McNeill leverages sport management opportunities at WVU
Adam McNeill’s path to West Virginia University was shaped by his family’s ties to WVU and his own passion for sports. A sport management major from Charlotte, N.C., McNeill has already built an impressive résumé, including an extensive internship with Learfield. With his sights set on a career in corporate partnerships, McNeill is consistently working to expand his network and opportunities that are provided to him by WVU.
Why did you choose WVU?
It’s the only school I applied to. My dad grew up in West Virginia, went to WVU, and then also worked in the athletics department for a bit. He majored in sport management as well, so that kind of sparked my interest. I was raised a Mountaineer football and basketball fan. After I toured some other schools, I persuaded my mom that I didn’t need to apply anywhere else and it’s worked out well for me. It was my dream school for as long as I can remember.
Other than your family connection, why did you choose to major in sport management?
I played sports growing up, and I always felt more comfortable being around sports. I knew I wanted to work in something related to sports rather than, for example, medicine, which I wouldn’t have any interest in. Growing up in Charlotte, a lot of my friends’ parents worked in NASCAR, and that exposure to the sports industry made an impression on me. I did my own research and realized I wanted to work in sales, specifically corporate partnerships, which is my current goal.
How are you supplementing your sport management degree with minors?
My advisor recommended that I could either classes that I found interesting, or I could put some of those credits to use with a minor. So I’ve added some minors in business, finance and professional sales to align with my career goals.
How did you get involved as an intern with Learfield and what has that experience been like?
I was talking to my advisor, Betsy (Robbins), and we talked about being a team manager for basketball. That would have been a cool experience, but that wasn’t going to be the most beneficial for me. I told her about my interest in corporate sponsorships, and she put me in contact with people at Learfield. I think it was just perfect timing because they had people graduating and they needed an intern.
From this year, I know I want to focus on corporate partnerships—building relationships and working on the sales side. Working with Learfield has also taught me how important it is to like the people you work with. I’ve been lucky to work with people who have been fantastic. It makes all the difference.
What are your roles and responsibilities with Learfield?
Right now, my responsibilities focus on the activation side of things. For football, that means setting up the hospitality tent, checking in corporate partners, sorting out field credentials, and bringing partners or potential partners down to the field for pregame. Basketball is more straightforward with making sure signage is correct and updated. For football and basketball, I have a photographer with me to make capture images for proof of performance for our sponsors.
What other internship experiences are you looking forward to over the next year?
I don’t have anything confirmed yet for this summer, but I’ve got applications out. If I stay in Morgantown, I’d like to continue with Learfield, but in a more office-focused role to get deeper into sales. If I go back to Charlotte, I’d like to do something different—maybe baseball, hockey, or even football. I already did NASCAR last summer, so I’d want to expand into other areas.
What do you think sets WVU’s sport management program apart?
The alumni network is what stands out. Just this year in the Sport Management Club, we’ve talked to Rob Mullens [Director of Athletics at Oregon], Whit Babcock [Director of Athletics at Virginia Tech], and Kristen Condo, [Vice President for Fenway Sports Management]. It’s not just the quantity of alums, but the quality.
The support here is great, too. Betsy has played a big role in helping me be successful. Dr. Williamson has played a massive role in connecting me with a ton of people. It seems like she knows everyone. She’s also been great at giving me advice. Dr. Hairston’s been great in those same ways, too. The three of them have been really helpful in me build connections and with my professional development.
What advice would you give to current or future sport management students?
Everybody says to get more experience, and I agree with that, but I’d add that it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get one particular thing. You can enjoy your life as a college student as well.
What’s the best thing about being a Mountaineer?
Everybody’s rooting for the same team. There’s only West Virginia University. It’s only the Mountaineers.