SO YOU WANT TO WORK IN SPORTS?
As a college professor for nearing two decades, hundreds of students (along with an occasional faculty colleague) have approached me over the years with a common quest … they want to work in sports.
A few know precisely the type of position they seek and exactly how to pursue their goals, but more often they are unsure … unsure how to get started, unsure what sport suits them best, what level is most compatible with the lifestyle they seek, what capacity matches their talents.
A love of sports is not necessarily the best predictor of success in the sport industry by the way. I started out as a coach, but soon learned I enjoyed watching games on Friday nights or Saturday afternoons more than preparing teams to play.
Over the summer months, please visit The Campus Game to read a weekly series of profiles focusing on people who actually are working in the sport industry. As always, our primary focus is college football, but the profiles will include practitioners in other fields as well.
The goal is to post a profile every week until the start of football season. Each person answers a consistent set of questions, while adding their own advice (so you are reading their words). The profiles should be both entertaining and informative.
We start the series today with Chuck Dunlap of the Southeastern Conference.
NAME: CHUCK DUNLAP
Organization
Southeastern Conference (SEC)
Position
Associate Director of Media and Public Relations
Educational Background
Bachelor in Communications with minor in Marketing from Mississippi State
MBA from University of Alabama-Birmingham
Summary of Position/Job Responsibilities
Primary spokesman and contact for SEC Baseball and No. 2 contact for SEC Football.
Most Enjoyable Aspects of Your Position
There are too many to mention. Mainly love playing a small role for a conference such as the SEC.
Busiest Time of the Year
Hard to say. Probably the end of football season and March Madness.
To relax I:
Spend time with the kids/golf. Cookouts on back porch/patio.
My advice for students or those seeking to work in this field:
Get hands on experience when in school. Don’t wait until you graduate. Volunteer. There are some things a book cannot teach you.
The Campus Game 