Loras College claimed a spot in the final four of the case study competition at the Sports Marketing Association (SMA) Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is the eleventh time Loras has reached the finals in the national competition.
The team, consisting of Gabby Garcia (’23), Patrick Julian (’24), Michael Haywood (’23), and Abi Vito (’23), with Emily Monahan (’25) along to assist, presented a case on how the Charlotte Hornets can use the Metaverse to increase revenues.
“I am so proud of these students,” Matt Garrett, PhD, professor of sport management, said. “They earned a place in the finals for the eleventh time in Loras history while competing in a records-setting field both in quantity and quality and on a topic such as the metaverse that is unfamiliar to most.”
Facing the largest field in the competition’s history, Loras advanced to the final round with Brock University, Indiana State University, and Ohio University to prepare and present a case study. Ohio University claimed the title. Other teams included the University of North Carolina, Syracuse University, University of Massachusetts, and Arizona State University.
Loras’ sport management program has won ten national championships in the SMA event.
