Ten students from LaGrange College’s sports management department were chosen to volunteer for the NFL’s Super Bowl in 2018.

The college is one of six universities chosen to help participate at the championship event in Minneapolis, Minnesota in February, according to Dr. Preston James IV, assistant professor of Sports Management and Law.

“We’re the only [college] in the southeast (volunteering),” James said.

James said student volunteering is a great way for students to learn outside of the classroom.

“The biggest one day sporting event is the Super Bowl. So, students get exposure to not only the event, but to people putting on the event,” he said. “The stuff they learn in the classroom, they get to apply it on the big stage out there. You can’t get that anywhere else.”

The students will first volunteer with the Minneapolis host committee at the activities part of the Super Bowl village and then with the NFL during the game, James said.

“I know we’re working with the fan interaction as far as people coming up to Minneapolis,” he said.

James said usually 25,000 people volunteer but only 10,000 are chosen.  Students will also have the opportunity to network with big companies’ sports department’s, such as Visa and McDonalds, James said.

“[They will] meet everybody in the industry, They will meet the sponsors. All companies have sports departments,” he said.

James said the chance for the students to volunteer not only helps with interest in the sports management department, but also the school as a whole.

“It’s fantastic. Because we have a hands-on program it not only helps getting students but in retaining students,” he said.

The students not only are volunteering for the Super Bowl, but also for the NCAA’s Peach Bowl and the National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, he said.