Career Power Plays

Sports management professionals including 15 alumni were on campus April 20 for the seventh annual Centenary University Sports Management Conference. The event provides students with opportunities to network with professionals in the field through panel discussions, a luncheon and round table interviews.

Fred Mangione ’93, senior vice president, ticket and premium revenue, strategy and development for the New York Jets, delivered the keynote. “Every sports league is into the 365 approach,” he told students. “The Jets are a great brand, and in New York you’re on the biggest stage. We’re in competition every day.”

David Perricone, associate professor of sports management, charges students with organizing the conference to gain experience with running high-powered events. “You can’t teach crisis management from a textbook,” Perricone explained. “Our alumni are probably the toughest on our students. They meet afterward to share their thoughts with students on the conference.”

With a hands-on approach and strong emphasis on internships, Centenary’s sports management program has a strong track record for placing alumni into jobs with professional sports teams. “Our students benefit from a real hands-on approach, and this is an example of that,” noted President David P. Haney. “When they graduate, they go on to get great jobs in sports management.”