Stephen F. Austin State University’s Sports Business Society, a student-led organization that provides professional development opportunities for students in the Nelson Rusche College of Business interested in sports business careers, raised nearly $2,000 during its SFA Homecoming silent auction at the SFA Alumni Association tailgate Oct. 24. Pictured, from left, are Julian Mendez, sophomore business major from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Eli Dixon, junior sports business major from Lufkin; Matthew Humphress, junior sports business major from Whitehouse; and Gavin Bock, SBS president and sophomore management major from Wimberley.
Stephen F. Austin State University’s Sports Business Society, a student-led organization that provides professional development opportunities for students in the Nelson Rusche College of Business interested in sports business careers, raised nearly $2,000 during its SFA Homecoming silent auction at the SFA Alumni Association tailgate Oct. 24.
Auction items were donated by sports business alumni and industry connections working for teams including the Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars and Houston Rockets. The auction also featured items from SFA Athletics, the SFA Alumni Association and local businesses. A football helmet signed by the SFA Lumberjacks football team, a jersey autographed by Dallas Stars Center Tyler Seguin and an SFA Southland Conference Champions replica ring were among the memorabilia up for bid.
“The silent auction brings together our students, sports business alumni and industry partners to create opportunities beyond the classroom,” said Dr. Derek Walton, assistant professor of sports business in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Applied Business. “Students gain experience organizing a fundraiser and building professional relationships, while the proceeds help them access site visits and competitions where they can apply their skills and explore careers in sport business.”
Gavin Bock, SBS president and sophomore management major from Wimberley, gained real-world experience by overseeing the planning and procuring for the auction.
“This event was so helpful to our organization to continue learning more about the sports industry,” Bock said. “It was great to see alumni support that dream for our members while having an incentive themselves.”
In addition to Bock, SBS officers include sports business majors Eli Dixon, junior from Lufkin, who helped procure items; Matthew Humphress, junior from Whitehouse, who managed auction finances; Gabrielle Klawinsky, junior from Navasota, who procured items and provided contact outreach; Taylor Dise, junior from Crockett, who marketed the auction; and Madison Rose, sophomore from The Woodlands, who led item procurement.
The money raised from the auction is helping fund front office visits so SBS members can hear firsthand from sports business professionals how careers in the industry take shape. In October, SBS members visited Shell Energy Stadium to learn from Matthew Morgan ’24, SFA alumnus and group sales account executive for Houston Dynamo FC.
“Matthew guided us in a very insightful tour of Shell Energy Stadium,” Klawinsky said. “We learned tips on what it takes to be a successful account executive in the sports industry. We also got the incredible and unexpected opportunity to be on the sideline of the pitch for warm-ups.”
During another recent front office trip, SBS members visited with Isaiah Yates ’18, Lawton Rikel ’22 and ’24, Brady Deese ’23 and ’25, and Aaron Rangel ’20, all SFA alumni working for the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field.
“These alumni helped create a meaningful bridge between academic preparation and professional application,” Walton said. “They shared candid insights about their career paths, industry challenges and lessons learned since graduating from SFA.”
During these visits, SBS members have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in one-on-one conversations with the alumni, gaining practical advice on networking, developing their careers and navigating the competitive sports industry.
“These trips emphasize the value of alumni mentorship and the importance of building professional relationships early,” Walton added. “They also highlight SBS’s commitment to experiential learning, reinforcing how classroom concepts are strengthened through real-world exposure and meaningful professional connections.”
Auction funds also will help SBS members travel to the National Collegiate Business Championships, Feb. 10-11 in Atlanta, Georgia. More than 150 colleges will compete in a series of games that put their business acumen to the test at the event.
For more information on SFA’s sports business program, visit sfasu.edu/enab.
ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business; education, humanities, and social sciences; fine arts; forestry and agriculture; health professions; and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 40 academic facilities, nine residence halls and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.
By University Marketing Communications
