Sports is big business. From the upper echelon of the pros, all the way down to parks and rec leagues, the industry functions behind people who understand operations management, finance, accounting, and marketing.
Amy Baldwin
When Baldwin walked back into a classroom at The University of Alabama, it wasn’t as a first-time college student. It was as a seasoned executive.
After starting her career in the beverage industry and now as Director of Marketing & Brand Strategy for the Senior Bowl, Baldwin made the decision to return to school through the Executive MBA program at the Manderson School of Business.
“I’ve had an incredible career, and I’m nowhere close to being done,” she said. “But when I was having conversations with board members, the CFO, the COO and the CEO, I thought if I had the traditional degree to go along with the experience, instincts and knowledge I’ve gained on the job, that would be the ultimate powerhouse combination.”
Though she explored other options, her heart was set on Alabama. During the recruiting process, she sat in on a negotiations class.
“I walked in the door and immediately felt like this is where I belong,” she said. “The class was engaging, and the students were incredibly smart, open and friendly.”
She was back at campus for the recent BOSS Symposium and overcome with a sense of pride. “I was really inspired by the students,” she said. “Their engagement was impressive. I just felt proud.”
For students hoping to break into the sports business world, Baldwin shared three clear takeaways:
- Guard your reputation with your life. “The industry is small. Don’t burn bridges. If it feels good to clap back at somebody in an email, don’t send it. Put it in your draft folder and think about it for a while,” Baldwin said. In a tight-knit industry like sports, where “everyone knows everyone,” a moment of frustration can follow you for years. The person on the other end of that email may resurface as a hiring manager, a partner or a decision-maker.
- Build real relationships, not transactions. Earlier in her career, Baldwin was often the one writing the check. In sponsorship meetings, she could have taken a hard-nosed, transactional approach by demanding perks, squeezing value, or treating partnerships like simple exchanges of money for exposure. She chose to build genuine relationships, focused on trust, collaboration, and long-term partnership. That mindset paid off. When a role later opened in the sports space, she wasn’t a stranger trying to break in.
- It’s not all autographs and game days. Sports business is not about being around athletes and having fun all the time. “There’s so many people behind the scenes where you’re not with the athletes. You’re not on the front line doing all those types of things,” Baldwin said. Much of the work is administrative and strategic. When you care about the business itself like the partnerships, the strategy, the long-term growth, the unseen work feels meaningful. Passion for the industry is what carries you through the spreadsheets, the late nights and the pressure-filled weeks when no one is cheering.
Hunter Vandiver
Three years ago, Vandiver was in the audience at the BOSS Symposium, trying to figure out how to break into sports. This spring, he stood on stage as a panelist and now Coordinator of Partnership Strategy & Solutions with the Miami Dolphins.
“It was super surreal,” he said.
Vandiver, a Huntsville native, grew up a diehard Alabama fan, so choosing The University of Alabama was obvious. He thought his career path was obvious, too. He planned to become an athletic trainer and even worked with the football team as a student trainer. He realized that path wasn’t the right fit.
“I figured out that I really wasn’t the greatest at all the science classes,” he said.
He pivoted to finance but admits he still didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do. That changed in GBA 300 when his professor, Chapman Greer, challenged him to get serious about his future.
“She kind of opened my eyes,” Vandiver said. “She was the first person to take me under her wing and be like, ‘Hey, you need to stop messing around and actually get on what you want to do in your life.’”
The first BOSS Symposium in 2023 was a turning point. It was his first sports-focused networking event. After the panel, he introduced himself to a representative from Crimson Tide Sports Marketing and that connection led to his first internship.
“That event kind of jump-started my career in sports,” he said.
From there, Vandiver stacked experiences. He got an MLS Next Pro internship in Huntsville, other internships with the Atlanta Hawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and finally landed a job with the Miami Dolphins, where he helps manage partnerships across Dolphins games, Formula One events and major stadium activations.
For students hoping to enter the sports business world, Vandiver emphasizes three takeaways:
- Master networking and understand its ripple effect. At each career stop, networking played a central role for Vandiver. Early on, he wasn’t good at it. But he forced himself into rooms like BOSS and kept practicing. He learned it’s not just about who you know, it’s about who they know. “A lot of people open up their network when they like you and they see your passion,” he said. His internships in Huntsville, Atlanta, and Tampa all stemmed from someone vouching for him.
- Believe in yourself even if you start late. Vandiver didn’t seriously pursue sports business until his senior year. “It’s never too late to really go and try and put yourself out there,” he said. If you believe you belong in the industry, act like it. Apply, reach out, and go for it.
- Be ready for rejection and keep going anyway. “In this business, you’re going to get a lot more no’s than you’re going to get yeses,” he said. He estimates he received “probably a hundred no’s” before even getting a strong maybe. The key is persistence. “Just keep going. You’ll get a yes.”