Faculty Profiles
Dan Migala
"If you want to pursue a career in sports, a master's degree in sports administration could be the key to unlocking your dreams."
 Some 1,400 sports organizations worldwide subscribe to The Migala Report, an electronic monthly that channels the wisdom of its founder, sports marketing guru Dan Migala. A graduate of the University of Missouri, Migala began his career as a broadcast journalist but quickly transitioned to sports marketing. He worked as a reporter and later as publisher for Team Marketing Report and wrote four casebooks on sports marketing. Migala, who earned a master's degree in sports administration from Ohio University, has advised Major League Baseball teams and other sports organizations on issues ranging from stadium financing to naming rights and sponsorship strategies. He came to Northwestern to direct the MSA program in fall 2008.
Q: You founded the Migala Report in 2003 - when you were 28 years old. What made you think you would succeed?
DM: I had spent six or seven years as a sports business reporter and discovered there was no overriding academic journal for the industry. Sports teams are competitors on the field, but off the field they're business partners. They all want to sell tickets and generate enthusiasm. Whether they're major league, minor league, or collegiate, they all want to be profitable, and there was a need for a definitive incubator of ideas.
Q: What makes you a popular teacher?
DM: I'm most proud that in the 10 years I've been teaching, 200 of my students have found jobs in the industry. I've helped them determine their goals, make a plan, and get the process going. At Northwestern I've been meeting one-on-one with MSA students to discuss that process and to suggest paths they might not have considered.
Q: What are the strengths of the MSA program?
DM: The faculty - they're top-tier professionals. The location - Chicago is home to many sports organizations, and MSA students have the opportunity to interact directly with them. Earning an advanced, specialized degree from Northwestern shows a deeper desire to succeed. It gets the attention of employers and gives you a competitive advantage. If you want to pursue a career in sports, a master's degree in sports administration could be the key to unlocking your dreams.
Maureen Harty
A five-sport athlete in high school, Maureen Harty played
softball and golf in college. But she found her biggest thrills
in her student job in the athletic department and parlayed
that love into a career in collegiate athletic administration.
As assistant athletic director at Northwestern, Harty oversees
athletic compliance, insuring that Wildcats play by the rules.
Q: How is being a sports administrator
different from being a sports fan?
MH: You bring a different
perspective to sporting events. When I attend a football
game, I no longer see just the players
on the field. I see the ushers, the concessionaires, how
many fans are in the seats, whether the game is being televised. Q:
OK, but aren't sports administrators and MSA students also
sports fans?
MH: Certainly. But the
program demonstrates that as glamorous as sports administration
may look, it's also a lot
of blood, sweat, and tears. In my class on Management and
Organization of Sports, we talk about the factors that are
universal in all organizations and then relate those concepts
to collegiate and professional sports. The MSA is modeled
after MBA programs - but our discussions have a sports
theme.
Q: What are your students like?
MH: Half of them are already
working in sports jobs, but some are making career changes.
One of my students is a banker
who rowed in college. One coached lacrosse for almost 20
years. They're interested in a wide variety of sports,
and they learn from one another's experiences.
Q: Are you a Sox fan or a Cubs
fan?
MH: Cubs. What makes
the MSA program exciting is being in a major metropolitan
area with wonderful opportunities to interact
with sports organizations. Professionals from these organizations
love to engage students and share what they know. Guest
speakers in my class included the vice president of the
Chicago Cubs and the athletic director at Northern Illinois.
Roy Kessel
 Lawyer and entrepreneur Roy Kessel is president of SportsLoop Management, a
Chicago-based sports and entertainment firm that provides
representation, event management, and marketing services.
Kessel cochairs the Chicago Bar Association's sports law committee
and has been a certified contract advisor with the NFL Players
Association and the Canadian Football League Players Association.
Q: You moved into sports law and sports marketing after practicing law with an emphasis on real estate, litigation, and commercial lending. What advice do you have for MSA students hoping to make the transition into sports-related careers?
RK: Northwestern’s
MSA degree is a great first step. It’s also very important
to gain experience in the sports industry. Your can demonstrate
your commitment by taking part-time jobs, such as gameday
operations with the Chicago Bears, by volunteering at sporting
events, or by taking internships.
Q: What role does the MSA
program play in preparing students for sports careers?
RK: I
became involved in the program because in the business world
I saw a need for a training ground that would provide a strong
educational basis for teaching students about the sports
industry. Through our program we provide mentoring and connect
students to job opportunities.
Q:
How do you structure your class in Legal and Ethical Issues in Sports Management?
RK: We focus on current
events and dilemmas in the world of sports law. Each student
is assigned one side in two debates, one on a legal topic
and one on an ethical topic. An ethical issue might address
the use of Native American mascots or the medical ethics
of sports participation. As a legal topic students have debated
who has rights to the ownership of a home run ball and whether
a city or team owns the rights to a franchise name and logo.
The debates are a good way to present differing perspectives
and make for lively classroom discussion.
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