SMC members pose around the Lombardi Trophy.
March 3, 2025
INDIANAPOLIS — Northwestern’s newly-minted Sport Management Club celebrated its inaugural season with a trip to the NFL’s annual Scouting Combine in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium, connecting with NU alumni and exploring sports-related careers.
The four-day event put a crowd of roughly 300 invited prospects through a gauntlet of iconic and rigorous tests, including the 40-yard dash and vertical jump. The NFL describes the process as “the ultimate four-day job interview,” with high-performers aiming to land a spot at one of the league’s 32 teams.
This year, many top prospects including Colorado’s two-way talent Travis Hunter and star quarterback Shedeur Sanders opted not to participate in workout drills. Even so, this year’s “Underwear Olympics” drew over 30,000 attendees beyond the usual scouts, coaches and managers.
Even though the prospects are the main event, Sport Management Club president and Weinberg junior Daniel Rutstein said what drew the club to the Combine were the “off the field” happenings. He added that Indianapolis’ proximity to Chicago and the event’s free price tag also factored into the club’s trip there.
Rutstein’s main goal with the SMC was to lay out a “sample platter” of accessible networking opportunities to students interested in any sports-adjacent field. Part of Rutstein’s goal came from his personal experience with the difficulties of breaking into sports-related jobs.
“I once took an hour and a half bus ride down to Soldier Field to go to a Chicago sports convention,” Rutstein said. “I waited an hour in line and I just got a pamphlet from the Chicago Cubs about their internship program and had about 30 seconds to talk with someone.”
The club worked especially hard to link students up with NU alums in the NFL while at the Combine.
While the SMC wasn’t around for most of alum Jadyn Stewart’s (Weinberg ’24) time at NU, she found a way to break into the sports industry by being a student manager for NU’s football team. That initial experience propelled her to her current role as an equipment manager for the Colts.
“The guys don’t see the field without us,” Stewart said. “They can’t see the field without cleats and shoulder pads and helmets. … It’s super rewarding to know that I’m a part of the bigger picture.”
To focus on the rewarding side of being an equipment manager, Stewart mentioned that the industry’s male-dominated culture made her develop “thick skin” to tune out stereotypical expectations.
Through it all, Stewart said she has been able to make meaningful connections, with many of her coworkers also having started out working in equipment for their respective colleges.
Broncos Assistant Offensive Line Coach Austin King (SESP ’03) emphasized that finding one’s place in the sports industry is a “long game” that requires vulnerability and openness to succeed.
“It’s just about building relationships with as many people as possible, especially with people who may not always think the same of you,” King said. “That leads to growth.”
The SMC capped its weekend by dropping by a Chicago Bulls-Indiana Pacers game at Indy’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with a Q&A panel with Gainbridge staff beforehand. Rutstein says he has big plans for the club’s future.
“We’re hoping to transition this from not only meeting new people and learning about the sports industry as a whole, but getting our chops and learning how to do these things,” Rutstein said.
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