Sports fans often express that nothing compares to cheering on their home team on game day, but some fans are fortunate enough to support their team every day. Graham Lyman ‘14, a native of the greater Philadelphia region, currently works as an inside sales representative for the Philadelphia Phillies while in his last semester of a master’s of business administration graduate program concentrated on sports management at San Diego State University. Lyman discovered that he wanted to take a sports business route in his professional career while at Temple University, and he has returned to Philadelphia to make it happen.
Lyman’s lifelong love of sports informed his decision to pursue a career in the sports industry. At Temple, he started as a journalism major but found that sports news writing and reporting were not exactly what he wanted to do moving forward. When he decided to turn his focus to business, he remained at Klein College of Media and Communication to stay on top of his communication skills, and gained insights that translate to the business world. The communication studies major, headed by Scott Gratson, allowed Lyman the flexibility to explore his options.
“The work ethic that I had to develop for Gratson’s classes [was] something that prepared me to keep going in higher ed and pursue a grad degree,” Lyman says. “Because he demands a lot of you and it was something that I appreciated and that I carried with me into my grad studies.”
Taking on a position with the Phillies was always the “gold standard” for Lyman’s professional career because people who worked for the team always told him that the franchise is a great environment for growth in sports business. After graduating from Temple he worked for the New York Yankees and when he began his studies at San Diego State, he worked as a guest services specialist for the San Diego Padres. His time with these Major League Baseball franchises helped him feel more secure in tackling his MBA requirements. The 18-month program includes 12 months of classes like statistics and analytics followed by a six-month sports industry placement and a thesis project.
Ryan Simon, manager of ticket services for the Phillies, believes that Lyman’s graduate education has greatly benefited his position in the inside sales team.
“Graham brings to the table a wealth of experiences being that he is a graduate student,” Simon says. “He does a nice job in marrying an enthusiasm for baseball with a healthy quest for knowledge. These two attributes, plus a willingness to try new things and connect with people really suit him well in his role in inside sales.”
Lyman has combined his two obligations by developing his thesis project, which focuses on how an organization can solve a large-scale problem. Using the Phillies’ Spring Ballpark Pass as its subject, his thesis will suggest that the Pass should be extended to the entire season and include extra perks for fans. This kind of problem-solving and critical thought has helped him establish himself as an excellent addition to the Phillies and a successful student.
After graduating, Lyman hopes to stay on with the Phillies and utilize his business analysis skills. But no matter what he ends up doing within the franchise, he plans to exercise his creativity and business savvy to bring his favorite team the recognition it deserves.