Student-athlete Caroline Larsen C’27 on the immersive event
April 2026 – Drew University recently hosted its first Sports Business Panel, a discussion led by NFL agent and Drew Assistant Professor of Practice in Business Rob Roche.
In addition to Roche, the panel featured four highly-accomplished speakers, Leslie Ann Wade, Chief Brand Officer of Prospect HQ, whose 25-plus years as a sports marketing executive includes the role of SVP of Communications at CBS Sports; Greg Nejmeh, President of Accelerate Sports Ventures, who previously spent 16 years with the New York Jets in player personnel roles; Christa Racine, Drew’s Director of Athletics and former Head Women’s Soccer Coach; and Robert Raiola, Director of The Sports & Entertainment Group, and a noted sports tax expert and athlete financial advisor.
The panelists thoughtfully answered questions from a packed roomful students for an hour. Coming from different sectors in the sports business provided varied perspectives, and each had extremely valuable information.
Wade drew attention to an interesting statistic: “65 percent of CEOs played a college sport.” She suggested that students proactively note their roles as student athletes when being interviewed because of the assumed skills that go hand in hand with balancing athletics and academics—time management, teamwork, and adaptability.
“You know how to win, and you know how to lose,” added Racine regarding valuable skills learned from athletics.
The panelists also collectively agreed that former athletes often look to hire other former athletes, creating a substantial network.
The success of the event was evident in the networking that followed the main discussion. Every student stayed to make connections and learn more about the panelists’ professional lives. Some left the event with potential internship opportunities and leads on other connections. The purpose of the event was to encourage students to start building connections, and it was very rewarding to see that taking place.
Raiola encouraged students to major or minor in sports management or similar fields, a timely suggestion as Drew faculty weigh the addition of sports management minor to further build on its growing number of popular sports management course offerings.
The world of sports is undoubtedly expanding rapidly with NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) and massive amounts of funding being put into NCAA college sports at the D-I level. Racine noted, “Everything is a trickle-down effect from D-I to D-III,” adding that the job market is growing in the sports industry, with Drew students well prepared for these opportunities.
Overall, the event was a huge success. Given the turnout, student engagement throughout, and participation of the speakers, this event will help pave the way for students entering the sports business while teaching and encouraging networking, using their already developed skills, and opening a new professional world.
Caroline Larsen is a junior at Drew University. She is double majoring in marketing and media & communications, and is a member of the Drew Rangers field hockey team.
