alker McCrae (BS Business Data Analytics/BA Sports Business ’19) grew up in Portland, thinking he would one day attend the University of Oregon. His desire to study sports business, however, attracted his attention to ASU.“I chose ASU for its sports business program and because of its location relative to other sports entities,” McCrae says. “I had always wanted to attend the University of Oregon but after touring there, I realized its remote location would make it difficult to find experience in the sports world.”
ASU had the resources McCrae was looking for. “In the greater Phoenix area, there is a team in the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, WNBA, and USL (minor league soccer),” he says, “as well as spring training, the Waste Management Phoenix Open, countless sports companies, and an athletic department serving the largest school in the country.”
alker McCrae (BS Business Data Analytics/BA Sports Business ’19) grew up in Portland, thinking he would one day attend the University of Oregon. His desire to study sports business, however, attracted his attention to ASU.
“I chose ASU for its sports business program and because of its location relative to other sports entities,” McCrae says. “I had always wanted to attend the University of Oregon but after touring there, I realized its remote location would make it difficult to find experience in the sports world.”
ASU had the resources McCrae was looking for. “In the greater Phoenix area, there is a team in the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, WNBA, and USL (minor league soccer),” he says, “as well as spring training, the Waste Management Phoenix Open, countless sports companies, and an athletic department serving the largest school in the country.”
Learning here unlocked even more opportunities than McCrae had expected. Among them — listed on his resume as “game enrichment specialist” — was the chance to suit up and hit the field as Sparky the Sun Devil.
“The process behind joining was fairly straightforward,” McCrae says of his decision to become one of the half-dozen or so students on Team Sparky. “Then, the team put me in the suit at a baseball game and essentially threw me in the fire.”
Debuting in his sophomore year, McCrae gained invaluable experience and lifelong memories. “Being Sparky helped me develop leadership skills, get exposed to the business of sports, and interact with fans,” he says.
McCrae, like many at ASU, views sports as being more than just for sport.
“Sport has an incredible power to bring people together and keep kids out of dangerous environments,” he says. “Allowing children to participate in a sport from a young age teaches them the value of teamwork, communication, work ethic, and leadership — all of which they can use to become successful later in life.” Building on his undergraduate degrees, McCrae creates campaigns and oversees marketing initiatives for the Phoenix Mercury.