NFL partners with Saint Augustine as part of Campus Connection initiative
The National Football League announced Wednesday that it is partnering with Saint Augustine University’s School of Business, Management and Technology to create educational programming and initiatives as part of its Campus Connection programming initiative.
The initiative is part of the league’s commitment to preparing students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities for careers in football administration.
Focusing on career preparedness and development within the sports and business industries, the NFL will help SAU students with programming designed “to increase practical business skills, grow critical networking and leadership skills, and use the organizational components of sport as a teaching tool.”
SAU will also continue to develop its e-sports program as part of the collaboration. The business school will offer sports IT and esports management courses in Fall 2020.
“We are extremely excited about this relationship and the value it will bring to both organizations,” Van Sapp, dean of SAU’s School of Business, Management and Technology, said in a press release. “I am confident that our students will benefit greatly from a collaboration that focuses on building leadership skills and using innovative approaches for student growth.”
The NFL’s Campus Connection initiative was launched in 2018 with Howard University. The league has a number of other initiatives aimed at strengthening HBCUs, including its involvement in The Undefeated’s Rhoden Fellows Initiative and the HBCU Battle of the Brains competition.
“The NFL Campus Connection support of Saint Augustine’s e-sport program is aimed at developing students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” Troy Vincent, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations, said. “This is part of our ongoing and continuous commitment to celebrating Black excellence and the impact HBCUs has on the game of football, driving awareness around career opportunities, and providing access to the business of sport.”
This story was originally published July 10, 2020 at 11:38 AM.