A career in sports management often feels like a long shot, just ask Deandra Saunders. After completing FIU’s bachelor’s in Recreation and Sports Management program, she parlayed an internship with the Super Bowl Host Committee into a full-time role with the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium. Today, Saunders is the director of operations planning and integration for the organization, and she credits FIU Chapman’s MBA in Sports Management program for helping her level up.
Saunders’ journey began on the stadium floor. “I was thrown into volunteer services for 10,000 people,” she recalls “The big thing I learned early on is that when you get your foot in the door, you’ve got to go all in, give it your all because you only get one shot to make a first impression,” she recalls. That work ethic earned her a part-time role with guest services at Hard Rock Stadium immediately after graduation. Over the next decade, she climbed the ranks through positions in membership, guest experience and senior management.
"The big thing I learned early on is that when you get your foot in the door, you’ve got to go all in, give it your all because you only get one shot to make a first impression."
In 2021, Saunders hit pause, both professionally and personally, when she welcomed her first born child. She took the opportunity to enroll in FIU’s Professional MBA in Sports Management program, in partnership with Real Madrid Graduate School. She graduated in 2023, noting, “The online format and flexible schedule allowed me to juggle coursework, consulting projects and family life without missing a beat.”
During her MBA program, Saunders says her favorite assignment came in a marketing activation course: designing a sponsorship experience for Disney World at a FIFA event. “I was already planning activations at the stadium,” she explains, “so applying those same principles in a classroom setting really sharpened my strategic thinking.”
A highlight of her program was the Real Madrid experience, a two-week residency in Madrid at Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid. There, she networked with Real Madrid executives, explored cutting-edge partnership strategies and even saw a behind-the-scenes tour of the club’s training center. “Experiencing sports culture outside the U.S. gave me a global lens I still apply today,” she says.
Armed with new leadership tools, Saunders returned to Hard Rock Stadium in a newly created role overseeing integration across football games, the Miami Open, Formula 1, concerts and more. Her secret sauce? Proper communication and alignment across the organization. “A sports team is a business, so if all those departments are not following the same path or on the same page, then you’re not going to be successful. And I think that’s the big piece, it’s communication and alignment across the entire organization.”
Saunders’ Advice for Aspiring Sports Business Professionals:
- Get your foot in the door. Internships or part-time gigs can turn into full-time opportunities when you stand out.
-
Network relentlessly. Whether online panels, alumni mixers or venue tours, relationships are everything in this industry.
- Be coachable and solution-oriented. Show that you can learn from feedback and troubleshoot challenges on the fly.
-
Leverage your MBA degree. Highlight the strategic insights and discipline your degree brings to leadership roles.
If you’re eager to break into or advance in the sports industry, FIU Chapman’s MBA in Sports Management program provides the skills and global perspective you need to excel.
Learn more about the Professional MBA in Sports Management at FIU Chapman.