- November 05, 2025
- By John Tucker
Emily Bejeck '26 once thought of sales as something for sleazy guys hawking used cars. That was until she began interning with the Washington Commanders’ sales department.
She got comfortable making cold calls (even if Philadelphia Eagles fans would cuss her out), but rejoiced after giving a stadium tour to a longtime Commanders supporter who bought front-row tickets on the spot, her first sale. Now the University of Maryland senior is eyeing a career in sports sales.
“It’s really cool when you connect with them as a person and a fan,” said the business major, who grew up in Germantown, Md., cheering for the team.
She landed that internship and enhanced her experience with tailored coursework and faculty support through the Stephen M. Schanwald Sports Management Program. The 12-credit initiative now has ambitions of becoming a national model following an $8 million endowment gift from Schanwald ’77, a trailblazing Chicago Bulls marketing executive whose novel stunts and savvy helped the team rack up record-breaking revenue and attendance figures and historic consecutive-game sellout streaks.
Schanwald’s commitment in December also included $10 million for Maryland Athletics to support its top priorities. His $18 million in giving is included in Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless, a campuswide effort to raise $2.5 billion that officially launched this week.
Schanwald, a pioneer in sports marketing, meets with Maryland's football team last month. (Photo by Mackenzie Miles)
The 2-year-old sports management program, currently capped at 50 new undergrads a year, will use the endowment to accept more students, recruit more faculty, create scholarships and fund more trips to the NFL, NBA and MLB headquarters in New York.
“Steve's vision and generosity are not just a gift, but a legacy,” said Prabhudev Konana, dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business, where the program is housed. “He has endowed a program that will inspire students, connect disciplines and strengthen Maryland’s place as a national leader in sports management education. Steve’s story shows our students what is possible when passion meets hard work, and with his support, the next generation of Terps will not just enter the sports industry—they’ll be prepared to lead it.”
The interdisciplinary program partners with key sports influencers, including Schanwald himself. During an October campus visit, he helped organize a panel featuring two of his contacts: power agent and former New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, now chief operating officer for Roc Nation Sports; and Brooks Boyer, the Chicago White Sox’s chief revenue and marketing officer.
“Steve’s gift was not just financial. He also gives his time,” said Tori Shay, program co-founder and associate program director.
For Bejeck, the heavy-hitting executives who visit her classes like Alex Porte, the NBA’s associate manager of global partnerships, and Ted Townes, the Washington Nationals’ chief financial officer, piqued her interest in sales. During a career fair sponsored by the program, she grabbed a Commanders official’s business card and applied for the internship.
That’s how the program is supposed to work, said Shay. “I’m not helping a student by handing them an internship on a silver platter; they need to understand how to network,” she explained. Once an internship is secured, professors help them make meaning of the experience, she said.
Vinay Kumar ’26 has found plenty of meaning while interning with the Washington-based NFL Players Association, the main players’ union. Working with reps for individual athletes like Eagles All-Pro receiver A.J. Brown, who recently developed a fashion line to promote mental health, Kumar drafts marketing materials, researches trends and staffs events like photo shoots.
The Columbia, Md., native enjoys promoting players by showcasing their journeys. “Each one has their own story about how they became a top athlete,” he said.
His enrollment reflects the program’s interdisciplinary appeal. A public health science major, Kumar had considered a career in sports medicine but the Schanwald program unlocked his passion for business and networking with sports professionals.
Beyond internship credits, the program requires a spring capstone project, enabling students to consult weekly with local organizations like the Commanders, the Washington Wizards and the Maryland SoccerPlex. UMD’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism and Department of Kinesiology in the School of Public Health also offer electives.
“I’ve been greatly blessed, and I feel very strongly about doing everything I can to leave the world a better place than it otherwise would have been had I never existed,” Schanwald said last month. “This, by far, is the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. It’s truly the cherry on the sundae, the capstone to my life and career.”
In recognition of his generosity, the sports management program was officially dedicated to Schanwald during his visit, and the Xfinity Center pavilion and football practice fields at Jones-Hill House were renamed for him.
“Steve is an amazing man who has been an inspiration to me for a long time,” said Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics Jim Smith. “His generosity and tireless dedication to using his experience and platform to positively impact the lives of others is something we all should aspire to. He is a role model not only for our student-athletes, but for the entire student body and our Maryland community."