SMBA ’26 Partners with Broken Yolk Cafe on Industry Consulting Project

The Sports MBA Class of 2026 partnered with Broken Yolk Cafe on a client-facing activation proposal, focusing on maximizing the value of the brand’s partnership with San Diego State University Athletics.

Broken Yolk felt as though they weren't taking full advantage of the assets available to them through the partnership, and asked SMBA '26 for ideas on how to maximize value. Working in teams, students developed activation ideas aimed at driving fan engagement and bringing the partnership to life. The project culminated in group presentations, where students pitched their concepts and demonstrated a strong blend of creativity and practical application. Some top ideas included half-time activations at games, in-store promotions, and targeting the pre-game step in the fan journey.

Developing the proposal concepts required students to audit the current state of the partnership, identify a target audience, and understand how Broken Yolk can become a fixture of the game day experience for Aztec sports fans. Students were pushed to think outside the box: where some proposals involve coming up with a strong partner option, this one dug deeper, focusing on immediate plans Broken Yolk can put into place to align more closely with SDSU Athletics.

“It was a pleasure working closely with Broken Yolk to give our class a live project experience. I enjoyed watching each group develop creative solutions to a complex issue that is common in many business partnerships. Everyone brought their A-game. I am extremely grateful for Nick and Roy’s insight, and I hope our class can collaborate with them again in the near future.” - Scott Thompson

The project was organized by Scott Thompson (SMBA ’26), creating an opportunity for students to gain real-world experience while collaborating with a local San Diego partner.

Special thanks to Nick Harris, Roy Thompson, and Brenden Hill for their support and for providing valuable insights throughout the project.