Syracuse Football internships offer a launchpad for student careers

In a JMA Wireless Dome filled with more than 14,000 fans—all eyes on the field as Syracuse football held its annual spring game. With a 2025 recruiting class of 35 commits, multiple transfers ready to make an immediate impact, and an Orange-versus-Orange matchup, it’s hard not to focus solely on the players. However, dozens of student managers and interns work behind the scenes before, during, and after the game, making significant contributions to the football team’s operations.

Through Syracuse Athletics internship programs—SU students gain valuable experience in the sports industry by working alongside experienced staff members within the athletic department. Both internships and job opportunities take form in various verticals related to students’ fields of study—including sports management, media, exercise science, and more.

SU students say they intern with the football team for several reasons. For some, it’s a first step toward their dream careers.

“I’m learning a lot about the evaluation of players, the process it takes to bring in recruits,” said Hayden Matthews, a junior scouting intern for the football team. “Learning with my intern experience is great. I won’t have to learn it when I hopefully find a real job with a team.”

For others, SU football internships offer a chance to explore something new. Junior Will Ryan, who started working this semester as a sports medicine intern, is considering a future in sports, but said he took the role mostly to become more involved at SU.

“I’m a finance student,” Ryan said. “So it’s not specific to my major. I don’t know how my career in finance is going to evolve, because I know that your first job is usually not the same job you’ll have for the rest of your career. I had a lot of free time, so I wanted to do more.”

It’s common for students to find internships that don’t align with their majors. Freshman Sammy Patel, a video intern for the Syracuse football creative department, is also a finance major. He said the internship gives him a chance to showcase his skills in a field he’s passionate about.

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Syracuse Football video intern Sammy Patel captures footage during the Spring Football Game at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, April 12.

“It’s how I kept myself busy in high school,” Patel explained, referring to his hobby of shooting and producing sports content. “So I knew I wanted to continue it. Being creative and creating whenever I can is my focus.”

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Patel also called the internship a learning opportunity—especially when it comes to mentorship.

“I learned a lot through different people, especially Coach Fran,” he said. “Getting to hear him talk to players is influential.”

Following the spring game—head coach Fran Brown spoke about the kind of role model he aims to be.

“I want to see them succeed,” Brown said. “I want the students to understand and be able to look at me and say, ‘He got his degree, he did this…if Coach can do it, I can do it because he’s just like me.’ That’s why I always try to be around the students and make them feel accepted.”

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Head coach Fran Brown speaks with his team after the Spring Football game at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, April 12.

Whether they’re gaining real-world work experience, engaging in a longtime hobby or discovering something new, Syracuse football internships offer students many ways to contribute to the program. And the coaching staff recognizes their efforts.

“I love the students,” Brown said. “Me and the students got a great bond. They’re all the little homies.”