The panelists and USC Professor Jeff Fellenzer pose with the USC Sports Business Association's Executive Cabinet (Darian Nourian/Neon Tommy)

The panel was moderated by USC professor and former Los Angeles Times editor Jeff Fellenzer. It featured Beverly Hills Sports Council agent Jeff Borris, who has represented dozens of athletes including Barry Bonds and Ricky Henderson; Brendan Meyer, a USC Annenberg graduate and the senior director of digital marketing at the Wasserman Media Group; Steve Harden, vice president of sales at Oakley and Ryan Lawrence,  USC Marshall alumni and current vice president of business development and strategy at Relativity Sports. 

The panelists presented their unique perspectives on how they got into the sports business and gave students in attendance advice on how they can break into the industry in addition to providing helpful hints on how to succeed as young professionals. 

“Our goal is to help students break I to the sports industry and this panel provides students with a direct link to some of the industry's most successful people,” said junior Jake Kelfer, vice president of the USC sports business association. “

Sophomore Brennan Wise, president of the USC Sports Business Association, asserted how great of an opportunity it is for students to be able to meet and network with these real-world professionals in the sports industry. 

“What I love most about USC is that our student body has opportunities to learn from pioneers in the industry and professionals like Jeff Borris and the rest of our panelists,” Wise said. “These opportunities don't exist at many other schools and I'm proud to be one of the hosts of the panel.” 

During the discussion, the panelists came to the consensus that networking is one of the most vital elements when it comes to trying to get a job in the sports industry. 

Borris knows that from his past experiences and said that he went to elementary school with his long-time business partner. He also mentioned that his partner was the one who actually encouraged him to go down to spring training while Borris was still attending law school. 

Harden, who has worked at a number of companies like K-Swiss, Adidas and even Aquafresh before obtaining his position at Oakley, concurred that networking is ultimately what makes or break you when it comes to breaking into the industry. 

“It’s all about the network you make and it all starts right here,” Harden said. 

Meyer, who turned an internship into a full-time position with Wasserman, agreed that sports is a relationship-driven business. 

By using their extensive networks, each panelist presented their own unique paths in which they underwent to get to the established positions in which they fill currently. 

Lawrence took what he called the unconventional route by starting in the financial services industry and managing hedge funds before going on to combine his passions for sports and finance and stepping into his current position with Relativity Sports. 

In contrast, Borris, who’s sport agency handles everything from contract negotiations and player management to social media and marketing, knew what he wanted to do ever since he got out of college. 

“I went straight to law school, went down to spring training and that’s where I recruited my first clients [Jose Canseco Henderson], which would eventually lead me to getting Bonds and then Curt Schilling,” Borris said. 

Having already hurdled through all of the different obstacles and barriers to get to where they are today, the panelists talked about the type of mentality one needs to have in order to persevere in the sports business industry. 

“I didn’t begin in sports management, in fact I started out selling tooth paste, but you really just have to do whatever you can to get your foot in the door,” Harden said. 

As someone who wanted to become a professional baseball player growing up, Borris vocalized that one needs to be money-driven. 

“It’s the only way to keep score,” Borris said. “You have to be relentless if you want to break into this industry.” 

Fellenzer, who teaches the Sports, Business And Media in Today’s Society class at USC also offered his “Four P’s” of Sports Business as a guide for students who are pursuing a career in sports.

“Passion, persistence, preparation and performance are key to one’s success in sports,” Fellenzer said. 

Finally, the panelists touched upon what they would like to see in a potential job candidate. 

Lawrence stressed that the most important thing for someone going into a job interview is preparation. 

“You need to know what you are going to talk about so that you can be the expert and analyze all aspects of a situation,” Lawrence said. “You’re more than just your resume and you need to be personable as well, someone I can see going out to have a beer with.” 

As a former intern himself, Meyer emphasized how important it is for students to gain work experience that is relevant to what they want to do. 

“I’m looking for people who are ready to hit the ground running and already possess the necessary skills to perform their job, not someone who I have to spend an entire month with just showing them the ropes. 

According to Kelfer and Wise, the USC Sports Business and Association looks forward to having more panels like this that give students access to some of the most accomplished individuals in the industry. 

“The event brings prestige to USC and the Sports Business Association and the panel is the first of many events that will connect USC with the best sports businessmen in the world,” Kelfer said. 

Reach Darian Nourian here.