Sport management and analytics seniors from Pacific’s Eberhardt School of Business had a unique opportunity to test their marketing chops. Using the metaverse, they were challenged to develop new strategies to increase revenue of a real-world client, the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets basketball team.
Ben Baker, Michael Binney, Marissa Fabian and Emily Jerrell competed against 20 college teams from across the country in the Case Study Bowl during the SBRNet-Sport Marketing Association Annual Conference. The event took place October 26-28, 2022, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“I wanted to participate in the competition because it was an opportunity unlike any other,” said Baker. “The case study provided a chance to utilize the professional skills that I have learned at Pacific and apply them toward creating a unique, real-world solution and present it to the judges who included members of the Charlotte Hornets. For sport management students, we truly could not ask for a better way to prepare for the real day-to-day operations of sport managers in the industry.”
Over the course of three days, Pacific’s students developed several innovative ideas. Some of them included exclusive media contracts through a blockchain, NFT tickets and even a proposal for in-stadium infrastructure to support a physical metaverse fan zone.
The judges were impressed by Pacific’s thorough research and confidence during their presentation. Baker attributed the strength of Pacific’s team to the student-centered learning they have experienced at Eberhardt. He also praised the importance of collaboration in creating a marketing campaign.
“There were many aspects of our marketing plan that could not have been done well by a single individual,” said Baker. “Having a variety of perspectives allowed for a more comprehensive thought process in the planning and research stage. Our success is directly attributed to the work of my team as a collective in creating our approach to the case study prompt.”
The event was also a great opportunity to meet peers from other universities and listen to expert panels at the SMA conference. One of the highlights for Pacific students was the reception at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte.
This experiential learning opportunity was made possible through the Zuckerman Sports Analytics Program Endowed Fund in honor of Doug Eberhardt. This endowment seeks to distinguish Eberhardt’s sports analytics program from its peers through hands on student learning, curriculum development and direct industry engagement.