Sunday, March 22, 2026

The Sport and Recreation Management program went on the road this spring semester for another extracurricular field trip. Professor Dan Matheson took 56 students to Indianapolis to learn about the sport industry, discover career paths and network with professionals. During the two-day trip, students connected with executives from the Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts, NCAA, Indianapolis Indians, Lucas Oil Stadium, MBSA Events and the Downtown Indy Alliance.  

Iowa alumni hosted the group every step of the way, including:

  • Spencer Anderson – Pacers V.P. of Basketball Analytics and Strategy
  • Jody Henton – Colts Senior Manager, Premium Sales & Service
  • Haley Stessman – Colts CRM Business Analyst
  • Paola Pastrana – Colts Consumer Sales Associate
  • Anna Kayser – Indians Director of Communications, Indianapolis Indians
  • Ben Kayser – Indians Partnership Activation Manager, Indianapolis Indians
  • Rachel Henton – Senior Event Management Associate, MBSA Events
  • Michael Burke – Events Manager, Downtown Indy Alliance
  • Students talking to sport management professional

    Thomas Deatsch – NCAA Assistant Director of Women’s Basketball Championships

  • Amy Wilson – NCAA Managing Director of the Office of Inclusion
  • Sarah Pinkowski – NCAA Coordinator, Men's Basketball Championships - Final Four
  • Jess Gaumer – NCAA Postgraduate Intern in Championships & Alliances
  • Paige Magee – NCAA Postgraduate Intern in Academic & Membership Affairs
  • Emma Gordon – NCAA Postgraduate Intern in Enforcement

In total, the group met with 31 sport industry professionals and learned about dozens of careers and how to take the next steps in their professional development. 

Many thanks to the SRM program’s community of supporters who helped make this trip possible with generous donations throughout the year that kept the trip affordable for students, and to the John E. Evans Experiential Learning Award, which funded individual field trip scholarships for students.

Fourth-year SRM student Suazanna Huffins summed up the collective sentiment of the group after the trip: “Experiences like this truly remind me why I chose this career field. I’m incredibly thankful for the chance to connect with such accomplished professionals and to represent the University of Iowa alongside many driven classmates.” 

Get a taste of all that this transformative experience included by watching the video embedded above.