Mon, 05/05/2025 – 01:04 pm | By: Dr Chris Croft
The sports management program at the University of the South Mississippi recently organized its second annual Symposium for Sport Management in Scianna Hall on the Hattiesburg campus. The event included a professional panel and a networking fair, offering students in current sport management – as well as students from other majors – an opportunity to learn more about the sports industry. More than 70 students attended and participated in the various events.
The professional panel included a question forum of answers on the entry into the sport industry, the professional history of panelists and information on current positions and organizations. The representatives included the Saints and the Pelicans of New Orleans, the Bilox Shuckers, the Mississippi Mud Monsters and the Southern Miss Athletics. Mississippi monsters made their inaugural debut this spring as a minor league baseball team in Jackson.
The panelists included:
- Chryssi Flores, Director of the Game Day Experience – New Orleans Holy and Pelicans
- Shawn Jones, Deputy Director of Senior Athletics – Southern Miss Athletics
- Nick Ray, deputy director of athletics facilities – Southern Miss Athletics (former student of the Southern sport management)))
- Andrew Seymour, Managing Director – Mississippi Mud Monsters
- Sydney Vadney, manager of ticket operations – Biloxe Shuckers
Following the panel, the students met professionals during the networking fair held in Lock Commons. Fifteen organizations have hosted tables where students could explore internships and entry -level employment possibilities, as well as the creation of professional connections.
The organizations represented at the networking fair included:
- ASM Global
- Biloxxi Shuckers
- Mississippi Mud Monsters
- YMCA from the Mississippi Gulf Coast
- Mississippi Seawolves
- Saint-Orleans saints
- New Orleans Pélicans
- NCS⁴ (National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security)
- Southern Miss Athletics
- Recreation of the southern campus of Miss
- Southern Miss Career Services
- Southern Miss e-Sports
- Southern Miss Sport Properties
- Southern Miss Student Eagle Club
The symposium was coordinated by Dr. Sabrina Reed, assistant professor for sports management.
“We had a great participation of our students, said Reed.” We had a 38% increase in attendance compared to last year’s symposium. This event was not only for sports management majors. While the majors of sport management have taken into account most participants, other majors – including communications, digital journalism, finance, hospitality and tourism, psychology, etc. Graduated MBA students and our sports management control programs have also participated. We are already looking forward to the symposium of next year! »»
Sarah Pazos, a main student in sports management, added: “What honor was to be able to attend the second annual sport management symposium! Hearing professionals in a wide range of disciplines has given an invaluable overview of the diversity of the sports profession, and the potential can achieve with hard work and dedication. I look forward to the event of next year! ”
Gabby Wilcox, a sport management minor, noted: “The sport management symposium was an excellent opportunity not only to hear about the experiences of professionals in the sport industry, but also students had the opportunity to network with these professionals. Events like this are beneficial for students in sports management to learn from professionals and see what they can do to get their foot at the door. ”