Business Students Go Behind the Scenes as Steelers Brand Ambassadors

For many, making the journey to Steelers training camp means hoping to catch a glimpse of your favorite players. For Seton Hill University students Ben Myers and Makayla LiVorio, it meant spending a month behind the scenes this summer, helping create the fan experience.

The two business students got their start last spring when a Steelers representative visited Associate Professor of Marketing Rachel Kaplan’s Marketing Principles class to introduce students to the brand ambassador program. Ben, a sports management major, and Makayla, a marketing major, attended the informational session and turned that face-to-face connection into an opportunity to work with one of the NFL’s most recognizable organizations.

Steelers Brand Ambassadors are on the front lines of fan engagement and event activations, representing the team from training camp through the football season. Their work helps build brand awareness and enhance the fan experience, offering students a firsthand look at the marketing, logistics and relationship-building that go into major sporting events.

“This is definitely not just for people interested in working in sports,” Makayla said. “I'm learning so much: production, event activations, hospitality, fan interaction, and customer service. There are lots of different skills you can take away from this, even outside of sports, for marketing or business management.”

The month of training camp can be intense, with ambassadors on site daily for much of the session. But the commitment offers more than a behind-the-scenes look at professional football. Students gain exposure to different roles within the sports industry, develop professional relationships and connect with peers from colleges throughout the Pittsburgh region.

“The Brand Ambassadors Program can help you learn and grow in many areas,” said Ben. “As part of this program I’ve seen firsthand how business concepts play out in a professional organization.”

While the workload lightens significantly after training campus ends, the season is just beginning. Brand ambassadors work Steelers home games throughout the season, arriving early to help set up interactive activities and other elements of the fan experience at Acrisure Stadium. They also have opportunities to participate in additional Steelers-hosted events, including the SteelHERS Social and Steelers Style.

For Makayla, the experience has highlighted the range of skills brand ambassadors develop and how those skills extend beyond the sports industry.

"Being part of the game-day experience has allowed me to connect with fans of all ages, create lasting memories, and help bring the organization's brand to life,” she said. “From engaging with fans at games and community events to supporting promotional activities and event operations, it's rewarding to play a role in making each fan's experience positive, welcoming, and memorable."

Even as an Eagles fan, Ben has developed an appreciation for the Steelers and the enthusiasm of the fans he encounters throughout the season.

“Being a part of the game-day experience is very fulfilling. I feel like I’m indirectly catching a pass from Aaron Rodgers and scoring a touchdown,” Ben said. “And being able to have an impact on the fan experience is amazing – the reward I get is seeing the smiles on people’s faces.”

Through their work with the Steelers, Ben and Makayla are putting classroom concepts into practice while developing skills that can serve them in a variety of careers. They are also building professional networks and gaining a closer look at how marketing, event production, hospitality and customer service work together within a major organization.