York College Sport Management Student Earns NFL Experience at Ravens Game

Seeing the inner workings of professional sports is helping first-year student Jeremy Hadler decide where he might want to work in the future. 

Jeremy Hadler ’25 never pictured himself wearing a purple and black Baltimore Ravens hat. He’s a cheesehead, after all–a through-and-through Green Bay Packers fan and season ticket holder since 2010.

But one Sunday morning in November, along with a few dozen fellow members of the York College Sport Business Association Club, he put on that Ravens hat and didn’t care who knew it.

Seizing the moment

When the opportunity to work a Ravens game came up, Jeremy didn’t hesitate. “I jumped right on it as soon as they announced it,” he says.

A first-year Sport Management major at York College of Pennsylvania, Jeremy loves that the program wastes no time getting students involved. “The motto is we start from day one,” he says. “And we did.”

That Sunday in November, they carpooled to Baltimore to get a behind-the-scenes look at an NFL gameday action. While M&T Bank Stadium was quiet–hours before avid fans packed the seats–they saw the field up close, taking pictures and soaking it all in.

Then Jeremy and his classmates donned matching purple and black hats, name tags, and jackets, and took up their posts scanning tickets at the main gate. “Working those events…it’s learning what you want to do and how game day works,” he says. “It’s just a fun experience.”

It was a lot different than going to a game as a fan—the cheers and boos from the crowd were the only way to know who’d scored—but it was a great learning experience. As a bonus that day, the Ravens beat the Minnesota Vikings, a Green Bay Packers rival. “It’s very good seeing one of your archrivals lose,” he says.

Experience across the board

Jeremy gets game day experience on campus, too. Through his classes, he’s worked at most of the athletic competitions York College offers. “There’s a lot going on behind the scenes people might not think about,” he says.

A Communication minor, Jeremy is also interested in broadcasting. His YouTube channel is filled with fan interviews, livestreams, and game-day experience videos. “It’s something I love to do,” he says, “to share with people how I feel about sports.”

Just getting started

Even as a first-year student, Jeremy has forged connections within the sport industry, especially through the Sport Business Association Club. “I think it’s a great experience,” he says. “You get to create relationships with people, and those relationships can help you later in your career.”

In the fall, he went to a networking event at a Phillies game with the Club, and he’s looking forward to more trips. It’s helpful, he believes, to see how different organizations work to get a feel for where he might fit best. With three-and-a-half years ahead of him, he’s got plenty of time to find his place.

“The hands-on aspect is a really helpful experience,” he says. “I’m glad I chose York College for these opportunities.”