UNOH Students Take on Super Bowl LIV

Posted on Thursday, March 12, 2020

#useBricks($alt)

Written by Contributing Columnist Abigail Meyer

On February 29th, I boarded my first ever airplane and flew down to Miami, Florida for an opportunity to volunteer at Super Bowl LIV. With the fear of flying aside, I was excited for the sunshine and the experiences that lay ahead. After we landed in Miami and got situated in our AirBnb, it was off to pick up our credentials and gear. That evening we were able to relax and rest up for the long days ahead.

The next two days, we volunteered at the Super Bowl Experience located at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The organization we worked for was called NFL FansFirst!. Basically, we were sent to run different interaction zones for fans. We ran activities such as FedEx Air and Ground Challenge, Bridgestone two minute drill, and NFL extra points kick issued by Barclays. We interacted with so many different fans over the course of those two days and even had the chance to meet some famous people. Doug Flutie, former quarterback in the NFL, who also played in the Canadian Football League, and United States Football League, joined in on the Air Challenge. Brandon Marshall, current wide receiver in the NFL, participated in the two minute drill. And rapper Lil’ Jon tried his hand, or should I say foot, at the extra point kick.

FansFirst! is all about exactly what its name says, putting fans first. Their mission statement, to sum it up, is to provide all those involved with the highest quality of sports and entertainment that is consistent with their own values. It was all about creating excitement for the fans and giving them lifetime memories. My personal favorite moments were seeing the young kids walking through the convention center. Seeing the smile on their faces when they made the football through the target or made the touchdown sign light up was very special. It was all about making fans happy enjoying their short time spent with us.

The fourth day was the day we were really waiting for as we finally got to enter the stadium. That day we worked for an organization called OLE, or On Location Events. That organization was in charge of hosting numerous pregame parties around the stadium that fans could purchase tickets for. Our job was to help people find their way to these parties, also known as “wayfinding”. We were set up around the outside of the stadium holding signs pointing towards the parties. It was all about having a smile on our faces and offering a helping hand. We saw some pretty cool people this day as well! Peter from the Bachelor and Michael Vick made his way past us and Urban Meyer and his wife asked Mrs. Etzkorn for directions!

Overall, the experience I earned from this trip is unexplainable. I learned so many interesting things over the course of our stay in Miami. We are given so many awesome hands-on experiences by being part of the Sport Marketing and Management program at UNOH and this was definitely one of the most amazing ones! I asked some of my fellow classmates who took the trip with me what they took away from this experience.

“Since volunteering, I learned a lot about how the whole facility worked in the days leading up to the Super Bowl. I learned there are so many things that need to go into an event that is that big in size. Being a volunteer was a way for us to help out with everything in a way.” - Andrew Boone, Junior

“I think it showed how much it actually takes to put on an event of that scale. From the staff working at all the events and the volunteers to the caterers and the people that set up all the structures, it’s crazy to see the actual scale of it all because you can’t fully grasp it unless you’re there.” - Clayton Longo, Senior

All in all, I want to thank everyone who made this trip possible. The biggest thank you to Professor Gunder and Professor Etzkorn for setting up this opportunity, UNOH and Dean Fitzpatrick for backing us every step of the way, all of those who helped out through all our fundraisers (especially Professors Hooks, Strouse, and McMurray), and everyone else who helped out along the way. None of this would have been possible without every single one of you!

If you want to get involved with this awesome experience, and you are a junior or senior in the Sports Marketing and Management program, don’t wait, email Professor Gunder or Professor Etzkorn, and you just might get to travel to Tampa, Florida for next year’s Super Bowl!

For information about the UNOH Sport Marketing and Management program, visit https://www.unoh.edu/academics/college-of-occupational-professions/sport-marketing-management.html

Category: Business, Health, and Occupational Professions

Keywords: Super Bowl, Sport Marketing

Press Contact

UNOH Public Relations
 Email
 419-998-8854


Last updated: 03/12/2020