Saints in the Garden: SUPA Course Gives Students a VIP Look at New York’s Iconic Arena

It’s not often one gets a backstage tour of Madison Square Garden. According to arena representatives, this behind-the-scenes access is offered only three or four times a year. For the past several years, however, one of those coveted opportunities has been reserved for Misi Babington’s Sports and Business Management class.

In February, Ms. Babington and students in the Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA) course traveled to New York City for a firsthand look at the inner workings of “the world’s most famous arena.” During a 90-minute tour led by Senior Vice President and General Manager of Arena Operations Bobby Castronovo and Arena Operations Coordinator Darshanie Seebarran, students explored areas of the venue rarely seen by the public. In addition to learning about the complexities of managing a major sports and entertainment venue, the Saints were granted access to the arena floor, private suites, and even the locker rooms.

Following their visit to the Garden, the class continued their trip with a stop at the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). There, students toured the organization’s headquarters with Associate Counsel Daniel “D.A.” Anyaegbunam and participated in a panel discussion with representatives from the association, gaining insight into the legal and business sides of professional sports.

For students considering careers in these competitive fields, experiences like this deepen their understanding of the business of sports while offering a firsthand look at the many professional paths that exist behind the scenes of the games they love.

“It’s an incredible opportunity for the students to immerse themselves in what we talk about in class,” says Ms. Babington. “When we got back from the trip, their heads were spinning—they realized this is a real, tangible career path because they met the people who are actually doing it.”

Canterbury is currently the only school in Connecticut that offers this SUPA course, and its annual trip to New York is just one example of how the program connects classroom learning with the professional opportunities that await students after graduation.