SU sport management students documenting Syracuse pride, fan reactions for CBS College Sports during March Madness

When they were contacted by CBS, faculty in the Department of Sport Management in Syracuse University’s College of Human Ecology knew their students could be valuable assets to work on a special marketing campaign for CBS College Sports and LG promoting March Madness and LG technology to view the games.

And they were right.

Sport management senior Devon Heinen and junior Jonathan Stahler fit the job description perfectly: “Wanted: outgoing, enthusiastic students who are passionate SU fans skilled in social media, communications and marketing.” As a result, Heinen and Stahler are working for CBS College Sports to capture the spirit of March Madness on the SU campus. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.

“Students are getting hands-on experience working with two major organizations—CBS College Sports Network and LG—while supporting their favorite college basketball team,” says Joshua Duboff, marketing coordinator for CBS College Sports Network.

Working as a team, Heinen and Stahler are taking photos and videos showcasing Syracuse’s spirit and pride, along with fans’ reactions to all of the NCAA tournament games, while promoting LG’s and CBS College Sports’ campaign using social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter. While SU fans and the No. 4-ranked SU men’s basketball team are a special part of Heinen and Stahler’s work, the duo is capturing fan reactions to all games as they visit places around campus and the community where large numbers of fans gather.

“I’m most excited about the opportunity to work for a name as prominent as CBS College Sports,” says Heinen. “Something this big and this special doesn’t come along every day.”

Stahler is planning a career in sport and entertainment law, while Heinen’s future professional interest lies in sports broadcasting at the network level. For both, having hands-on experience with a major network like CBS will be a tremendous advantage. “People inside the company will already know me, my work ethic and my strengths and abilities,” Heinen says. In addition to his role as a campus representative with CBS College Sports, Heinen will be working as part of the media relations staff for the NCAA East Regional at the Carrier Dome March 24-27.

Heinen and Stahler went through a brief training process together and found themselves ahead of students from other participating colleges and universities because they already knew each other and had worked together through their sport management coursework and numerous experiential opportunities that are the hallmarks of the David B. Falk Center for Sport Management. “Coursework, such as technology in sport, and experiential learning opportunities, such as marketing roles in the SPM Club’s annual Charity Sports Auction, have proven very useful for this opportunity,” says Stahler. “The Department of Sport Management and the faculty in it have prepared us well for these experiences. They truly help students open so many doors professionally. I am so grateful for this opportunity.”

As student ambassadors for CBS College Sports and LG, Heinen and Stahler are free to take any shots that showcase fans’ enthusiasm around the tournament, and they also have a list of specific types of “school spirit” photos to capture. To follow Heinen and Stahler throughout the tournament, visit http://lgcollegesports.com/#/ambassadors.