Five sport management majors from SMU’s Simmons School of Education and Human Development earned third place in the national finals of the Sport Business Journal National Sports Forum Challenge Cup Competition, marking the first time in the program’s three years competing that the team has advanced to the finals. The Simmons team lost to defending champion Deakin University in the final round.
Created in 2021, the Challenge Cup brings together students from top undergraduate sport management programs across the country. School teams virtually present cases based on a sports-related topic to a panel of sports industry professionals and academic experts.
This marks the third year SMU Simmons has competed, joining Washington University and Deakin University in the finals. Twelve schools in total took part in this year’s competition.
Each year, teams are presented with a new case study. For 2025, the client was the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), which challenged teams to develop a comprehensive and creative marketing campaign to boost awareness, engagement and viewership for the 2028 Solheim Cup.
Members of the 2025 SMU Challenge Cup Team are:
- Matt Bloomenthal, captain
- Lily Hewitt, presenter
- Lily Podolsky, presenter
- Aiden Millis, presenter
- Dev Dondra, alternate
Team captain Matt Bloomenthal said the experience offered a valuable opportunity to apply classroom learning to a real-world challenge.
“Although the result we wanted wasn’t fully there this year, it was a huge confidence booster to see that our work was recognized by industry professionals at such a relatively young age,” Bloomenthal said.
Presenter Lily Hewitt agreed that the competition was an invaluable experience.
“While we didn’t get the exact outcome we hoped for, we gained something more valuable — the experience,” Hewitt said. “This project felt like real-world work, and I came away with the satisfaction that comes from working hard on something as a team.”
Peter Carton, director of the SMU Simmons sport management program, praised the students and their coaches, Ken Troupe and Sydney Hammit, for their outstanding performance.
“Finishing among the top three schools in such a highly competitive field is a remarkable achievement and a true reflection of their talent, hard work and professionalism,” Carton said. “This accomplishment is a tribute to their collective effort, creativity and dedication.”