Putting on the Main Event in Sports w/University of Minnesota's Stephanie Davis

Sporting events are magical affairs that can spark a lifelong love of sports. Over 125 million fans attended games in the four US professional sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL) during the 2022-23 season(s). College football stadiums routinely pack 100,000 fans on gameday, while traditional college basketball powers such as Duke and Kentucky frequently fill out their 15,000-20,000 seat arenas. Television coverage allows fans to engage with their favorite teams and sports, with the 2023 Women’s Final Four averaging 4.5 million viewers per game.

While fans show up and tune in to see a spectacle, countless workers toil behind the scenes to put it all together. Today’s guest on the WorkInSports Podcast is Stephanie Davis, University of Minnesota’s Associate AD for Event Management, who oversees all aspects of game day for the Golden Gophers. Davis and VP of Content and Engaged Learning Brian Clapp discuss:

• Davis’s early career in sports as an equipment manager at Florida

• How she juggled her time between her work and pursuing her master’s

• The hours and demands of event management workers

• How to build a career in sports event management

Enjoy the full episode to learn the ins and outs of working in event management, and subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast to catch more sports career advice. You can find additional content on our YouTube Channel!