The MSPM at Catawba, now in its fifth year as a program, is no stranger to traveling; previous cohorts have been up and down the East Coast from Florida, Georgia, Washington, D.C., to Nashville. Last year, the program journeyed out West for the first time, heading to Nevada for a week in Las Vegas to study the economic impact of sport on Vegas.
These trips have offered plenty of sights and experiences for the students who made the journey, including tours of universities such as the University of Florida and Vanderbilt University and visits to Allegiant Stadium (Raiders), Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Falcons), and Nissan Stadium (Titans). Students and Sport Management faculty members also had the chance to catch NHL, NFL, and NBA games, along with the 2023 PAC-12 Football Championship.
However, as big as these trips have been for MSPM, professors Duane Aagaard and Troy Carlton have always been aiming higher since the inception of the graduate program. After all, the Global Sports class has always been intended to live up to its name as the faculty have wanted Catawba’s students not just to experience what the sports industry looks like in other states but globally. In January 2025, the vision manifested itself in the form of a week-long sports tour through the city of London, England.
“When we launched the graduate program in 2020, one of the pillars was engaging in global travel to allow our students to investigate various international models of sport,” Dr. Duane Aagaard highlighted. “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and high travel costs, we couldn’t achieve that goal until London.”
Initially, the plan for Catawba Sport Management’s first foray abroad was a week in Spain, splitting time between the famed cities of Barcelona and Madrid. But when unexpected costs proved to be higher than initially expected, the plan shifted quickly. Enter London has been on Dr. Aagaard’s radar for years due to its rich cultural and sports history. “We pivoted in mid-October to develop an itinerary for a week in London. Joe Bennett (Bangor Regis, England) and Peter Majer (Budapest, Hungry), two international students in the course, were incredible throughout the planning process as they had local knowledge,” Dr. Aagaard said.
The itinerary developed quickly. By late November, a plan had been built for the cohort to spend January 10th through January 16th in London, experiencing all that the city had to offer while getting the chance to witness the deep level of sports that can be found within the English capital. The trip was also made possible through Catawba’s Impact Grant, currently directed by Dr. Carmony Hartwig. MSPM students Gabby Cossette (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) and Nick Wilds-Lawing (Concord, NC) described how the Impact Grant had a major effect on the trip. “This trip wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t receive the Impact Grant,” Cossette said. “It helped us pay for stadium tours and activities, and it was extremely appreciated and helpful to be able to do everything that we did in England.” That sentiment was echoed by Wilds-Lawing, who also spoke for the rest of the pair’s classmates, “It made it possible; I can assure you that without the Impact Grant, I wouldn’t have been able to pay for this trip.” With funding secured, all left was to board the flight bound for Heathrow International Airport.
Day one in London included exiting the crowded halls of Heathrow; then, after locating multiple international classmates, the group traveled to their home for the upcoming week, The Clarmont-Charing Cross Hotel. The first cultural experience was onboard the Big Bus Tour, a double-decker bus that made stops at the Tower of London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and many other English landmarks. The sixteen Catawba students and faculty absorbed the centuries of history as the tour made multiple stops to experience the historic sites.
Day two in London began with the first sporting experience as Catawba Sport Management students spent majority of the day touring Wimbledon, the site is one of the four Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Grand Slams tennis tournaments. Students and faculty alike had the chance to take in every aspect of this hallowed space, from the iconic vines to the inside of Centre Court. While no tennis was being played on this particular Friday, the students witnessed the location where so many champions have been crowned. After the tour, the group spent time in the Wimbledon Museum, which had interactive galleries that recounted the history of tennis tournaments that began in 1877. The galleries include original objects from Wimbledon and clothing/equipment donated by tennis' top stars, including Arthur Ashes' diary and the bench used by Roger Federer.
Day three in London was a free day; the students were allowed to create their own itinerary. One small group of Davis Fields (Fuquay-Varina, NC), Stefan Lauchner (Munich, Germany), and Brannon Burns (Hickory Grove, SC) visited the British History Museum. They learned that in 1756 the British History Museum became the first public national museum in the world, today it boasts more than eight million objects. One of the highlights of the museum was seeing Cleopatra's mummy. Next, the group met with Gabby Cossette and Reagan Inman (Mooresville, NC) to tour the Formula 1 Exhibition, an interactive experience that allowed them to explore Formula 1’s past, present, and future. They concluded the evening by eating at London’s oldest restaurant, Rules. Fields shared that he “ordered the dinner special of roast beef with potatoes and Yorkshire pudding; it was probably the best thing I had in London.”
Day four in London allowed the sport management students an opportunity to experience Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, one of the leading English Premier League (EPL) stadiums. Opened in 2019, the stadium hosts 62,250 fans for EPL and NFL International games. The tour provided access to how the players prepare on matchday from the locker rooms, through the tunnel, into the stadium, and finally, the press room. During the 2024 NFL season, Tottenham Stadium hosted the New York Jets vs. Minnesota Vikings and the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. the Chicago Bears.
