Haslam Sports Group Diversity & Opportunity Fellowship

About Haslam Sports Group

Haslam Sports Group embraces the positive impact of sports and its unique opportunity to unify communities. Through the Haslam and Johnson families’ network of industry experience and relationships, their mission is to create world class organizations that achieve sustainable success, provide a best in class fan experience, and give back to their region. They see themselves as stewards of true community assets. HSG looks to invest in strategic sports and entertainment opportunities. Their current portfolio includes ownership of the Cleveland Browns, operating rights to Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew, and co-ownership of the Milwaukee Bucks, as well as investments in HSG Ventures, HSG Facilities and other entities. More information can be found at:  www.haslamsports.com

Fellowship Program Summary

The HSG Diversity and Opportunity Fellowship is designed to improve the pipeline of diverse future sports industry leaders by providing a unique, immersive, year-long sports business fellowship opportunity for high-potential, diverse recent college graduates. The fellowship program will provide a range of experiences in one or more sports business disciplines at either the Cleveland Browns or Columbus Crew to expand the participants’ knowledge of and experience in the business of professional sports, and prepare them for a successful career in this exciting and dynamic industry.

Fellowship Program Overview & Benefits

• Up to four fellows will be selected in a highly competitive application and interview process to join Haslam Sports Group (Cleveland Browns or Columbus Crew) for the twelve (12) month program immediately following their college graduation (May - April).
• Over the course of the year-long program, the fellows will gain substantive experience across one or more departments within one or more of the following four disciplines:
  • Sales (may include ticket sales & service, corporate partnerships, suite sales & service and/or retail & concessions)
  • Marketing (may include brand marketing, creative services, digital media, content & production, media, scoreboard operations fan experience & events, community relations and/or the Cleveland Browns Foundation)
  • Operations (may include stadium operations, facilities operations, team operations, and/or communications)
  • Administration (may include HR, finance, legal, IT, business analytics and/or ticket operations)

Discipline and departmental rotation(s) will be determined on an individual basis with each fellow based on fellow interest and departmental needs.

• In addition to the experience described above, HSG Diversity & Opportunity Fellows will receive the following benefits:

• Annual salary (paid every two weeks)
• Monthly housing stipend for the duration of the program
• Real world, hands on experience in one or more disciplines based on your background and career aspirations for a professional sports teams (NFL or MLS)
• Access to state-of-the-art facility amenities
• Complimentary tickets to home games and matches
• Credentialed access to training camp and gameday events
• Various company and fellowship program social events throughout the year
• Formal education, mentorship, and development throughout the program from staff at various levels at both the Browns and the Crew

Eligibility Criteria

• People of color, female individuals and other diverse candidates are encouraged to apply
• Candidates must be recent or upcoming graduates (Winter 2024 or Spring 2025) receiving a 4-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• All majors / disciplines of study are eligible to apply
• Minimum GPA of 3.0
• A passion for and knowledge of the sports industry is preferred and a positive attitude, strong work ethic, adaptability and intellectual curiosity are required

Minimum Application Requirements

To be considered for the Haslam Sports Group Diversity & Opportunity Fellowship Program, candidates must submit all of the following:

• Current resume
• Latest transcript (Upload under Additional Documents)
• 3 letters of recommendation (Upload each separately under Additional Documents)

• Please provide at least three letters of recommendation, at least one of which should be an academic reference. References should know you well enough to be able to speak to your character, integrity, and work ethic and other qualities relevant to the fellowship program. References may not be related to you. For example, references may include, but are certainly not limited to, past employers (including for internships), professors that you have worked for, community leaders and coaches.

• Personal statement (Upload under Additional Documents)

• Please attach a personal statement regarding your interest in the HSG Diversity & Opportunity Fellowship Program, the diversity you bring to the program and why you should be considered. (500 words)

• Desired Club (Browns or Crew) and departmental preference

Application & Program Timeline (Anticipated and Subject to Change)

• Applications Submitted:                                   November 1 – December 8
• Applications Reviewed:                                    December 9 – January 5
• First-Round Interviews:                                     January 6 – February 7
• Final Round Interviews:                                    February 8 – February 23
• HSG Fellowship Offers Extended:                     March 3

• 2025-2026 Fellowship Program Begins:             Approx. May 19, 2025
• 2025-2026 Fellowship Program Ends:               April 24, 2026

Program Success

While it is by no means a guarantee that fellows will receive a full-time employment offer with an HSG club upon conclusion of the fellowship program, HSG expects to provide assistance to its fellows in finding a full-time sports industry position (based on interest) and will keep in touch with program alumni well after the fellowship program.

We thank you for your interest in this position and look forward to reviewing your application.