Students Tackle Trending Sports Topics at Maryland Sports Business Conference

Hot topics in sports – including social media content creation, name-image-likeness (NIL) compensation changes in college sports, and the impact of Title IX – drew a crowd of students from the University of Maryland and several other universities to this year’s Maryland Sports Business Conference on April 21.

Now in its fourth year and hosted by the University of Maryland’s Sports Business Society at Gossett Hall, the conference featured a variety of networking sessions, fireside chats and panel discussions with notable figures in the sports industry including keynote speaker and Robert H. Smith School of Business alum Ellen Zavian ’84, general counsel of USA Lacrosse.

In a conversation moderated by Maryland Smith’s Alexia Ayuk ’23, Zavian spoke about her career path as the NFL’s first female agent and her role in the fight for women’s equity in sports.

Specifically, she highlighted her work with the 1999 World Cup-winning U.S. Women's National Soccer Team creating a player’s union to push for a maternity leave clause and signing a group licensing deal for the World Cup.

“What struck me most during my conversation with Ellen was her humility and commitment to advocating for players,” said Ayuk. “Although she became the NFL's first female attorney/agent earlier in her career, it was evident that her fire to change the sports industry for the better served as a guiding force.”

This year’s conference drew student attendees from Virginia Tech, George Washington University, George Mason University, Towson University, Temple University, Morgan State University and Syracuse University.

Sponsors included Morgan Stanley Global Sports and Entertainment, SeventySix Capital, PepsiCo, SeatGeek, The Aspire Group, FinTel Communications, Terrapin Club, ThreeTwo Strategies and JUUCE.

The leadup to the event included a fireside chat introducing UMD’s Sports Management Program, open to undergraduate students interested in sports management careers. Housed in the Smith School, the 12-credit program represents a new partnership between the School of Public Health's Department of Kinesiology, Maryland Athletics and the Merril College of Journalism's Povich Center for Sports Journalism.

SBS President Bradley Polkowitz ’23, reflecting on his three years of service to the organization and its growth since assisting in its creation in 2020, says this year’s event continued to build on the success of the conference and he is excited to see how it evolves as he hands the reins to the incoming SBS leadership team.

“With the support of many stakeholders, it was empowering to see the event flourish this year and stick to its main goal of inspiring the next generation and connecting students with professionals,” Polkowitz said. “The conference has filled a much-needed gap at the University of Maryland for students who want to pursue their dreams to work in the sports industry.”