82, 566 people. That number represents the maximum capacity of MetLife stadium, the home of the New York Jets and Giants. On October 20, 2016, students from Middletown North in the Sports and Entertainment Marketing class went on a trip to Metlife to learn about the sports industry and how the staff manages to to take care of those 82, 566 people every Sunday.

They heard lectures from stadium staff such as a Boston born luxury box salesman, the team’s director of finance, staff members who sell season tickets, and managers in charge of public relations. While at the trip students learned all about the daily operations at the stadium.

All businesses, even sports teams, run the same way. That was one of the central messages that the staff delivered. They also talked about how they got into the industry. They talked about the degrees and experience that was needed to go into the sports industry. One thing that was highly recommended was to get an internship in sports marketing while in college.