorship Marketing Strategy to Qualcomm Executive Team

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Students in San Diego State University’s Sports MBA program recently had the opportunity to interact with executives from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon division as they presented sponsorship activation plans aimed at the company’s marketing goals for its partnership with Aztec football.

The partnership is part of the December 2021 agreement between Qualcomm and SDSU which resulted in the naming of Snapdragon Stadium after the company’s mobile semiconductor product line.  Building on the partnership, the students' activation plans proposed a series of promotional activities involving the Snapdragon brand to engage and entertain Aztec football fans before, during and after the games. Highlights from the plan included pre-game experiences, halftime activities and televised events intended to reach fans both at the stadium and those watching on TV or a streaming platform. 

The presentation was a key component of the Sports MBA program’s Managerial Marketing (BA 672) class, led by Vassilis Dalakas.  Throughout the semester, students participated in a variety of experiences that helped shape their final plan, including a behind-the-scenes tour of the venue, discussions with Qualcomm executives, and interviews with Sports MBA alumni currently working in the sports industry. 

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The Qualcomm executives reviewed the proposed strategies and offered valuable real-world feedback to all the students about the creativity and feasibility of their recommendations for the 2025 Aztec football season.

While the project gave Qualcomm executives an opportunity to review innovative marketing activation initiatives, it also served to benefit the students as they prepare for their post-graduation careers. 

“Coming into the Sports MBA program, I most looked forward to gaining hands-on experience,” said current student Adrienn Lopez. “I was able to refine my skills and explore my passions while working on this project, which helped me narrow down where I’d like to work in sports business.” 

“Experiential projects like this provide a unique learning experience to the students. Their success depends largely on how engaged our business partners are and I am grateful for how committed the Qualcomm team was to the students’ success in this project,” said Dalakas. “It was especially gratifying to see the students’ progress and growth during the semester, culminating with them proposing high-quality activation plans for Snapdragon and the 2025 Aztec football season.”