A dozen students from Ithaca College’s School of Business and four from its Roy H. Park School of Communications will head to Phoenix, Arizona, to take part in activities surrounding Super Bowl LVII.
Ithaca College Students Will Be Part of Super Bowl LVII
By Dave Maley, February 3, 2023
Students to have key roles before and during the big game.
Ithaca College students will be playing key roles before and during the Super Bowl.
Ithaca College students will be playing key roles before and during the Super Bowl.
A dozen sport management students will be working with GMR Marketing the week before Super Bowl, as well as during the game. (Photos submitted)
The Sport Management students from IC’s School of Business have been contracted by the NFL to provide behind-the-scenes event management assistance. Making the trip with Annemarie Farrell, associate professor of Sport Management, will be seniors Alec Rios, Tyler Reese, Tyler Ruck, Emily Levine, and Colin Norton, along with juniors Brenna Lorenzen, Kashief Scott, Hudson Hassler, Isabella Lambert, Tim Hunt, Jordan Lazev, and Ian Whitfield.
Park School of Communications seniors Nicholas Lubrano, Matthew Sosler, Dane Richardson and Jayden Becker from award-winning student-run radio station WICB 91.7 FM will join broadcasters representing more than 100 radio stations from across the country on “Radio Row” at the Phoenix Convention Center during the week preceding the game. IC is among the elite list of colleges invited by the NFL to participate, which includes student stations from Penn State, Arizona State and Columbia University.
Radio Row serves as the official headquarters for sports talk shows and stations covering the Super Bowl and events leading up to the culmination of the NFL season. The four Park School sports broadcasting standouts will connect with guests that include players and coaches from the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs along with other current and former NFL players and coaches, other athletes, and celebrities and authors talking about the Super Bowl and promoting products and brands.
“It's very special that WICB will be among the stations broadcasting from [the Super Bowl] — and this is a super-sized opportunity for Nick, Matt, Dane and Jayden to rub elbows with the best-of-the-best in the business of broadcasting and continue to practice and perform in their desired profession.”
Jeremy Menard, manager of television and radio operations
"The Super Bowl is the biggest game of the NFL season and Radio Row is the biggest annual event for sports radio stations and sportscasters,” said Jeremy Menard, manager of television and radio operations at Ithaca College. “It's very special that WICB will be among the stations broadcasting from Phoenix—and this is a super-sized opportunity for Nick, Matt, Dane and Jayden to rub elbows with the best-of-the-best in the business of broadcasting and continue to practice and perform in their desired profession.”.
(L to R) Seniors Dane Richardson, Jayden Becker, Matt Sosler, and Nick Lubrano will be broadcasting from Radio Row during the week leading up to the Super Bowl. (Photo submitted)
The students will compile the interviews and other content that they capture to produce “Sounds from the Super Bowl,” a series of daily one-hour shows airing on WICB at 7:00 p.m. from Monday-Friday, Feb. 6-10. They will also anchor minute-long Super Bowl sportscast updates airing at 9:46 a.m. and 2:46 p.m. during the same week.
WICB broadcasts in Ithaca and Central New York at 91.7 FM and streams worldwide at wicb.org and using the iHeart Radio and TuneIn Radio apps
“This incredible, special experiential learning opportunity for our students evolved very quickly,” said Amy Falkner, dean of the Park School. “We’re so grateful that our loyal and highly engaged television and radio alumni responded and rallied just as fast to help provide funding for our students’ trip to Phoenix. There’s no shortage of proud Parkies — past and present.”
During the week prior to the game, the Sport Management students will be working with GMR Marketing to staff the NFL House, an invite-only experience where guests can conduct business, relax and mingle with NFL legends, executives, and celebrities. The students will help oversee corporate gatherings, guest relations and all aspects of venue and event management.
On Super Bowl Sunday, the students will transition to game-day management roles with On Location, the official hospitality provider of the NFL. Students have been assigned to help curate a premium live-event experience for guests, from kickoff to the championship trophy presentation.
“It’s a full day at the stadium for them, arriving at 9:00 a.m. and not getting back to the hotel until close to midnight,” Farrell said. “But there isn’t anywhere else our students would rather be.”
“An IC education is rooted in theory, practice and performance, and the Super Bowl is performance at the highest level—for the players on the field, the broadcasters in the booth, and the students working game operations.”
Michael Johnson-Cramer, dean of the School of Business
Farrell notes that this experience is part of the Sport Management program’s Super Bowl practicum, and the NFL has noticed how IC students shine in their roles.
“Our students, through previous internship experiences and innovative course work, have developed a keen expertise in vital areas such as event and venue management, hospitality marketing, and partnership strategies,” said Farrell. “The sport industry continues to seek us out to partner on the biggest stages in sport marketing and entertainment management.”
Michael Johnson-Cramer, dean of the School of Business, said this is the kind of immersive education that sets all of IC’s schools apart from other colleges and universities. “An IC education is rooted in theory, practice and performance, and the Super Bowl is performance at the highest level—for the players on the field, the broadcasters in the booth, and the students working game operations.”