Kentucky Sports Industry Conference to host 1st student conference featuring John Calipari, Steve Young

University of Kentucky students Neima Moaven and Drew Rodriguez saw a need for a student organization to enhance UK’s curricular efforts aimed at helping students break into the sports industry. That organization, the Kentucky Sports Industry Conference, will hold its inaugural conference on Friday, Oct. 7, with a full slate of some of the industry’s biggest names.

“If you think of Harvard, NYU and Columbia as the target schools for investment banking, we’re working to turn the University of Kentucky into the target school for the sports industry,” Rodriguez said. “Not only placing students in the industry, but shaping it, right here from Lexington, Kentucky.”

The conference will feature panels and networking sessions with more than 15 recruiters and 20 guest speakers in the sports industry. These recruiters and speakers are traveling from throughout the nation to Lexington to represent their organizations, including EPSN, the NFL, Keeneland and more.

UK Men’s Basketball Head Coach John Calipari and NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young are among the speakers who will discuss their journeys in the sports industry.

Panels include Women Leaders in Sports, A New Era of Media in Sports (presented by the UK College of Communication and Information), A Bluegrass Tradition (presented by Keeneland), Esports 101 (presented by Gen.G Esports), Captivating Audiences: Sports Marketing (presented by Coca-Cola) and Pursuing Your Dream in Sports.

“The College of Communication and Information signed on as a premier sponsor for this inaugural event as an extension of our curricular efforts in sports communication, journalism, production and promotion,” said Jennifer Greer, dean of the college. “UK is a leader in preparing students to enter sports industries through programs in CI and the colleges of Education, Business and Economics, Health Sciences, and more. We are proud to support a student organization that bridges these disciplines as we launch careers in sports with a UK degree.”

The conference will take place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at the Central Bank Center in downtown Lexington. Tickets to the Kentucky Sports Industry Conference can be purchased here.

Attendees should dress in business casual attire and bring their resumes.

About the Kentucky Sports Industry Conference

The Kentucky Sports Industry Conference is a student-founded and led 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the vision to help students get jobs in the sports industry, and the mission to connect diverse talent to the top teams and companies in sports. Founded with the premise of establishing the University of Kentucky as the target school for the sports industry, KSIC has placed several students into internships and has established relationships with organizations in the sports industry across the nation.

To learn more about KSIC and its upcoming conference, visit www.kentuckysic.com