Since 1976, Musco Sports Lighting has been a pioneer in the design and manufacture of sports and large area lighting solutions, with the company’s products being integral to events at University of Iowa athletics venues. Other Iowa ties include the Musco Twilight outdoor track and field meet and a recent partnership with the Caitlin Clark Foundation. While many people encounter Musco lighting during special outings at stadiums and parks, employees of the business based in Oskaloosa, Iowa, are enamored by its relationship-oriented corporate culture as the key to contributing to memorable experiences.
Lifelong athlete Jeremy Chaplin (BS 2024, MA 2025) grew up playing football and baseball under the lights of sports fields in northeast Iowa. When the offensive lineman got the opportunity to continue his athletic career with Iowa Football and prepare for a job in sport and recreation, he jumped at the chance to build connections when training alongside teammates and collaborating with classmates. Jeremy focused on being coachable, trusting the process, and living authentically as he developed as a Hawkeye student-athlete.
Jeremy’s work ethic and positive attitude stood out during his undergraduate years, and he chose to keep pursuing his passion for talking about sports and networking with industry professionals through the UISRM master’s program in 2025. Much like he took to active participation during his first few years in Iowa City, he put his talents to use as a graduate student. Jeremy enrolled in a full load of coursework and served as a departmental teaching assistant supporting classroom instruction. In addition, his football background led him to spend Friday nights coaching beneath the lights of area high schools.
When Jeremy received an invitation to gather with a group of UISRM peers for a Musco presentation focused on athletics facilities during his first semester of advanced studies, he naturally followed his long-standing formula for success by showing up eager to interact and grow. That on-campus event included a chance to speak with Musco sales personnel at Carver-Hawkeye Arena followed by a light show at Duane Banks Field (pictured above). It also marked Jeremy’s initial link to the visionaries at Musco who are proud of the company’s Iowa roots and dedicated to serving communities around the globe.
Musco had a robust presence at the 10th Annual UISRM Symposium in 2025, with several employees engaging with students throughout the day in formal sessions and informal conversations. It was at the Symposium that Jeremy further fostered a relationship with Nick Davis, a member of the Musco sales team, which led to an interview and eventual job offer. In reflecting on the impact of the spring and fall on-campus networking opportunities for UISRM students with Musco, Jeremy stated, “I can confidently say that I am in the position I am today with the global leader in sports lighting because UISRM hosted and I attended these events.”
The links between Musco and UISRM are strong and growing as a result of the collaborations. Jeremy started working as a regional sales associate for Nick in January 2026, and UISRM faculty and staff got a first-hand look at company headquarters during a recent tour in Oskaloosa. Students have a chance to sign up for mock interviews with the organization in late March and find out more about sports lighting on a field trip to Musco’s Urbandale site in mid-April, as products will be showcased and possibilities for internships and employment at the world-class organization will be explored.
When I am not out in the field, I am growing as a young sales professional by learning from the industry’s best at the renovated and expanded Musco headquarters in Oskaloosa. —Jeremy Chaplin
Musco is in the midst of celebrating its 50th year of exhibiting a passion for sports that shines on ballfields from coast to coast, and Jeremy marvels at the breadth of relationships that continue to be built at athletic fields, courts, tracks, and mats from the perspective of industry professional. He also is sold on the Musco team culture, where a number of UISRM alumni have connected with the company and made notable contributions as employees, including Marcelina Marvelli (BS 2022), Cameron Bottum (BS 2023), Luke Wade (UISRM minor 2023), and Joe Glasgow (BS 2025). Beyond Musco and UISRM each being on the leading edge of innovation in sport and recreation, fortunately both are committed to cultivating a partnership that illuminates strategies for student success.
Check out this recent LinkedIn video featuring Marcelina Marvelli’s work at Musco!