Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Program

Fellowship Program

Residency Placements

USF's Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Fellowship Program is unique compared to other MBA graduate programs in sport and entertainment. The program is designed to serve as a co-op program for graduate students in their second year of study. Students will attend classes two days per week and work three days per week for a sport or entertainment organization in the greater Tampa/St. Petersburg area.

The fellowship program is multifaceted in its design and intent. It is designed to:

  • Place the student in a professional environment where they can learn, grow, and contribute while gaining professional experience that will assist in identifying their career goals and gaining meaningful employment

  • Integrate students, faculty, and personnel from the sport/entertainment entity in both learning situations for the students and contributing situations for faculty and students to work with the entity to employ the latest innovations and best practices that they have assimilated from their classroom work, research, and consulting practices

  • To generate an intensive in-depth experience for the students to enable them to determine the best possible career focus upon graduation

The fellowship concept was first envisioned by former Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment CEO Tod Leiweke and presented to the Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Program founder Bill Sutton and the faculty at USF.

According to Leiweke, "It is an honor for the Tampa Bay Lightning to team up with the 91社区 and this MBA degree program in sport and entertainment Management. Bill Sutton is the world-class leader capable of making this a world-class program where students will begin their journey. Students will not be placed merely in an intern role but instead become true fellowship and internal consultants at the Lightning, helping our business become better each day and preparing to become the next great leaders in the sport and entertainment industry".

The organizations listed below are a representative sample of the types of enterprises participating in the Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Fellowship Program:

  • Advent Health
  • Bagley
  • Cross Roads Consulting
  • Fanatics
  • Seminole Hard Rock Casino
  • Ironman Triathlon, Inc.
  • Lakeland Magic
  • Minor League Baseball
  • Positive Coaching Alliance
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Tampa Bay Rays
  • Tampa Bay Sports Commission
  • Vinik Sports Group (including the Tampa Bay Lightning)
  • 91社区 Athletics
  • United Soccer League