By Francesco Tosini
In February of 2020, approximately 20 Laurentian University Sports Administration (SPAD) students attended the Super Bowl LIV.
Cassandra Cowan, a fourth-year SPAD student, got the once in a lifetime chance to volunteer at Super Bowl LIV in Miami, Florida alongside some of her SPAD peers.
“It was actually an interesting journey since it was conjured up by a former SPAD professor Dr. Maddy Orr,” Cowan said.
Cowan said that Orr “does a lot of work with Sport Ecology and has a wide range of contacts in the sports world.”
“There were 20 of us selected from third and fourth year SPAD students to attend this trip.”
Cowan said that many of the students who went on the trip lived on the same floor in Laurentian residence, ensuring that they all knew each other before going.
The Super Bowl is an unique sporting event with star-studded 2-minute-long commercials, and its unrivaled atmosphere in and around the stadium.
Once Cowan arrived, she said that Miami had turned into Super Bowl city.
“We arrived on the Wednesday before the Super Bowl and it’s insane to see the city the way it was. They shut down the area up to 2 weeks in advance to ensure proper security clearances,” Cowan said.
Due to their Canadian citizenship, Cowan and her peers were unable to volunteer in the stadium but with the atmosphere the city offered, they truly still got a feel of the Super Bowl experience.
The group volunteered in the ‘Super Bowl Experience’ section, which is an NFL-themed theme park available for fans who paid for the event, as well as at the free ‘Super Bowl Live’ event where sponsors had the chance to market their products.
“If you think Super Bowl commercials are cool, they’re nothing compared to the in-person activations,” Cowan said she was impressed with the “intensive planning” that went into the event.
Along the way, especially while attending such a high-profile event, it would be difficult not to run into quite a few famous individuals.
“I happened to have met many NFL players who were making appearances at some of the programs we were volunteering with which was definitely a cool experience!”
She said that some of her peers had also run into different celebrities.
Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in a 4th quarter comeback win to crown them as Super Bowl champions.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the chance for current SPAD students to embark on this unique experience was lost.
However, the opportunity for experiences like this one is still possible for the next coming years. Volunteering at a high-profile event is more than just a memorable experience, but a chance for learning (and a great boost to any resumé.)
“I would 100% recommend any similar trips or opportunities for SPAD students, or any students in general, because as much as your professors stay up to date on current trends in the industry,” she said.
“There’s nothing like seeing these concepts in action first hand.”
This year the Super Bowl LV, held in Tampa Florida, has been adapted to fit COVID-19 guidelines.
This includes having the players, coaches and members of each the Buccaneers and the Chiefs’ staff tested for COVID-19 daily throughout the season.
The game takes place on Sunday, February 7th with the Weekend performing at the halftime show.