Sport and Recreation Management cohort takes field trip to Indianapolis
Friday, February 27, 2015
Written by: Aaron Blau

When it comes to connecting University of Iowa students with major organizations in the sports world, Dan Matheson has it covered.

Matheson, a Recreation and Sport Management lecturer, took 59 UI students to Indianapolis in late January for an old-fashioned field trip that included networking stops at organizations like the Indiana Pacers and the NCAA. Students were able to interact with numerous employees at prominent organizations and picked up helpful information on how to get a foot in the sports profession door, what employers look for in potential candidates, and more.

Matheson, who previously served as director of baseball operations for the New York Yankees and worked for the NCAA Enforcement Staff, takes great pride in connecting students with professionals in the "real world."

Students pose outside the NCAA
University of Iowa students were able to make great sports business connections with organizations like the NCAA. Photo courtesy of Dan Matheson.

“Indianapolis is a great sports city, and I have a lot of friends and colleagues in the sport industry there after having spent so many years working with the NCAA," Matheson says. "My goals for this field trip were to arrange compelling panel discussions with sport business leaders, hold a networking luncheon to give students a chance to visit one-on-one with professionals working in a variety of sport industry jobs, connect students with Iowa alumni working in the sport industry, and provide an NBA basketball game experience."

To say the trip was a success would be a gross understatement.

"The trip exceeded expectations in all areas," Matheson says. "During our two-day visit, students had the chance to learn from and interact with 45 sport business professionals, including several interns who are only a year or two ahead of the students and able to provide real-time advice on next steps they should take to get internships with such organizations as the NCAA or the Indianapolis Colts."

This isn't the first time Matheson has led a group of UI students on a business-related field trip. He takes a group of students to San Diego every summer for a practicum course with the San Diego Padres and other organizations in southern California. Matheson has also taken groups of students to Chicago to meet and work with organizations like the Blackhawks and Minneapolis for meetings with the Twins and Wild.

Matheson encourages his students to stay active in social media. Some of the best social media posts from the Indianapolis field trip can be seen below.