Tottenham Stadium was built with a rather unique feature incorporated into the design, the Dare Skywalk. Harnessed in and led by a guide, the Catawba College cohort had the chance to ascend a path built into the side of the stadium that led to the stadium’s rooftop, along with an encounter with the golden cockerel that adorns the highest point of the stadium, and the chance to gaze out at the surrounding London skyline. One sight caught a few individuals’ attention- the 2012 Olympic torch, a preview of the next day.
Day five in London was, in the eyes of several students and faculty, the best day of the trip without hesitation. A tour of the 2012 Olympic Park opened the day, with students able to snap photos of the Olympic rings and a private tour of London Stadium (West Ham United FC home matches), the London Aquatics Center, and the Lee Valley VeloPark. More history awaited at the next stop, England’s hallowed Wembley Stadium.
Wembley Stadium was originally built in 1923, hosted the 1948 Olympics, and remodeled in 2007. Wembley seats an incredible 90,000 fans and is the home to both of England’s national football teams, hosts the finals for domestic cup competitions, and is the site of some of the greatest sporting events and concerts. The halls are adorned with memorabilia from the 1966 World Cup Finals, Champions League Finals, and events such as LiveAid in 1985, and Catawba’s cohort had the chance to take in everything. The group made its way from the locker rooms to the press room, to the touchline of the pitch, and even the chance to run out of the Wembley tunnel in an unforgettable moment.
The next stop was Brentford, a much smaller stadium yet just as incredible an experience. No trip to England would be complete without getting the chance to view a Premier League soccer match. Catawba College Sport Management was on hand to witness Brentford playing host to Manchester City at Gtech Community Stadium. In the midst of 17,500 roaring fans, a thrilling 2-2 draw between the two sides was an experience that nobody present will soon forget. “My favorite highlight was hands-down the Brentford vs. Manchester City game. I’ve never been to a soccer game before, so to experience my first game on a professional level was great. The atmosphere of European sports was way more exciting than the US. The crowd was breathtaking from start to finish,” said Wilds-Lawing. “It was a regular season affair with the atmosphere of a championship,” Dr. Aagaard concurred.
Day six was the final full day in London. The day opened with an academic session that featured Yogesh Joshee, a FIFA-licensed football agent and tech entrepreneur, speaking to the cohort about his experiences in the industry and what the future may hold. He was particularly intuitive about the use of artificial intelligence in sports. Plenty of questions were asked to Joshee, who answered all of them insightfully and offered a terrific international sports leader connection for our future.
Our next stop was Lord’s Cricket Grounds; while not a mainstream sport in the U.S., cricket in England is on par with European football in popularity and history. The nation of England, the birthplace of cricket, is one of the world’s leading sources of talent. Student Joe Bennett, who is from London and has played both sports, communicated that he held Lord’s Cricket in higher reverence than Wembley – as strong a statement. It wasn’t hard to pinpoint why on the tour, with the grounds containing over 200 years of archives. The grounds hosted its first cricket matches in 1814. Each room was like a museum, narrating the history and the names behind a sport that has captivated the world for centuries.
The final London stop for the Catawba cohort was our farewell dinner farewell on the 36th floor of the famed Skygarden, which boasts three iconic restaurants. Students and faculty alike enjoyed the fine dining experience at Barwin Brasserie restaurant overlooking the skyline of London. The next morning, the group departed London en route to the U.S. While the trip was over, the memories and impact of the trip will live on for years to come.
“I enjoyed the experience, and I think it was way more beneficial to go to London and learn about their culture than only learning it in class. This experience allowed me to understand the difference between American and British sports,” Gabby Cossette said before continuing, “I want to work in international sports, and understanding how other countries govern sports and how it’s integrated into the culture is very important for me. Being able to live the culture rather than just learning about it was way more beneficial.”
Nick Wilds-Lawing, one of several Catawba students who experienced international travel for the first time on this trip, was ecstatic about the experience. “Going on this trip meant everything! London was a great experience, from seeing some of the world's most beautiful and historic artifacts to experiencing a different perspective on sports like tennis, soccer, and cricket compared to the U.S. To have experienced the city with a group of people I trust and enjoy being around was amazing.”
The success of this trip, coupled with the ice being broken on international travel for the Master of Sport Management Program at Catawba, is enormous. Dr. Aagaard added, “It’s huge. Dr. Carlton and I have had this vision for the past four years, and finally, seeing it become a reality was incredibly rewarding. London proved to be the perfect city to investigate the European model of sports.”
Both Cossette and Wilds-Lawing added that on the student side, there is a lot of pride in being part of the first cohort to make the leap abroad. “As the first cohort to go, we had a lot of unknowns – we also had to set standards for the next cohorts. I believe we had a very good group of students who wanted to help in any way they could to make this trip educative and enjoyable. We proved that it could be very beneficial for the next cohorts to go on international trips to deepen our knowledge of sports and how they are integrated within other cultures,” Cossette highlighted.
There are still going to be unknowns moving forward. Still, as opposed to wondering whether or not the Master of Sport Management Program could successfully branch out internationally, the question is now which country or countries the program is headed next – all made possible by the success of an unforgettable milestone week in London.
