Syracuse Crunch
Departments

Community Relations
 

Description: The Community Relations Department is led by the Community and Partnership Manager. The manager is responsible for all community initiatives and events on behalf of the Syracuse Crunch. The manager receives donation, mascot, and promotional requests, and is in charge of fulfilling them. The manager also oversees nonprofit sales and fundraising efforts for local organizations. On game days, the promotional team and online auctions are also the responsibility of the Community Relations Department.
 

Activities/Project Ideas

• Plan a community initiative with a local/regional organization (community appearance, promotional night, team event)

• Create a logo, mission/goals for event, projections on money raised, etc.

• Secure donation items from local sport organizations and organizations around the country, and run Givesmart auction for the night at a game

• Plan and execute a theme night at a Crunch game

• Choose partnering organization/cause, promotional item, in-game activity, informational tables/handouts, post-game event

• Assist the Syracuse Crunch with raising money for the Crunch Foundation or another charity

 

Broadcasting
 

Description: The broadcaster is responsible for calling all games during the season, including pre-, regular, and post-season. This position also oversees the Crunch’s podcast, which features a different guest each week. The broadcaster serves as the liaison between Tampa Bay’s broadcast network and represents the Crunch at different speaking engagements throughout the year.

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Activities/Project Ideas

• Assist with a Crunch broadcast during a game

• Follow and eventually produce and publish your own Crunch podcast

 

Sales (Sales Aspect of Sports)

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Description: The Sales Department is the largest department of the Syracuse Crunch. All account executives are responsible for sponsor, suite, season ticket, and group sales. They also generate new leads through single-game sales, data collection from community events, personal outreach, and more. The account executives are involved in creating and implementing theme nights, including details for special ticket packages.

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Activities/Project Ideas

• Conduct research on organizations currently partnering with the Crunch

• Create a sales deck pitching a new sponsor for the Crunch

• Include 4-5 pieces of inventory for the students to sell to the new prospect

• Culminates in a presentation to Crunch staff members

• Learn the basics of ticket sales in sports (common objections, sales techniques, etc.)

• Give the students a deadline to meet a certain goal/compete on ticket sales

 

 

Public Relations/Social Media

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Description: The Crunch’s Public Relations Department is overseen by the Vice President of Communications and Digital Media. This position oversees all communications on behalf of the Crunch, including press releases, sponsorship announcements, weekly newsletters, and game recaps. It is also responsible for updating the team’s website and social media channels regularly. All player and coach appearances are reviewed, approved, and scheduled by the VP of Communications.

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 Activities/Project Ideas

• Have students create mock Crunch social media accounts and follow best practices in social media in sports

• Give students access to materials such as Photoshop and Canva, as well as Crunch style guide

• Students learn about social media in sports and present to Crunch social media staff on what they are doing successfully on social media and what could be improved (with examples of different kinds of content)

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Merchandise

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Description: The Merchandise Department is managed by the Merchandise Coordinator. This position is responsible for ordering and organizing all general merchandise items for the season, as well as for special theme nights. The coordinator serves as the point of contact between design companies and Crunch. Game day and part-time merchandise employees report to the coordinator.
 

Activities/Project Ideas

• Give students the opportunity to research sport merchandise and design a piece of merchandise to be sold at a Crunch game

• Could potentially partner with a corporate sponsor or charitable cause to create a piece of theme night merchandise

 

Game Operations
 

Description: The Game Operations Department is led by the Director of Game Operations and Creative Services. The director is responsible for creating and implementing all graphics and promotional assets that are shown on the scoreboard and other in-arena digital displays. The director oversees all technological aspects of game production, including television broadcast logistics. Prior to each game, the director creates a game format with scheduled timeouts and intermission activities, as well as a production booth script that includes announcements and advertisements.
 

Activities/Project Ideas

• Create a game format and script for the production booth

• Plan and set up for promotions and intermission activities

• Assist in directing the game from either the production booth or Section 101