When Brandon Steiner proposed a fund to support students in the Sport Management Department at the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, he had a specific type of student in mind who would benefit most from the fund.
Oneself.
Steiner, who graduated from Syracuse University in 1981 and is now chairman of the Sport Management Advisory Council, grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. His father left the family when he was five, and while his mother, Evelyn, ran a beauty salon, she found it financially difficult to raise Brandon and his two brothers.
After 30 years as founder and chairman of Steiner Sports Marketing and Memorabilia, Brandon Steiner is leading two new companies, The Steiner Agency and Collectible Xchange.
Despite a low SAT score, Steiner convinced a Syracuse admissions counselor that she “will never regret admitting me,” he wrote in his 2012 book “You Gotta Have Balls.” Steiner was accepted and although his family received enough financial support to pay his tuition fees, there was still a problem: he had no additional money to cover his living costs.
Steiner never forgot these days. In collaboration with Falk College Associate Dean for Advancement David Salanger and Chair and Director of Sport Management Michael Veley, Steiner created the Brandon S. Steiner Sport Management Student Support Fund, which provides “health, housing, education and supports the overall well-being of Syracuse University students.” enrolled in the Department of Sport Management at Falk College.”
“Look at a kid like me,” Steiner says. “I was ready to work full-time in college; otherwise going to Syracuse probably wouldn't work. If I had just gone up there and not been willing to work full time – and I'm not talking about work study, I'm talking about a 40 hour job – I probably wouldn't have made it up there.
“But I don’t know if that can work in this day and age,” he continues. “I want to focus on poorer children who have something special going on and if we can give them extra help, they would come.”
The Steiner Student Support Fund awards support for a single academic year. Students can apply for funding by completing this survey. A student can receive funding a maximum of two times.
Sports Management students, including sports analytics and events and events management students, are encouraged to apply for internships and work in the sports industry as much as possible while attending school. As part of their degree requirements, they complete a 12-credit senior capstone course with a year of work experience with a sports organization.
The new Steiner Support Fund is the latest of several ways Brandon Steiner (far right) is giving back to Syracuse University. During the spring 2023 semester, Steiner paired sports management student Tracey Edson (second from right) and public relations major Samantha Messina with New York Yankees player Oswaldo Cabrera to create a marketing deck for Cabrera.
Given the program's rigorous requirements, it may be difficult for students to work as many hours as Steiner worked as a student to support food, housing, fees and materials, and other essential student needs. Steiner hopes his fund will help all students, but especially underrepresented students who, like Steiner, may need support but are future stars in the sports industry.
“We have to make it easier for them to get there,” says Steiner. “And the reality is that the teams, leagues and players are all diverse and we want to be diverse in the students we send into the industry as well.”
In Syracuse, Steiner attended the Whitman School of Management because his mother suggested he major in accounting. With his work ethic, ingenuity and ability to impress people, Steiner served as founder and chairman of Steiner Sports Marketing and Memorabilia for more than 30 years.
In 2019, he launched two new companies: The Steiner Agency, the nation's leading independent sourcing source for athletes, and Collectible Xchange, an online platform for fans, collectors, store owners, celebrities, athletes and teams to buy and sell collectibles.
The Steiner Student Support Fund is the latest way Steiner is giving back to Syracuse University and Falk College's sports management program, which he was instrumental in founding more than 20 years ago. He says attending Syracuse “gave me the biggest break I've ever had,” and he wants his fund to provide opportunities for students like him who will become the next generation of leaders in sports marketing.
“There is nothing better than the feeling of pride you feel when you pass the torch to the next generation,” Steiner wrote in his book. “I can’t wait to see all the innovative products they develop.”
In addition to the Steiner Student Support Fund, Falk College students have other opportunities and awards available to them. For more information on how to apply, please visit the Awards and Scholarships page on the Falk website.
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