Sports Business Camp Goes Behind the Scenes of Working for the Steel City's Beloved Teams

"I gained a lot of experience from learning about different connections within the sports world and different opportunities within the sports business."

Kortney Johnson, incoming Point Park student and Sports, Arts, Entertainment and Music Business major

High school students from across the greater Pittsburgh region delved into the business behind the black and gold as Point Park University hosted its Sports Business Camp, sponsored by Brentwood Bank. The three-day camp included site visits to Acrisure Stadium, PNC Park and PPG Paints Arena and panel discussions with sports industry professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and career paths.

"Downtown Pittsburgh is the perfect place for students to explore careers in the sports industry," said Robert Derda, M.S., professor and chair of the Department of Sports, Arts, Entertainment & Music Business. "In Point Park's Rowland School of Business, we've cultivated relationships with the city's teams to connect students with valuable learning opportunities and expose them to what's possible in the Steel City and beyond."

Pictured are students at Acrisure Stadium during Sports Business Camp. Photo by Nicole Chynoweth. — On the first day of camp, students toured Acrisure Stadium and learned about its history, operations, and how it is utilized for Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt Panthers games and major touring concert acts, like Taylor Swift.

Students walk through Acrisure Stadium during Sports Business Camp. Photo by Nicole Chynoweth. — Students walk through the Great Hall at Acrisure Stadium.

Each day of the camp included a site visit to a sports venue, as well as a series of career-focused panels with local professionals including:

Ticket Sales are the Lifeblood of an Organization with Lauren Hansen, manager of inside sales for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
After the Game with Curtis Aiken, radio analyst for the Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team; Darrel Young, director of player development for the Pittsburgh Steelers; and Michael "The Fort" McKenry, Pittsburgh Pirates alumnus and MLB analyst.
Marketing a Professional Sports Team with Jill Shipley, senior director of marketing for the Pittsburgh Penguins; Kris Brown, promotions and entertainment manager for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds; and Carey Cox, vice president of marketing for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pittsburgh is a Big Event Town with Brady Inners, director of sports event development for SportsPITTSBURGH; Julia Hester, external events coordinator for the Pittsburgh Pirates; and Jim Popovich, vice president of strategic partnerships for P3R.
Sports in the Community with Jaden Lindo, manager of community hockey programs for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Chuck Cooper III, president of the Chuck Cooper Foundation and co-founder of the Chuck Cooper and Josh Gibson Center for Equity and Education.

Pictured are students walking into PPG Paints Arena. Photo by Ethan Stoner. — Students also toured PPG Paints Arena and met with numerous staff members who are also Point Park alumni. Photo by Ethan Stoner '26.

Pictured are Pittsburgh Penguins employees speaking to students inside PPG Paints Arena during Sports Business Camp. Photo by Ethan Stoner. — Matt Uzar, Point Park alumnus and senior coordinator of event production and hospitality for the Pittsburgh Penguins, left, speaks to students during a tour of PPG Paints Arena. Photo by Ethan Stoner '26.

Additionally, Frank Buonomo, senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Brentwood Bank, the camp's sponsor, shared insights from his past roles in the sports industry and the value of participating in pre-college programs like Sports Business Camp. Point Park staff members also presented a college and financial advising workshop, which was open to students' parents.

Kortney Johnson, a transfer student from CCAC who will begin the Sports, Arts, Entertainment & Music Business program this fall, said the camp made her even more excited to start her studies.

"I gained a lot of experience from learning about different connections within the sports world and different opportunities within the sports business," she said. "My favorite thing was talking with the panelists. They were so inspirational. They told us about their positions to help guide us into the direction of which sports industry we want to go into."

Students finish up a tour of PNC Park during Sports Business Camp. Photo by Ethan Stoner. — Students visited PNC Park and heard from staff members about the business of working for a Major League Baseball team. Photo by Ethan Stoner '26.

The connections made with working professionals, as well as other high school students considering careers in sports, were the key highlight for Devon Williams, a student at Mt. Lebanon High School. He plans to pursue a career in hockey or baseball.

"I've enjoyed exploring what careers I would like and what possibilities are out there," he said. "I got to see some of the Penguins staff members I've networked with in the past. I loved the walkability of Point Park's campus and all of the professors, especially Professor Derda, who welcomed me with an open heart. It was a very friendly atmosphere. I really feel like if I would go here to Point Park for college, I would really belong."

Current Sports, Arts, Entertainment & Music Business majors served as camp counselors for the week including Kaelyn Adams, Nichole Bartolomeo, Jordan Benjamin, Mathew Fitzmaurice and Kate Painter. Jesse DiMeglio, a student in the MBA program, and Owen Tanzilli, son of Dean Steve Tanzilli, also served as counselors. The counselors also moderated the panel discussions and networked with sports professionals.

"I thought that learning the differences between the Steelers and Pitt locker rooms was interesting because the reasons why they're different are purposeful," said Painter, a junior and Connellsville Area High School graduate. "Acrisure has so much history, and that was impressive to me."

Camp counselors pose for a photo with Professor Robert Derda at PNC Park. Photo by Ethan Stoner. — Camp counselors pose with a photo with Professor Robert Derda on the field at PNC Park. Photo by Ethan Stoner '26.

Take a closer look at Sports Business Camp on TikTok:

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With so many sports teams near our campus, Point Park's Sports Business Camp is a great way to explore careers related to football, baseball, hockey + more! Check out the highlights from our 3 day summer '24 camp 🏈⚾️🥅🏒
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Sports Business Camp at Point Park University is sponsored by Brentwood Bank.