Story by Mike Caviston '17
In March of 2014, I was accepted into the Ohio University Sports Administration MBA/MSA graduate program. I was extremely fortunate to also be offered a fellowship position in the program, where I would work a year in the sports industry to gain valuable experience before beginning my classes in June of 2015.
I was connected with the Ohio University Sports Ad alumnus Doug Knuth (’98), who is athletic director for the University of Nevada. Doug offered me a fellowship opportunity as a Development Assistant for the University of Nevada Athletic Department.
I quickly accepted this fellowship position, not knowing at the time, it would be one of the greatest experiences of my life, both professionally and personally. In early June of 2014, I left Boston for my four day drive across the country to my new home in Reno, Nevada.
The trip was an incredible adventure allowing me to stop and see some of the amazing sights along the way. Upon my arrival in Reno, I was extremely anxious to immerse myself into the West Coast culture and begin my fellowship.
This was my first experience working in college athletics, and I was excited to hit the ground running in my new development role. My direct manager was the Assistant Athletic Director of Development, David Sabolcik. He explained our role in development as the fund raising arm for the Nevada Athletic Department and outlined my core responsibilities as donor relations, ticketing, special events, and sport specific program fundraising.
On my very first day our special events director, Kim Anastassatos nicknamed me “Fellow” due to my fellowship program and it quickly spread throughout the athletic department.
Staff Giving Campaign
My first major project as a development assistant was a 100% staff giving campaign. The goal was to successfully engage all 127 of our athletic department staff to make a financial contribution to the athletic department. It would send a strong message to our current and potential donors that the University of Nevada athletic department is 100% committed to the success of the program.
This project was a good way to immediately get to know the entire staff on a more personal level. By late July, we obtained our goal and during our staff meeting we announced that we were one of eight schools in the country who had a staff giving rate of 100%.
Special Events
After a month in this new position, we had to prepare for the biggest annual fundraising event in the athletic department, the governor’s dinner fundraiser at the governor’s mansion in Carson City, Nevada. Andre Agassi was the guest speaker.
With over 800 donors in attendance this was a phenomenal opportunity to gain valuable experience in donor relations. I continued to develop relationships with our major donors by networking with them at all of our major fundraisers. Throughout the year, I also was able to continue to build strong relationships with donors through our special events and sport specific fundraisers. I gained valuable experience in planning, organizing and managing these special events when I was in charge of our pregame donor dinners during the men’s and women’s basketball seasons.
Marketing, Ticketing, & Digital
Throughout the year, I also assisted with various other tasks to help promote and market athletic department's efforts.
On numerous occasions, the marketing staff asked me to fill in for the University of Nevada mascot “Wolfie” to create marketing videos for upcoming football, basketball, and baseball games. This was a fun way to get involved with additional staff as a team player and further my professional development.
I also assisted our ticketing and marketing departments in preparing for our upcoming baseball season. I was in charge of creating our baseball season ticket renewal packet that was sent to all of our baseball season ticket holders.
Previously, this project had been outsourced to a local print company, which designed, packaged and shipped our renewal packets. As a department we were able to reduce costs through this ticketing project by developing, packing, and shipping our renewal packets in house.
This fellowship could not have been a better experience for me both personally and professionally. The University of Nevada Athletic Department prepared me for a career following graduate school by allowing me the flexibility and responsibility to take on many different tasks for a variety of teams in the athletic department.
The relationships I built during my time at Nevada were the most important takeaway of all. I was lucky enough to work alongside many great leaders and feel fortunate to leave with many lifelong friends, within the athletics staff and donors alike.
I am forever grateful to Doug Knuth, David Sabolcik, and the Ohio Sports Administration Program for their continuous support and the amazing experience I received through my fellowship with the University of Nevada Athletic Department.
I look forward to joining the Ohio Sports Ad family this year in Athens! Go Bobcats!
Mike “The Fellow” Caviston
Class of 2016 Fellowship Summaries
Courtney Ksiazek, Ohio University PMSA Program Fellow
Kelley Johnson, Ohio University Center for Sports Administration Fellow
Why Choose Ohio University Sports Administration?
1. The Curriculum: The MBA/MSA combination
The two-year MBA/MSA program prepares students for leadership positions by combining the business teaching of the Ohio University MBA program with sport-specific knowledge during the MSA program. This degree combination recognizes the growing complexity of the sports, facility and entertainment industries, and reinforces Ohio University's commitment to preparing students for the leadership challenges of the future. SportBusiness International recently ranked the program the #1 Overall Postgraduate Sports Course in the World.
The MBA phase of the program uses a problem-based learning style, immersing students in collaborative projects and working situations that are commonplace in the business world. Students learn basic business concepts in a real-life context, and develop skills in communication, collaboration and teamwork that are essential for success, while developing their ability to be creative, take initiative, and accept personal responsibility for their actions.
The MSA program combines classroom and practical experience to prepare individuals for leadership positions in the sport industry. An interdisciplinary approach gives students the freedom to choose courses of personal interest and build a foundation of knowledge in their desired career fields.
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