Organization Gives Students an Inside Look at Sports Industry

“…He’s at the 10, he’s at the five, touchdown!”

That’s a phrase commonly heard during football season, but it also describes the efforts of San Diego State University’s Sports Business Initiative (SBI).

Sports Business Initiative, a student organization in the Fowler College of Business, offers students the opportunity to learn about various careers in the sports industry, interact with guest speakers and connect with internship and employment openings in the industry.

Matthew Sealy, a junior majoring in finance, is president of SBI and hopes to one day work for a professional baseball or football team in player personnel. 

The SDSU News Team spoke to Sealy about the student organization’s activities this semester and how students can get involved.

What events, gatherings, and activities does your organization host?

We host weekly meetings where we usually bring in guest speakers who work in sports so our members can learn about what they do and make connections with professionals. We also do social events for our members and intramural sports when we are in person. Finally, we have an annual SBI Summit, usually held at Petco Park, which is a great opportunity for our members to talk with some of the more prominent names in the sports industry.

What virtual events has your organization organized since the pandemic began?

So far, we have held multiple game night social events, as well as a resume/LinkedIn workshop with a LinkedIn specialist. We are also in the process of planning our annual SBI Summit, which will be held on April 10 via Zoom.

How does SBI connect with the community outside of SDSU?

In the past, SBI has done community service to help prepare local baseball fields for youth games. We are also connected with a charity called the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which helps those who are physically disabled find ways to play sports. 

Why should students join SBI?

If you are interested in working in sports, SBI is the place for you. We are a community of like-minded individuals who are all looking to achieve the same goal. Through our club, we allow our members to make connections with individuals who have the ability to help them reach the dream of working in sports. We host Zoom meetings at 7 p.m. every Wednesday, and post updates primarily through our Instagram and on the SBI website. The Zoom code for our meetings can be found on both platforms.

As a student leader involved with an organization at SDSU, can you share why you got involved and what your experience has been like so far?

I got involved with SBI after my freshman year. I was one of the more regular members of the club and really wanted to get involved on the executive board because it seemed like something that would be good for my resume. It has turned out to be a lot of fun and I have really enjoyed my past two years on the exec board. 

What experience with your organization has been the most impactful?

My most impactful experience would have to be when I went to SBI Summit my freshman year. It was an awesome event, and I got some great advice and information from the speakers. I got to hear from a wide variety of individuals including San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler. They gave the attendees a lot of helpful advice about how we can get into the sports industry, as well as some attributes and skills that teams and companies look for in potential employees. This opened my eyes to the wide variety of roles that the sports industry offers and helped me figure out what I want to do in sports.