It all started bright and early with a 6:00AM departure time from Athens, Ohio on Thursday, March 21st. Cars fully loaded and eyes barely open (except for the drivers who had their coffee and energy drinks in hand), the class of 2014 started their engines for the six-hour trip down I-77 to Charlotte, North Carolina. Even though the group hit a snowstorm or two in West Virginia, they made it safely to the slightly warmer and much sunnier Queen City of the south.
Arriving a little before 1:00PM, the class of 2014 started their trip by visiting GMR and talking with a panel led by distinguished alum, Mike Boykin (‘82). Later that afternoon, the group met with another distinguished alum, Mike Crum (‘87) and Donna Julian for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Time Warner Cable Arena, home of the Charlotte Bobcats and briefly Taylor Swift for her concert Friday night*. For dinner Thursday evening, the entire class experienced Carolina BBQ at its finest at Mac’s Speed Shop, a true diamond in the rough.
On Friday, the class started its day at Bank of America Stadium meeting with a panel that included directors from Corporate Sales, Community Relations, Sales and Marketing, Communications, and Social Media. After the panel discussion, the group got a grand tour of the Panthers stadium from alums, Ryan Petrus (‘12) and Becky Nelson (‘12), who both work in Guest Relations and Stadium Operations. The class then headed to meet Mike Crum at the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) to talk with another panel regarding the structure of the CRVA and the economic impact the 2012 Democratic National Convention had on the city.
From there, the group drove north of the city to meet with UNC Charlotte’s Senior Associate Athletic Director, Kim Whitestone, to hear about the university’s plan to bring a football program to the school and tour their new football facilities. The last event of the day was the Alumni Reception held at Carolina Ale House. The class of 2014 and a few alums from the area enjoyed a night of socializing and watching their brackets get torn apart by the FGCU Eagles!
On Saturday, the class split into two groups. One group visited the University of South Carolina to see their athletic facilities and take in a baseball game, while the other group took in the full NASCAR experience by visiting Roush Fenway Racing and the Charlotte Motor Speedway. That evening most of the class attended the Charlotte Bobcats vs. Detroit Pistons game and even ran into one of their professors from last semester, Dr. Moberg—small world!
Overall, the class trip to Charlotte was a fully loaded experience with opportunities to visit with many professionals in different areas of the sports industry. The class of 2014 would like to thank all of the alums, who took time out of their busy schedules to host the class while they were in Charlotte. Also, a big shout out to Trey Frazier (’14), Ryan O’Connor (’14), Andrew Kinn (’14), Tracey Hecht (’14), and Kelsey Thomas (’14) for helping to make this trip a success!
*Much to the class’ dismay, this event did not make it into the itinerary.
