The largest opportunity for college sports lies in the baseball program. With the addition of a pitch clock, the MLB has seen considerable growth in fan engagement. People still love baseball, they just don’t want to dedicate more than three hours to a game. The recent engagement in the professional league is evidence that with proper marketing and rule changes, college baseball can truly thrive. 

The greatest threat to college sports would be scandals involving coaches and players. If people are given a moral dilemma when they watch a game, it is bound to reduce their engagement. This could involve purchasing less jerseys that support the offending players, or even reducing attendance to games. Keeping athletes and staff out of trouble should be a primary target for college sports. 

As a potential finance major, I would experience personal development if given the opportunity to work with the merchandise office at Pitt athletics. Ticket sales seem to be relatively stable year-over-year, but the popularity of certain players changes every year. These popularity swings could be used to generate more revenue for Pitt athletics. With an opportunity to work with Pitt Athletics, I could see how the company changes to profit on these opportunities. This experience would help me capitalize on future opportunities no matter which industry or profession.