BEREA, Ohio – The Haslam Sports Group (HSG) today opened applications for its fifth year of the Diversity and Opportunity Fellowship Program, a yearlong sports business fellowship aimed to provide a unique, immersive opportunity for high-potential, diverse recent college graduates.
The program started in 2021 and was put in place to strengthen the pipeline for diverse talent into the sports industry. The fellowship encompasses an array of experiences in one or more sports business disciplines across two of HSG’s major league professional sports teams—the Cleveland Browns and Columbus Crew—to build their knowledge and gain experience in the business of professional sports and prepare them for a successful career in the sports industry.
“We are thrilled to welcome passionate, forward-thinking individuals in shaping the future of sports business leadership as we open applications for the fifth year of the Haslam Sports Group Diversity and Opportunity Fellowship,” said Haslam Sports Group Chief Operating Officer, David Jenkins. “Building a robust pipeline of diverse candidates is essential for HSG and the entire sports industry. Our past and current class of fellows have already made important contributions to our organization, and we are excited about the impact our future fellows will make as we look to equip these bright, young leaders with the necessary tools, insight, and experience over the course of 12 months to reach their full potential.”
Over the course of the yearlong program, all fellows will gain substantive experience working full time across departments such as administration (may include HR, finance, legal, IT, business analytics and/or ticket operations), marketing (may include brand marketing, creative services, digital media, content & production, media, scoreboard operations fan experience & events, community relations and/or the Cleveland Browns Foundation), operations (may include stadium operations, facilities operations, team operations, and/or communications) and sales (may include ticket sales & service, corporate partnerships, suite sales & service and/or retail & concessions) with both teams over a 12-month period. Up to four fellows will be selected in a highly competitive application and interview process based on a nationwide search in collaboration with multiple universities, as well as executives from both the Browns and Crew who assist with program development and recruiting efforts. Candidates will be selected toward the beginning of 2025 and will start their roles immediately following their college graduation in May.
Multiple alumni have gone on to secure full-time jobs in or adjacent to the sports industry, including specifically with the Browns, Crew, Goldman Sachs, Wasserman and CAA ICON. Other program alumni have returned to school in pursuit of MBA or Juris Doctor degrees.
Individuals interested in applying for the HSG Fellowship can do so here.
