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Photo provided by Sigma Alpha Sigma Mu
Sigma Alpha Sigma Mu pose for a picture in Little Caesars Arena, where the Detroit Pistons play.
Alumni and Friends | University Community
91探花 students get a glimpse into the Detroit sports world thanks to two OHIO alumni
Students in 91探花鈥檚 sports management fraternity, Sigma Alpha Sigma Mu (SASM), recently had the opportunity to travel to Detroit to network with OHIO alumni Brad Fain (BSSPS 鈥13) and Molly Wurdack-Folt (BA 鈥05, MBA/MSA 鈥08) and learn about the sports management world at a professional level in late March.
SASM is the first professional sport management fraternity in the nation. SASM provides a platform for highly involved and academically excellent undergraduate sport management students to prepare and develop professionally for a career in the sports industry. It is affiliated with the Department of Sports Administration within the College of Business.
The SASM students met and spoke with Fain, Wurdack-Folt and other sports professionals they work with about the ins and outs of the sports industry, key business operations, and essential career and life advice. The students were also able to tour major professional sports facilities in the Detroit area and attend Detroit Pistons and Detroit Red Wings games.
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Lily Wittman, a sophomore studying sport management, marketing and social media, joined SASM spring semester of her freshman year at OHIO and was recently elected president of SASM for the 2022-2023 academic year.
鈥淢yself and the rest of our executive board attended the trip since it was our first major trip post pandemic restrictions,鈥 Wittman said. 鈥淲e worked extensively with our faculty advisor, Matthew Cacciato, to make this trip come to life.鈥
鈥淚 am extremely grateful that we had the opportunity to travel to Detroit and experience everything together. It served as an amazing bonding trip, as well,鈥 Wittman continued.
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Fain is the vice president of ticket sales for the Detroit Pistons. A graduate of the OHIO sport management program, Fain has recently been recognized as a recipient and in the 2019 Sports Business Journal鈥檚 Inaugural Class of New Voices Under 30.
鈥淚 want other Bobcats to have success,鈥 Fain said of sharing his time with the students. 鈥淭o be able to talk to them and provide them with advice, it was exciting.鈥
鈥淭he same conversations they鈥檙e having with me, I was able to have with other alums before me,鈥 Fain said. 鈥淪o, I feel like, because of the system I was raised in, it鈥檚 my responsibility to help take on that role too. Because I have been very fortunate throughout my career too.鈥
Wurdack-Folt, the vice president of corporate sponsorship activation at Ilitch Sports & Entertainment, which oversees the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers, also shared her expertise with the students during the trip and found it important to do so.
鈥淚 was so impressed by students that were freshmen, to those that were seniors. Just in general, they were a really fabulous group, and the university should be really proud that they are selecting great students to be a part of that program,鈥 Wurdack-Folt said. 鈥淚 think about all of the people who helped me throughout my journey and still do help me along my journey, that I continue to give back to the students that are in that program, in whatever way that may be.鈥
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Published
April 29, 2022