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by: Brianna Kwasnik '16 M.A. '23
|
Oct. 07, 2025
ampa Sport Management Major Follows Motto ‘Game Day Everyday’
Sport management and finance double major Porter Sherman '27 is interning with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission.
Porter Sherman '27 said his best day as an intern with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission was at the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four. Photo courtesy of Sherman
For Porter Sherman ’27, sports tourism and events intern at the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, every day is game day.
If you ask the sport management and finance double major atampa, game day is the best, yet also the most hectic day.
“We treat every office day like it’s the day of an event,” Sherman said.“We work as hard as we would for any event day.”
Sherman started with thesportscommissionlast fall.The organization’s mainjob is bidding on major events, like the Super Bowl,to come to theTampa Bayarea, along with hosting youth and amateur events.
“We would be the ones to submit thebidpackage for the city of Tampa to have the event hosted here,and then also assist in the planning and operation of the event,” he said.
The most exciting eventin his time so far,Shermansaid, was the2025 NCAAWomen’sBasketballFinalFour.
The Tampa Bay Sports Commissionhosted ancillary eventsaround the cityall week,andSherman servedasavolunteer director, withover 800 volunteers working close to 2,000 shiftsateventslikethe“Party in thePlaza”and“BounceontheRiverwalk.”
“Wehad at least eight activations around the city of Tampa at all times,with numerous occurring at the same time,” he said.
Though the hoursaren’talways predictable,Shermansaid he thrives working in a high-stress environment.
For“Bounce on the Riverwalk,”a parade where fans could dribble a basketball down the Riverwalk, thousandsof basketballswereinvolved, soSherman and othershad to manage loadingand setting up the station. Check-in was at 4 a.m.
“There’sa lot of late nights and events, right? And it scares some people away when they get into it, butit’sjust something I love, andI’mreally passionateabout working hard always and seeing an event come to fruition,” Sherman said.
Anotherbig part ofthejob istracking and calculating the "room nights" for events, which ends updeterminingthe revenuea particular event brought infor the city of Tampa, Sherman explained, which is where his finance studies often come in handy.
Sherman saidhe’salways been passionate aboutfinance, butadding that major atampa“made sense” for long-term career goals.
“From themulti-altitudetasks he is completing, to the mentors he interacts with at the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, Porter will be referencing this experience his entire post-graduation career,” said Sport Management Internship Coordinator Michael Flynn.
Following graduation, Sherman is sure he wants to work in sports.He plans to getamaster’s degree, with the possibility of also pursuing law school.
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