Gannon Students Look Forward to Super Bowl Experience

Published: 02/08/2023

This will mark the fourth time Gannon students will travel to gain valuable experience at the NFL's Super Bowl.

Twenty-nine students from Gannon University will be heading to Phoenix, Arizona to work at the NFL Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, Feb. 12, marking the fourth time Gannon students have participated in the NFL’s Super Bowl, which is the largest sporting event in the U.S.

Students will arrive in Phoenix on Thursday, Feb. 9 and stay until Tuesday, Feb. 14.

Eric Brownlee, Ph.D., professor in Gannon’s Dahlkemper School of Business, and Jinhee Yoo, Ph.D., associate professor of Sport Management and Marketing, coordinated the event to help students gain real-world experience in hospitality, marketing and media through a paid work experience. A sport business networking component will also be incorporated into the trip.

Brownlee said the upcoming trip will be a valuable experience for students.

“This is an excellent experience for all Gannon students hoping to eventually work in the sports industry full-time and several students that have gone on previous trips with us are now working in the industry,” he said.

Opportunities like these are commonly available to students. Just last year, Gannon students worked for Landmark Event Security for the NFL Mexico Game. This was another paid experience and part of a broader connection that the Gannon Sport Business program has with Landmark Event Security. Gannon students are also working security for Landmark at NFL Games including the Steelers, Browns and Bills and have previously worked at the NFL Draft.

Sports management and marketing and accounting double major Lynsey Habig said her previous experience working at the Super Bowl solidified that she wanted a career in the sports industry, specifically in marketing and management.

“It’s definitely an amazing opportunity that Gannon provides,” says Habig. “I’m just so grateful that I came to Gannon. I wasn’t expecting to go to two super bowls, because I went last year, so it’s amazing that I get to do this again.”

Sports management and marketing major Mikel-Bryan Ott says experiences like this will help him achieve a career with which he can make an impact in Erie by encouraging youth sports between those of different social and economic backgrounds.

“A lot of people say they want to leave Erie because there’s nothing to do,” says Ott. “I want to stay in Erie so I can help raise it up and be a part of the process of it becoming better.”