Kristine Prokopec is an alumna of the University of South Florida’s Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Programme, which she graduated in 2015. Following completion of the programme, Kristine joined CSM Sport & Entertainment, before joining the NBA’s marketing strategy and operations team in 2019. As of August 2021, Kristine is a senior manager, brand strategy & operations at EA Sports.
Why did you choose to take up a postgraduate degree in sports management?
In undergrad I tended to gravitate towards internships in sports. One with the Outback Bowl and the other as the Student Athletic Director for admissions. I love how sports bring such a diverse global population together unlike anything else. I was passionate about marketing and I wanted to explore ways that I could combine this passion with sports. Pursuing a graduate degree in sports management seemed like the most natural next step for me in my professional career.
What was decisive in selecting the Sports Management programme at USF as your chosen course?
When I found out that the USF sport management programme offered two master’s degrees in two years, I was sold. The residency experience during the second year was also a selling point because I knew that the combination of education and industry experience was going to be the right mix that would propel my professional career into sport management.
When I went into the programme I knew I wanted to work in sports, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. That was just because I wasn’t familiar with all the different roles that existed within sports. Working for an agency during my residency gave me the opportunity to wear many different hats as well as exposed me to different organizations within sport. My residency left me interested in learning more about how the industry operates which naturally led me to pursue the agency route after graduation. My first full-time job outside of graduate school was at a sports and entertainment agency in New York City where I developed a breadth of knowledge across various facets of sport. This experience helped me to identify where I wanted to focus my career.
How has your time on the course influenced your career path?
The coursework throughout the two years at USF provided me with a diverse set of understanding of all components it takes to be an impactful contributor to the business of sports. It’s the macro understanding of how the industry and organizations within operate that really helps sets you apart from others.
Are there any experiences from your time on the course that stand out as being particularly memorable/influential?
I have so many! Everything from the 29 other students that I spent two years learning from and developing relationships with, to the many mentors that guided me through coursework and professional development, to the FoxSportsU and business case projects that allowed me to become deeply entrenched into real-life problem solving.
My FoxSportsU project was focused on how to increase ticket sales for the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball games. It was a challenging project given that the Rays were not having a good season and that the stadium was located far away from the bulk of the Tampa population. We had to think of other ways to engage fans beyond riding the coattails of the team’s performance. So it led my team and I to do some research that would provide insights for us to develop fan engagement strategies. We leaned into the insights around fandom levels. We found that there were more casual fans that would consider going to the games for the social aspect of being with friends and family. As a solution, our recommendation was to develop multiple fan engagement strategies all in support of casual fans needs and wants.
How often do you utilise what you learnt on the course within your current role at EA Sports?
All the time! There are so many learnings and experiences from my time at USF that have contributed to my career path. My current day-to-day consists of brand building and operationalizing marketing and brand teams. I would say the research, data, and application skills I learned in grad school have remained very valuable throughout all of my roles. Professional and persuasive writing along with effective communication are also skills that I use on a daily basis. Additionally, understanding the industry through assigned and optional readings will always be something I prioritise so that I can stay on top of identifying opportunities that drive impact.
What would be your advice to new students starting at on the same course at USF on the Vinik Sport and Entertainment Management programme this year?
Take on every opportunity that comes your way. If it’s selling raffle tickets at a game, coordinating speakers for an event, attending a conference, or taking on an incremental research project, do it! Through every opportunity comes unique experience and networking opportunities.
As someone who combines a prominent role in the sports/entertainment industry with motherhood, what are your thoughts about the level of gender equality within the industry and the support given to people in a similar position? Did your time at USF shape your perspective on this subject at all?
I won’t lie. I was nervous when I found out I was going to be a mom because of the career path that I chose in sports. Am I going to fall behind in my career development? Will I be treated differently because I may not be able to stay late at games or at work? Will this hold me back from getting a promotion? Real thoughts that that would keep me up at night because this industry is still very male dominated. And they kept me up because gender inequality still exists. But just like anything else, it’s not a standard related to only the sports industry. Inequality exists throughout many industries.
I have made a conscious effort to join organisations that are accepting of diversity of thought, gender, and race, and acknowledge that there is a large growth opportunity to be better.
Being a working mother in the sports & entertainment industry has not only created an opportunity for me to show others that it’s possible, but to also show how rewarding it can be to overcome any stigmas around being a mother and holding a prominent role within sports! If I can be an example and contribute to the growth of women in sports, that’s a win! I am proud that I went to a university that championed women in sports.
Whenever I was looking at programmes, not once did I speak to a female director, they were all male. When I looked at USF I noticed the difference with Dr. Michelle Harrolle on the staff and during my time there Dr. Wells also joined. There was a conscious effort to ensure that women were respected and championed within the programme.
It builds on aspects like Women in Sports and Events (WISE), a national non-profit organisation which brings women in sports together around networking opportunities, mentoring, leadership and coaching. Dr. Harrolle sat on the board of WISE and it was something that all of us were involved in. WISE allowed us to draw inspiration from the paths of other successful women within the sports industry and benefit from their mentorship. It created an avenue for us to see past what the typical view is in a male-dominated industry.
I was also a graduate assistant to a director in my first year so was one of two individuals on the programme who worked in the admissions office and everything we did, from the speaker series, to adjunct professors, to opportunities for students, we ensured there was equal opportunity and a diversified group of individuals partaking in them.
I have taken that conscious effort I experienced at USF with me throughout my career. When we think about opportunities, the stigmas and bias go out the window, it’s really around the diversity of thought and diversity of perspectives that has been ingrained in me from grad school.
This article is part of the 2022 SportBusiness Postgraduate Rankings. To browse the entire report and view the overall tables, click here.